The outcry was one of anger and determination. Canadian small business owners, including your doctor, dentist, lawyer and Canada’s farmers were not going to submit to the Justin Trudeau/Bill Morneau version of tax fairness.
No matter what level of spin Ottawa attempted, the analogy remained pig and lipstick.
When it was then revealed some two million Canadians would be taxed on employee discounts, a wholesale application of lipstick, supplemented by an equal amount of perfume wasn’t going to clear the air for this porcine attempt by Ottawa to rummage around wallets and pockets of Canadians in an attempt to scoop loose change.
WATCH: Ottawa wants to tax employee discounts
The word is that Monday morning, the sequel to the torpedoed tax fairness plan will be unveiled to Liberal MPs.
Whatever Bill Morneau, supported by Justin Trudeau, have dreamed up had best pass taxpayer muster. No margin of error for “asset amnesia.”
This will be a tough sell. We have for two-plus years, heard Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, parroted by the federal Minister of Finance, prattle about improving quality of life and finances for the middle class. A middle class which a study deemed to be in no need of political assistance immediately prior to September 2015. A middle class which, thanks to Trudeau/Morneau financial acumen, led by their broken commitment wild deficit spending, likely may now be in need of a boost.
WATCH: Conservatives continue to question Morneau’s motives on tax havens
It’s tough for a couple of silver dinner set millionaires to understand the meaning of personal entrepreneurial sacrifice and not view any success from such endeavours as anything but plunder for Ottawa.
What is a common response to unfair government taxation? The underground economy hums along happily with the cash for service, no taxes charged or paid model becoming a half a peace sign gesture displayed to national and provincial governments’ collection agencies.
What’s happening isn’t that Canadians are engaged in a rebellion against fair taxation. Precisely the opposite. Canadian taxpayers have determined what is and what isn’t fair taxation.
Hopefully, Prime Minister Trudeau and Minister of Finance Morneau will have received the message from the classes (middle and otherwise). Any media release related to Monday’s Liberal special caucus meeting should not be a defiant version of “Let them eat cake.”
The response may we be: “We’ll eat your lunch instead.”
Roy Green is the host of The Roy Green Show and a commentator for Global News.
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