One of the oddest things in my political career was what happened after I won my GTA-area riding for the Conservatives a year ago.
Nothing.
No call from the party saying, nice one, dude, after 13 years of Halton being red. No call from the leader. No email. No letter a week later. Nothing. It was eerily as if the Stephen Harper forces did not expect to win any seats in the Toronto area, and didn’t actually care when I pulled it off.
In fact, it was not until several months later that I fully realized the Conservatives have no apparent desire to represent urban Toronto. That came at a GTA caucus meeting (consisting of three ministers from ridings outside the area, plus two MPs) when I learned the party was down to just one organizer for more than 40 ridings populated by three million people, and when I tabled a 15-page GTA communications strategy.
That plan, based on years of media experience in Toronto plus my time as an MP, was proactive and results-oriented, since I assumed Mr. Harper wanted to win more seats. Not so much. Not only was there no interest, but it turned into another excuse to mess up the messenger.
“Don’t you worry,†a minister shot at me, “we have a strategy for the GTA, and it’s going to do just fine.â€
As far as I can tell, that strategy is called Wajid. And it ain’t working.
A Big Smoke reporter whose instincts I trust, and has years of experience covering politics interviewed me today, and afterwards said, “Harper’s going to lose.†That opinion was based on his observation that the Conservatives have not moved ahead one inch in urban Canada since last January. There could be many headline reasons – the goofy vote on re-opening same-sex marriage; the slavish agrarian insistence on scrapping the gun registry; the vote-sucking resolution to recognize Quebec people as a ‘nation’; the dismal and ideological failure to address climate change.
Who knows? Maybe it’s the stacking of the repro committee with right-to-lifers. Maybe it’s damage done by supporting Israel last summer, then turning around and shipping half of Lebanon here. Maybe, heavens, it’s even booting the only GTA MP out of caucus.
Or maybe it’s thinking that by siphoning off a Liberal MP from Mississauga, and then staging a love-in with lots of ethnic groups with Wajid Khan at his side, that Mr. Harper could gain yards on the opposition. But what the PMO missed was that Mr. Khan is not very popular in his own area, and that ‘ethnic’ voters are as sophisticated and smart and astute as the rest of us. They can even smell political BS!
So now the GTA strategy is a defected MP who apparently bought the last two elections with loans from his car dealership; who does not live in the riding; who will probably be in contravention of the nation’s election laws; and who wrote a report on the middle East, at taxpayers’ expense, that won’t be made public.
Could Stan & Ollie have done worse?
People in urban areas, strangely, are like people in rural Canada – they ask politicians to represent them, help them and give them the society they want. Unlike a lot of country folks, however, they are violently anti-gun, proud of their tolerance for gays and everybody else, hugely interested in transportation infrastructure, committed to the environment, rapid transit and waste management and are financially stressed thanks to the extreme cost of urban living. Families there are looking for tax relief, social leadership, environmental stewardship and vision.
Instead, from the Harper Tories, they have received an average of four hours a month of MPs’ time. The Saskatchewan caucus, representing fewer people than live in Mississauga alone, meets every week and gets way more attention from the prime minister. But then, they have duck hunters.
55 comments ↓
You really like to categorize people don’t you.
I love the way you seem to think people who don’t live in urban centers are regressive slackjawed yokels.
Lets dissect.
they are violently anti-gun
Funny, guns don’t have much legitimate use in downtown toronto. I wonder why they don’t like guns.
However, when you have a crop full of prarie dogs — what are you going to do, sick a panhandler on em?
proud of their tolerance for gays and everybody else
Apprantly, you didn’t see brokeback mountain — there are plenty of gay cowboys, and there’s nothing more gay-friendly than owning a winery in the cowichan valley.
hugely interested in transportation infrastructure
Actually, when they tried to shut down the commuter train on Vancouver Island B.C. the ‘country’ folk had a mini revolt.
They also loved the (private) harbour-lynx passenger ferry which linked nanaimo to vancouver harbour. (which is shut down now thanks to no help from the government and a series of unfortunate events)
Transportation projects are just as important in the country — they just come in different forms than they do in downtown toronto.
What they want is the ability to live in the country and be in downtown Vancouver by 9:30. Funny how the government doesn’t even do the bare minimum to help this happen.
committed to the environment
You’re telling me, farmers are not concerned about the changing climate in which they grow their crops? What’s wrong with you?
rapid transit
Country folk would care about rapid transit if you’d build it out to em. Funny though, guys like Gordon Campbell have no problem taxing people in Pembroke for a new skytrain line in Vancouver.
waste management
Like the type of waste management that makes it so the streams that run through the country properties aren’t polluted?
financially stressed thanks to the extreme cost of urban living
Country folk and city folk alike all shop at wal-mart. Cost of ownership is bout equal, cost of maintenance on a country property versus a condo, a whole heck of a lot more. What do you think is so much cheaper in the country, having lived in Vancouver and Duncan B.C. I can tell you that its all the same economy — without maybe being gouged for parking.
Garth, face it, you’re out of touch with a massive amount of Canadians.
Harper’s plans for the GTA…
In case you have not read it yet, do go over to Garth Turner’s blog and read his post about the GTA and the plans the Tories have for it — or don’t have?…
Group warns private sector workers retire later
http://news.sympatico.msn.ctv.ca/TopStories/ContentPosting.aspx?newsitemid=CTVNews%2f20070117%2fretirement_070117&feedname=CTV-TOPSTORIES_V2&showbyline=True
Garth, I must tell you that even though I am a moderate, I am also a gun owner and a sometime hunter.
In rural Canada we know the truth of guns, and it is not as you city folk see them.
The money wasted on the long gun registry could have been MUCH better spent on a maximum security prison for gun crime offenders and REAL penalties for their use in committing crimes.
(Crime time plus 10 years, no parole)
Also, the drug laws REALLY need to be addressed. This will not happen as long as the profit motive is allowed to over power good sense.
The police are BIG time profiteers from the present law structure. Even their own statistics show this as more than 70% of ALL police work is related to drugs.
If drugs where not a crime but a medical problem they could be dealt with.
As long as they are a crime they will be so profitable that it is worthwhile to deal in them. If a medical problem then they would loose their value to criminals and stop destroying young lives.
How so???
The government takes over the distribution of narcotics and near narcotics (THC) and sells them so cheep that they put the criminals out of business.
You still make the punishment for “Illegally” importing them very stiff.(Say minimum 10 years for importation)Again, NO Parole.
Even the most stupid criminal “BIGS” would look else where for their profits.
Meanwhile, the police could be put to use tracking down and stopping really dangerous activities such as people who habitually run lights or speed.
Garth-
I agree all conservatives are dopes and anyone who voted for them are dopes. Those westeners are gun loven, gay hating, antienvironmentalists, hate riding buses or streetcars, dump their waste in lakes, and make all sorts of money on their farms so they have no stress at all and they want higher taxes, and no leadership on social issuse – the environment and can’t see over the next rise.
And since Toronto is the center of the universe those 3 million people should tell the rest of us how to live and vote.
Hi Garth. Love your write-up. Being a “visible minority” who was born in Moose Jaw, raised in rural Sask., lived in Alberta for years, then moved to a more civilized politics in BC, I have seen more than enough of the neo-Con/Reform extremist thought that the Conservative Party was dominated by. The old PC Party was a center-right organization. These new extemists are “right”… period.
I commend you on your move in Parliament, and for being outspoken in your very honest and candid opinions. Keep fighting the good fight – as people are truly listening to you!
“Garth, face it, you’re out of touch with a massive amount of Canadians.”
Trust me…he’s just as out of touch with many folks in Halton. Mind you, he’s got every Liberal, NDipper, would-never-vote-conservative-if-their-life-depended-on-it, outside-his-riding, and Green voter well lined up behind him. You never know, he might just get re-elected. After all he’s got the brains of Bob McClelland and Muskoka Bill behind him….anything can happen.
Howard, right on!
Didn’t you know that Toronto is our new western frontier – why with the nightly shootings and knifing; and with ethnic ghettos. Yup – all that tolerance and inclusiveness is so heart warming.
Didn’t you know that Toronto is a model for our new environmental policies – you know the yellowish dome over the GTA is where we all should stive to achieve.
It is still the same ole same ole from you Garth — me me me and sour grapes again. How about concentrating on helping Canada become the best it can be. Time to resole the shoes and get out there and get going in a new direction that brings out your national spirit. Well, really, so what if we belong to a particular party…the end goal is Canada and what is best for it…I hope?
2 towns in USA made gun ownership mandatory and crime was drasticly reduced. We need to change the laws and require all citizens to be armed if we care about reducing crime.
Garth, I notice one glaring omission from your reasons why Harper will lose the next election. To jog your memory, it was voted the Canadian news story of last year. Namely, the Conservative glaring reversal on taxing Income Trusts. Perhaps you think that Seniors don’t have enough of a mandate or organizational skills to make their voice heard?
Gary V:
Which two towns? For all I know you just made that up.
Not to mention if it were true, it’s still a big joke.
Tom –
I believe Gary is referring to Kennesaw, Georgia.
Read about it here:
The Conservative Voice
What we need in Canada is a “Guns and Dope” Party!
http://www.maybelogic.com/gunsanddopeparty/
How about concentrating on helping Canada become the best it can be.
I’d suggest that Garth is pointing out what a lot of us suspect – that the CPoC is not necessarily what it is representing itself to be.
Which is unquestionably in Canada’s best interests.
Re: comments by Garth
“Unlike a lot of country folks, however, they are violently anti-gun, proud of their tolerance for gays and everybody else, hugely interested in transportation infrastructure, committed to the environment, rapid transit and waste management and are financially stressed thanks to the extreme cost of urban living.”
It is disappointing to see this kind of stereotyping. When people like Garth so clearly reveal their prejudices based on where a person lives it is no different than prejudice based on race, or as it is generally denoted: “racism.”
Certainly the urban biased media has a great deal to answer for in stereotyping based on where a person lives. Garth’s comments reveals the pervasiveness of sterotyping that would be unacceptable if it referred to urban groups such as immigrants.
One another level, this may reflect the attitude of other Canadians to “Toronto” arrogance. There is a group of people who come from the greater Toronto area who try to “lord it over” others because of their “superiority complex.” I have met a half about half a dozen of them that I can think of at the moment. They stand out because they are so obnoxious. They have given Ontario, in general and Toronto in particular a bad name in the rest of Canada.
Garth’s posting seems to have revealed a great deal more than he intended.
Let’s not get carried away with the psychoanalysis, here. My points were (1) weapons (2) social tolerance (3) roads (4) environment and waste management and (5) cost of living. There is no doubt, as a rural dweller myself that there is a familiarity with firearms in the country that is 100% misunderstood in the city where weapon = crime. As for social tolerance, apart from the mythical town where “Little Mosque on the Prairie” is shot, most social diversity in Canada is urban – a simple fact of life. Roads? The average commute in Toronto is 72 minutes, whereas in small-town Canada is is probably less than ten. The environment, green space and weaste management are obviously huge issues when people are packed into urban settings, as opposed to sitting on larger, private tracts of land. And when the average home in Vancouver is well over $500,000, and it takes $1 million to buy a house in mid-town Toronto that costs $450,000 seven years ago, well, tell me who has the most stress. These are urban issues that a national government has to be on the vanguard of, especially since over 90% of Canadians happen to live in cities. — Garth
Seems your taking a bit of flak on your comments about rural people.
I was born and raised in a rural areas, as an adult I became urbanized but have since returned to the country for the peace and solitude .
Most of the folks in these parts are hard working and good to their neighbours.
I agree that the needs and concerns of the rural population are not the same as the urban population.
Saskatchewan is a perfect example of the above statement. We have a NDP government here, not because the farmers and oilmen are socialists, but because those in the urban areas are. If the cities in this province were substantially smaller, this province would most likely be governed by Conservatives.
As to the gun thing, there may be a percieved need for them in these parts, but we do have people killed by long guns in these parts. I would guess that the number of people killed with long guns in this province outnumbers those killed by handguns.
The rural areas of this province are mostly Conservative, the residents being mostly self-sufficient and not having had to live in a city, do not see the need for liberal or social programs. This feed the cycle of conservatism in this province, because when your young, your anything but a conservative and the appeal of a more liberal lifestyle in the urban centres draws most of the youth from the rural areas leaving the old and conservative behind. It appears our own children think were a bunck of hicks out here, so I don’t see the sense in getting upset if those in the urban areas have the same opinion.
Group warns private sector workers retire later
By Geoffrey L. on 01.18.07 1:35 am
Is there a point here for you posting that Geoffrey?
I retired a year and a half ago at 55 after working almost 36 yrs. for the same public sector job. Decided to do so mainly due to personal health reasons. I was never laid off or spent a day on a picket line in all those years. I paid into pension… company, C.P.P. U.I/E.I. all my working life. Never got a cent for all those years I paid into E.I. and that is fine with me as I have always looked at it as a, what it was meant to be, a Insurance Plan.
Now Retired, I am living only on what I get from the company pension until I am 60, then I can draw on early CPP because I am paid up in it. It is a lot less than it would be at 65. Once I hit 65 or I should say if I hit 65, and start getting Old age pension my public service part of my pension will be cut in almost half.
So you see Geoff, I am not living the high life here at all. I suppose I will hear from those that will come on and tell me hew they are subsidizing my pension. I paid the same taxes all my life as my neighbors did so they paid no more towards my wages and benefits than I did.
Kevin,
For someone who dislikes Garth and his opinions you always seem to be the first to post here. I think you are secretly obsessed with Garth and his blog.
He loves me. — Garth
i agree 100% with kevin
i would also like to mention the air pollution caused by the large vehicles city dwellers feel they have to drive for that 72 minute commute
Garth,
I note that Halton Bill seems rather upset Robert McClelland and I support most of what you say? That is his right, however, if he thinks that will change my own independent opinions then he is simply living in a meglamaniac world of his own making.
Now, as to your comments regarding the urban/rural comparatives:
I have lived in BIG cities, rural, small towns and find people are, as you basically describe them. No stereotype fits all, and I do not believe you meant your comments in that black and white manner. Society is always a mix of beliefs.
As to guns and urban life. There is NO NEED for firearms in the City of Toronto other than for law enforcement officers. They are trained and certified in the use of them.
Here in the Muskoka we seldom hear of a gun related crime being committed by a local resident. I would say that 99% of such crime is the result of someone who lives in the BIG city of Toronto who comes here and thinks they have power.
Our local OPP has a much different view. They track the criminals down and educate them in reality. Most of the drug related offenses are also committed by GTA residents.
The recent terrorist training camp in Washago was, again, city dwellers!
I have lived all across Canada and the people are pretty much the same everywhere, with slightly different accents (Yes, Canucks have accents).
The racism and xenophobia is far more prevalent than Canadians like to admit. It is everywhere, just more vocal in rural areas because of the numbers. In the Big City it is skin colour as a racial basis. In the rural areas there are so few non-whites, other than aboriginals, that the racism is hidden, except between the whites and aboriginals, and quite frankly, I find there is more racism from the aboriginals than towards them.
Society is tough mix and pinpointing any one factor is like describing a hay stack from one piece of hay.
When it comes to your job, which is as a lawmaker, the specifics get difficult, and need to remain very generalized…that is why we have courts , trials, and lawyers.
I just read in today’s Star that Durham praises the Lord despite a court ruling stating such actions by governments is unconstitutional. The article would be right at home in the States where multiculturism does not exist…only a melting pot mentality of ‘be like us or leave!’
Canada is a true multicultural society, and we are greatly blessed by it…if people will accept that they can learn from other’s experiences.
I watched “Little Mosque on The Prairie” last night and laughed through the entire show. It is funny, but also highly allegorical in its message. It is a program people can learn from, if they pay attention to the subtle interactions. It is what I call ‘reality TV’!
Hopefully CBC will not screw it up by pre-empting it, delaying new episodes, or their usual well honed ability to blow a great show, like they did “This Is Wonderland” which portrayed reality as few get to see it. Ask any cop if the characters on TIW are real and they will tell you…’You betcha!’
I have several good friends who are retired from various police services and they all have similar tales to tell, and they always have irony built in.
As to stress levels. Each societal group has its own forms. I do know that the pace of the Big City brings its own unique style of stress. Rural folks have their own too. Isolation occurs in both societal types. When isolation happens, lonliness, and substance abuse occurs. That leads to desparation, and crime.
Trying to say one is less than the other is inaccurate as a generalization. I would say, however, based on life experience, that the Big City has more of the 24/7 constant stress at a much higher level than the rural life does. I know I am always joyful to return to the Muskoka after a visit to the GTA!
Just driving the 400 series highways in the GTA is a high stressor! I could not do that every day. Likewise, I could not stand driving the lonely two lane highways in the Muskoka and Northern Ontario every day. Both driving, both stress creators, both due to the animals that travel on them. In the GTA the animals are two legged, here they are four legged…both as dumb as the other in my book.
I find little difference between some macho maniac in their 4WD pickup or SUV or Street Racer, and a Bull Moose… neither have the brains to use caution, just brute force.
Randy on 01.18.07 10:29 am
I was just pointing out a general inequity in how pensions are funded. I meant no offence to you sir.
Parliamentary committee seeks to shed light on income trust tax changes
http://www.canada.com/ottawacitizen/news/story.html?id=63490ce6-716c-4229-8b1d-427ce3510a5d&k=62176
Grits win quick hearings on income trusts
http://www.canada.com/topics/finance/story.html?id=0948b356-00aa-48db-ba78-ca5bffaf03f6&k=97095
Keith, I’m a programmer — I know within a few minutes when Garth posts a story — and it’s automated to boot =P I also live in a western timezone, so I’ve not gone to bed by the time Garth posts most of his articles.
And ya, Garth, yeh know this Cowboy loves yeh! *laugh* But seriously I don’t dislike Garth, or I’d just toss em out and not bother commenting. Garth, like most politicians, likes to put his foot in his mouth (like this post) and there’s a role to play telling em where to shove it. On the other hand, I agree with a lot of Garths platform like his Guaranteed Annual Income plan.
In the end, this is the only forum for Direct Democracy, and that’s something that I find particularily interesting.
Back on topic however,
As for social tolerance, apart from the mythical town where “Little Mosque on the Prairie†is shot, most social diversity in Canada is urban – a simple fact of life.
A simple un-fact of orwellian life maybe. The reality is that urban dwellers have a demonstrated intolerance for the poor, sick and uneducated. They might accept the homosexual issue on a slightly higher level (no more than 5% I would guess) but are demonstrably worse in many areas. Social tolerance does not exist in the cities as it does in the country. The phrase help-thy-neighbour, meaningless.
I remember, one time in Vancouver, having change for the SkyTrain but the machine would not accept my quarter. Dozens of people walked by as myself in a shirt and tie tried to ask for someone to break a bill or trade me a quarter. I finally gave up trying to even engage people after about 3 minutes of being patently ignored.
Some lady’s purse got stolen the other day in much the same way. Hundreds of people stood by watching a lady have her purse taken, and did nothing to stop it.
Tolerance, social values. Not in Vancouver at least.
Roads? The average commute in Toronto is 72 minutes, whereas in small-town Canada is is probably less than ten.
If you live in a place where it takes you 72 minutes on average to get to work. Move. You’re just wasting 12.5% of your life in traffic.
The environment, green space and weaste management are obviously huge issues when people are packed into urban settings, as opposed to sitting on larger, private tracts of land.
Clearly you’ve never owned a farm with water rights and a pesky surburban sprawl neighbourhood pops up. Guys start washing their cars with all kinds of disgusting chemicals into the storm drains — which cause all kinds of really nasty local environmental impact.
The issues are different, but still equally conerning and important.
And when the average home in Vancouver is well over $500,000, and it takes $1 million to buy a house in mid-town Toronto that costs $450,000 seven years ago, well, tell me who has the most stress.
New research shows that in order to be profitable in a mainstream market a new farm must be over 1000 acres. At this scale they must be operated by expensive equipment and pest-managed in a whole other way.
This increase the cost of country living significantly, even higher, say than a million dollars — which as far as farms go, is cheap cheap cheap.
These are urban issues that a national government has to be on the vanguard of, especially since over 90% of Canadians happen to live in cities.
And thats why we have municipal levels of government. Stop taxing Pembroke to feed Vancouver.
Thanks Ken the other town was in Idaho some where.
Mandatory gun ownership laws may seem radical to some but in terms of crime deterrent nothing has been more effective. The most notable town with a mandate that each household own a gun is Kennesaw, Georgia. According to FBI statistics, the town has seen an 89% decrease in the amount of crime since the passing of the law. The simple fact is that a burglar will not break into a house where a shotgun is ready to be charged. After all, why should a criminal try to make a dishonest buck in Kennesaw where he can get gunned down when he could simply head on over to Chattanooga and have a much better chance
89% decrease wow thats pretty good.
Garth-
Since you so violently and consistently attack Stephen Harper and the CPC, why dont you just come out and tell us who we should vote for.
Is it the NDP?
Is it the Liberals?
We all know the Green Party wont govern anytime soon.
So who is the best stewards of Canada? The all Garth all the Time Party?
Randy on 01.18.07 10:29 am
I was just pointing out a general inequity in how pensions are funded. I meant no offence to you sir.
By Geoffrey L on 01.18.07 11:56 am
Geoffrey thank you for taking the time to explain your point.
TRUTH asks an interesting question. Leaving aside his jibes at Garth, which party DOES one vote for as the best steward of our country? Because I am not in Garth’s riding, with all their warts I’m still leaning conservative.
Gary V,
“According to FBI statistics, the town has seen an 89% decrease in the amount of crime since the passing of the law.”
Do the FBI stats include the before and after population figures? Seriously, how many moved away, how many were killed as a result of the entire town being Buckeroos?
Trust me, I do NOT want most of my neighbors armed, and I sure as hell do not want the people coming out of pubs armed.
Most people are a worse hazard to themselves with a gun than they are to criminals. It takes a great deal of training to be well equipped to use a firearm.
The average person simply is clueless what it all about. Ask someone who has served in the military and been in combat. It is no video game.
The Buckeroos start shooting and innocent people get wounded or killed as a result. There is no ‘reset’ button when the trigger is pulled.
Wikipedia… I’m not saying it’s accurate but likely more accurate than that other guy.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kennesaw,_Georgia
I’ve bolded the places where you were most obviously mistaken…for your convenience.
“Criminologist and gun-control critic Gary Kleck attributes a drop of 89% in the residential burglary rate to the law (Kleck, 1991), and Kennesaw is often cited by advocates of gun ownership as evidence that gun ownership deters crime (see, for instance, this 2004 sheet of talking points from the Gun Owners Foundation). Other criminologists dispute the 89% figure, using the FBI’s Uniform Crime Reporting data, and find instead a small, statistically insignificant increase in burglaries after the law was passed (McDowall, Wiersema and Loftin, 1989; McDowall, Lizotte and Wiersema, 1991).
Nick,
Sounds to me like there was more spinning than a revolver’s cyclinder, eh?
TRUTH asks an interesting question. Leaving aside his jibes at Garth, which party DOES one vote for as the best steward of our country? Because I am not in Garth’s riding, with all their warts I’m still leaning conservative.
Living in Halton, I still have the opportunity to support Garth, if I choose.
My entire adult life I have been a small ‘c’ conservative. I will accept social programs within the framework of fiscal sustainabilty. I am dead set against deficits.
As far as I am concerned, I can’t vote for the Liberal party because I don’t know what the heck they stand for. Every election they make major promises and immediately break them: wage and price controls, gas tax, gst, free trade, etc. How can I vote for them, Lord only knows what they are going to do, when they form a government? Their track record is abysmal.
So, in terms of who to vote for; it has to be the Conservatives by default.
But, it saddens me that the party did not see the value that Garth brought to the table. I fervently believe that if they had put Garth’s obvious energy to work towards the degree of openness that Reform, Alliance, and Conservative parties have preached since the early nineties, we would be looking at a sure fire majority in the next election.
It is about communicating to the constituents, and no-one does that better than Garth.
Ed, While the Liberals have lied and do deserve critism one of the best laws they passed seems to go unheard of. If a worker works for a company that goes bankrupt the workers are at the front of the line as creditors for up to 2 weeks pay. The old way where the CCRA and banks were front of the line was very unfair and thankfully the law was changed. I am surprised it took so long for a government to care about workers before themselves. My thoughts.
I can’t accept that Toronto is that lovey-dovey and tolerant. Sure there are many ethic groups in Toronto. But, many of them don’t interact with each other. Maybe some white anglos in Toronto do some reaching out – but the ethnic groups tend to stick together in their own circles. This has been my experience and those that moved there and moved back. I believe that we need to take those rose coloured glasses off and see reality of the everyday people and how they live.
Marc,
It would also be nice to see non-active investors (those who trust their life savings to a brokerage firm) be first in-line to get their money when the bozos blow it like Merril Lynch did!
Canadian Association of Income Trust Investors (CAITI) Applauds Finance Committee
TORONTO, Jan. 17 /CNW/ – The Canadian Association of Income Trust Investors (www.caiti.info) applauds the actions of the Liberal Party and the Bloc Quebecois in formally acknowledging the need for full public disclosure, before a “rush to legislation,” on what is a very important economic policy. The Income Trust taxation policy profoundly affects the 70% of Canadians, who unlike our elected representatives and public service workers, are not members
of defined benefit pension plans.
To date, none of the five assertions of The Notice of ways and Means Motion to Amend the Income Tax Act have been supported by any publicly disclosed facts or analyses. This Notice is the “source document” that Parliament voted on and which, in turn, enables tax legislation to be drafted. This source document and all its inherent assumptions, need to be fully vetted, if only to restore confidence in our capital markets, both for Canadians and those elsewhere investing in our economy.
Now, for the first time, experts knowledgeable in the workings of
Canada’s capital markets and the realities of providing retirement income in a protracted low interest rate environment, will be able to present and debate their evidence in an objective and fact based way before parliamentarians and Parliament itself, and with the officials in the Department of Finance.
“Now we can start at the beginning, and not try to simply negotiate, at the margin, with a seemingly inflexible process. Only this way will the truth about trusts and who this policy effects, emerge.” said Brent Fullard, President of CAITI, on learning the news.
Canadian Association of Income Funds(CAIF) Applauds Finance Committee Decision to Hold Open Hearings on Proposed Legislation to Tax Income Trusts
TORONTO, Jan. 17 /CNW/ – The Canadian Association of Income Funds (CAIF applauds the Finance Committee’s decision today to hold open hearings on theproposed legislation to tax Income Trusts.
“CAIF strongly supports this initiative which will provide Canadians the opportunity to get the straight goods on income trusts. Canadians, and their representatives in Parliament, have a right to know the truth and deserve better than the rush to judgement that has characterized the Harper Government’s approach to the income trust sector,” said George Kesteven,
President, CAIF.
There are over 250 Income Trusts in Canada that are dynamic businesses which employ more than 250,000 Canadians across the country, and are a vital part of Canada’s economy.
Canadian Retired & Income Investors’ Association
http://www.carii.stirsite.com/home.html
Canadian Retired & Income Investors’ Association
Special Report: Attack on Income Trusts
Get the Facts Here.
http://www.carii.stirsite.com/Trusts.html
Geoffrey — WE GET IT, YOU LOST MONEY ON INCOME TRUSTS. Get over it already — or at least stop the incessant cut-and-pasting. (It’s a violatation of copyright to boot)
Kevin,
Thank you. Geoffrey’s constant on the IT issue is not only out of place in this topic, but has become very boring as well.
Kevin M on 01.18.07 6:01 pm
It isn’t about me Kevin. It is about how this ill advised policy has stripped $40 billion of net worth from the people. Don’t you want to see the evidence that Harper and Flaherty have to justify this? They haven’t presented any. Just about every other message posted on a blog is a potential copyright violation. I doubt Brent Fullard of the Canadian Association of Income Trust Investors (CAITI) minds that I posted their press release. Why do you care anyways? Does it make you uncomfortable that this is issue isn’t going away?
Bill-Muskoka on 01.18.07 6:12 pm
I am not the only one who posts on this topic.
“Garth, I notice one glaring omission from your reasons why Harper will lose the next election. To jog your memory, it was voted the Canadian news story of last year. Namely, the Conservative glaring reversal on taxing Income Trusts. Perhaps you think that Seniors don’t have enough of a mandate or organizational skills to make their voice heard?”
By kitkat on 01.18.07 8:37 am
Bill-Muskoka on 01.18.07 6:12 pm
I am posting stuff for people like kitkat. I post information on other topics of timely relevance as well. As for boring, well..yes it is a boring topic and flogging a dead horse to show how ill advised Harper and Flaherty’s move to destroy 10% of Canada’s Capital Market, but still very relevant to many people.
Geoffrey, I used to care, but with every posting you send the signal-to-noise ratio off the scale.
I’m caring less and less with every post.
If it’s on-topic, bring it up, maybe one or two lines, but stop the cut-n-pasting PLEASE.
There were problems with Income Trusts. Our rural telephone service is now an income trust and it means that we are left in the dark ages for service. Our telephone band width is capped so they can add more telephones, rather than upgrading the switching system, meaning our dial-up service is doubly slow and there are no available alternatives.
There was a good argument for restricting the type of business that could adopt the model because it was not a good long term model for some businesses. However, that did not mean that the government should have adopted the strategy they did.
In my opinion the real reason they acted was that the CEOs of large corporations opposed the push of shareholders to move to that model. It would have prevented the growth of the business through retained earnings. What many CEOs seek is the control over an ever growing pool of capital.
In a way, income trusts promised a more active re-distribution of profits out of the hands of corporations and into the hands of shareholders. The principles of new conservatism oppose that idea because they believe that government should do nothing to interfere in the concentration of control over capital. Income trusts appear to do that.
I’ll make sure to comply with your interests.
Did you think this was boring?
What we need in Canada is a “Guns and Dope†Party!
http://www.maybelogic.com/gunsanddopeparty/
I apologize to Kevin M and Bill-Muskoka for boring them with my cut and pasting, my endless posts concerning the arrogant treatment of income trusts by Harper and Flaherty, my concern about the environment and the future of Canada’s wilderness, my concern about the neo-conservative agenda to make Orwell’s vision come true, and my absolute distrust of all authority. You are right. I am a misguided, obtuse, boring 41 year old with nothing better to do than care about these issues and go to work in the stock market and pay a mortgage and wait for my baby to be born. I am sorry for not posting what you want to read. I will no longer cut and paste stuff. From now on, I will just post what I think. How about that.
What the hell, one more cut and paste job.
A year later, PM’s promises not worth much
http://www.thestar.com/News/article/172165
In my opinion the real reason they acted was that the CEOs of large corporations opposed the push of shareholders to move to that model. It would have prevented the growth of the business through retained earnings. What many CEOs seek is the control over an ever growing pool of capital.
In a way, income trusts promised a more active re-distribution of profits out of the hands of corporations and into the hands of shareholders. The principles of new conservatism oppose that idea because they believe that government should do nothing to interfere in the concentration of control over capital. Income trusts appear to do that.
By C. B. Innes on 01.18.07 8:22 pm
The income trust model isn’t for every company of course. It is a good model for companies that would otherwise trap capital in their structure as opposed to distributing it to individual shareholders and the economy. I think that there is a lot of misunderstanding about this and there needs to be some education on this before policies are implemented.
Geoffrey,
Please, try to understand that it is not your posts that are boring, it is posting them in topic threads that have nothing to do with your point of view.
I sympathize with you greatly, but a blog has topics threads, although it is sometimes hard to remain on the topic, we still vainly attempt to. Okay?
Otherwise smoke starts emmanating from my old ears trying to correlate the posts to the subject matter. I know, I need more Folic acid according to the latest health fear du jour! LOL
I do have several packs of frozen spinach to advert the dilemia.
Bill-Muskoka on 01.19.07 9:01 pm
I understand what you are saying, but I was just letting someone who said
Garth, I notice one glaring omission from your reasons why Harper will lose the next election. To jog your memory, it was voted the Canadian news story of last year. Namely, the Conservative glaring reversal on taxing Income Trusts. Perhaps you think that Seniors don’t have enough of a mandate or organizational skills to make their voice heard?
By kitkat on 01.18.07 8:37 am
…know that there are people working on this issue and Garth is copied on everything.