Quote:
Originally Posted by Delgar
There are actually OK policy reasons behind this, such as the declining birth rate. Canada needs to increase the birth rate as a whole. A targetted tax break which makes raising children a little cheaper is good policy. We wouldn't want to get to the spot Japan is in right now, for example.
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Is there any empirical evidence that boutique tax credits aimed at parents actually increases the birth rate? According to StatsCan, it looks like Harper's baby handouts didn't really have any effect at all.
http://www.statcan.gc.ca/tables-tabl...lth85b-eng.htm
Also, Japan is an incredibly insular country that allows very little immigration, but Canada is an open and multicultural society. We can easily avoid the demographic problem Japan is facing though increased immigration. I can see why that solution doesn't appeal to Harper and other Old Stock Canadians, though.