If we allow spending cuts to be the only option in dealing with the deficit, we are saying that taxes cost us something but spending cuts don't. Essentially, we are saying that we can afford greater poverty and inequality, more private procurement of basic goods and services, and crumbling physical infrastructure, but we cannot possibly afford to pay a slightly greater percentage of our income in taxes. With citizenship and taxes, we get what we pay for. If we want a strong, democratic country characterized by economic security, opportunity for all, and strong social ties, then we need to be prepared to pay for it with our taxes. Read more »
The recession has had a tremendous impact on Canadians. Job losses and a faltering safety net have added hundreds of thousands of people to the population of Canadians living in poverty. Economic stimulus and deficit spending are most certainly required to confront this vulnerability. Measures to create and sustain jobs and to build a strong and healthy country are needed. But this cannot be done at the expense of those on the margins, excluded from mainstream society. Read more »
We believe that freedom from poverty is a human right.
We believe in equality among all people.
We believe that everyone is entitled to social and economic security.
We believe in dignity for all. NOW is the time to end poverty in Canada.
Millions of Canadians aspire to a life free from poverty – the hungry, the homeless and the disenfranchised; the working poor, the unemployed and the socially assisted; the Aboriginal, the immigrant and the person of colour; the person with disability, the parent and the pensioner. Read more »
It’s tax time in Canada and people across the country are crunching their numbers, filling out the forms, and crossing their fingers for a good tax return. Chances are, very little consideration is being given to the benefit of paying taxes, or to the services we receive in return.
The extent to which taxes have been disassociated from public services is astounding. Across the Canadian political spectrum, taxation is consistently presented in a negative light. Yet the truth about taxes is that they finance the mechanisms by which the health, safety, and well-being of our society are promoted. They also provide us with tremendous personal benefits. Read more »
Budget 2009 takes the economic crisis seriously, and CPJ supports the government’s decision to run a short-term deficit and stimulate the economy through spending. However, CPJ is disappointed by the absence of a poverty reduction strategy, or any significant measures to help the most vulnerable Canadians. The budget also missed an opportunity to invest in social infrastructure and to make our economy greener and more sustainable. Such initiatives would have assisted those most impacted by the recession, created greater economic stimulus, and promoted a sustainable economy. Read more »
Recently, I received a flyer from the current governing party offering me two choices: I can pay a 5% GST or a 7% GST. In case I was uncertain of the best choice, inside a smiling man tells me “We kept our promise to cut the GST,” while a dopey-looking man is labeled as “threatening to raise it back up to 7%.” Given the options, my choice is clear. More taxes? Yes, please! In fact, rather than taking something away from me, taxes make a contribution to the betterment of my life, my country, and my fellow Canadians. Taxes generate the revenues that create our social and physical infrastructure, support our democratic institutions and provide a mechanism for redistribution so that no one in our financially prosperous country is left too far behind. Read more »
Budget 2008, introduced last week, was billed as “Responsible Leadership.” Yet the values and priorities evident in the budget do not include measures to reduce poverty, address homelessness or protect the environment. Public justice calls governments to take responsibility on these issues – and Budget 2008 drastically failed to answer this call. Read more »
Something is missing in the current focus on taxes and economic management: taxes don’t happen in a vacuum. They provide the revenues for government services. Paying taxes is thus one way in which we contribute to the common good. What’s more, when we talk about taxes, we’re really talking about what kind of country we want. This idea should be debated as vigorously as tax rates and economic management. Read more »
The recent federal government’s economic statement outlined tax cuts, including a cut to the GST. But for most of us, these tax savings will be measured in spare change, not thousands of dollars. Instead, these tax cuts help to erode the fairness of our progressive tax system. To help more Canadians reach their full potential, the federal government could have made other choices with the recent $14 billion surplus. Read more »
The House of Commons Standing Committee on Finance has asked what criteria should guide changes to Canada’s tax system. CPJ has submitted a brief underscoring that paying taxes is an important way that citizens contribute to the common good – funding the public infrastructure and services that create a shared and sustainable prosperity. Read more »
The recession has had a tremendous impact on Canadians. Job losses and a faltering safety net have added hundreds of thousands of people to the population of Canadians living in poverty. Economic stimulus and deficit spending are most certainly required to confront this vulnerability. Measures to create and sustain jobs and to build a strong and healthy country are needed. But this cannot be done at the expense of those on the margins, excluded from mainstream society. 
It’s tax time in Canada and people across the country are crunching their numbers, filling out the forms, and crossing their fingers for a good tax return. Chances are, very little consideration is being given to the benefit of paying taxes, or to the services we receive in return. 
Recently, I received a flyer from the current governing party offering me two choices: I can pay a 5% GST or a 7% GST. In case I was uncertain of the best choice, inside a smiling man tells me “We kept our promise to cut the GST,” while a dopey-looking man is labeled as “threatening to raise it back up to 7%.” Given the options, my choice is clear. More taxes? Yes, please! In fact, rather than taking something away from me, taxes make a contribution to the betterment of my life, my country, and my fellow Canadians. Taxes generate the revenues that create our social and physical infrastructure, support our democratic institutions and provide a mechanism for redistribution so that no one in our financially prosperous country is left too far behind. 
Budget 2008, introduced last week, was billed as “Responsible Leadership.” Yet the values and priorities evident in the budget do not include measures to reduce poverty, address homelessness or protect the environment. Public justice calls governments to take responsibility on these issues – and Budget 2008 drastically failed to answer this call. 
The recent federal government’s economic statement outlined tax cuts, including a cut to the GST. But for most of us, these tax savings will be measured in spare change, not thousands of dollars. Instead, these tax cuts help to erode the fairness of our progressive tax system. To help more Canadians reach their full potential, the federal government could have made other choices with the recent $14 billion surplus. 
