Cut the PST?

[Brerrabbit18]

https://www.castanet.net/news/BC/311800 ... PST#311800

So I guess as a Province we are not in debt enough? Let's just add another 7 billion a year to the books?

I've heard some pretty ridiculous ideas, but this one is beyond ridiculous.

[fluffy]

Yeah, it’s pandering for votes. Not everyone is suffering right now. Leave the PST in place and channel that revenue to those who have a legitimate need.

[OKkayak]

Politicians are like cars salesmen, promise you this but just add it on elsewhere.

Cutting taxes sells and too many people are too stupid to realize that the loss of revenue will just cost them elsewhere. They'll get their money, they're Government, they always do.

[kelownman]

Only the Liberals could suggest this idiotic election promise. #eyeroll
Too bad their supporters will buy into it...#eyeroll

[The Green Barbarian]

*removed*

[Catri]

I can only speak to my own family situation, but cutting the PST (and scrapping the spec tax) isn't going to generate any appreciable savings for us. We are not big consumers and saving a little tax isn't going to influence our spending at all. The rising price of food is what's been most noticeable here and that isn't subject to PST anyway. You know they're going to make that revenue up through taxes elsewhere and/or cut spending to make up the difference.

[OKkayak]

The rising price of food is what's been most noticeable here and that isn't subject to PST anyway.

Read an article about this the other day. In Canada, the price of groceries has gone up 240% in the last 20 years, thats 12% a year, and they're saying its only gonna get worse. I agree though, I'm not worried about the PST, but paying $7 for a box of Lucky Charms or $5 for a jug of milk is insane. Price of free range eggs has gone up quite a bit in the last few months as well.

[fluffy]

In year one, the tax break would cost the provincial government $6.9 billion and would cost $3.9 billion in following years.

Seriously, can we afford that right now ?

[casey60]

The old story...anything to get elected.

[fluffy]

I wonder if this will work against them ? It’s not exactly higher math figure out that extending this “grant” to people who don’t need it is going to use up resources available for people in legitimate need.

[youjustcomplain]

The old story...anything to get elected.

Worse than that though. If they get elected and follow through, they will blame the previous government for the problem. I haven't picked sides in BC politics. Probably never will, but this offer by the Liberals is really short sighted and I'm quite sure they know it.

[Jonrox]

I was going to vote Liberal in this election, but this move has changed my mind. It makes absolutely no sense. There’s no strategy behind it and it essentially gives the most money to exactly the people who don’t need it.

I was lucky enough to stay working through all of this and I’m not one of the people that should be receiving a tax break like this at this time. The timing is absolutely brutal.

The federal Liberal party was already careless with their pandemic spending and it seems the provincial Liberals are doing their best to follow suit with their own fiscal mistakes.

[bob vernon]

Just a page right out of the old time Social Credit playbook. Need some votes? Offer them a tax cut. And, ironically, at a time when Alberta is on the way to imposing a sales tax.

[bob vernon]

I was going to vote Liberal in this election, but this move has changed my mind. It makes absolutely no sense. There’s no strategy behind it and it essentially gives the most money to exactly the people who don’t need it.

The federal Liberal party was already careless with their pandemic spending and it seems the provincial Liberals are doing their best to follow suit with their own fiscal mistakes.

The Federal Liberals and Provincial Liberals are completely different creatures on the spectrum. The Federal ones a mushy middle of the road. The Provincial ones are really just conservatives. They wore out the Conservative label and became Social Credit and then morphed into Liberals only because the name was available.

[GordonH]

I was going to vote Liberal in this election, but this move has changed my mind. It makes absolutely no sense. There’s no strategy behind it and it essentially gives the most money to exactly the people who don’t need it.

I was lucky enough to stay working through all of this and I’m not one of the people that should be receiving a tax break like this at this time. The timing is absolutely brutal.

The federal Liberal party was already careless with their pandemic spending and it seems the provincial Liberals are doing their best to follow suit with their own fiscal mistakes.

BC Liberals are coalition of Conservatives & Liberals, just Social Credit party with a name change.