More free money!

[flamingchina]

So now I'm reading the feds want to give us cash back as well:

Every taxpayer in the country will get a cheque from the federal government each year that it posts a larger-than-expected surplus, sources say.

The Liberals' Surplus Allocation Act will promise taxpayers a slice of the surplus along with their income-tax return, federal officials told The Canadian Press.

The government has drastically underestimated its surpluses since balancing the budget in 1997-98. In one of the most dramatic examples -- 2002-03 -- Ottawa estimated a $3-billion surplus that ended up at $9.1 billion. Under the proposed formula, the extra $6.1 billion would have been divided three ways, with $2 billion going to taxpayers.

That would have provided cheques averaging $133 each for Canada's 15 million taxpayers, depending on their tax brackets.

Alright, now come on... It's getting a bit much here, and this is really an obvious election ploy... just lower our damn taxes.. or actually pay down some more of that debt..
Linky

[Resolute 14]

Agreed.

However, I'm not exactly surprised to see a Liberal government bereft of ideas stealing yet another idea from the Conservatives. Though I suppose that the two provinces Martin represents are all looking at what Klein is doing and going "Where's ours?"

Not to Martin: Alberta is debt free, and the money back thing was STILL a poor idea. You have lots of debt that your predecessors caused to repay.

[Agamemnon]

Originally posted by Snakeeye@Oct 6 2005, 01:48 PM
Agreed.

However, I'm not exactly surprised to see a Liberal government bereft of ideas stealing yet another idea from the Conservatives. Though I suppose that the two provinces Martin represents are all looking at what Klein is doing and going "Where's ours?"

Not to Martin: Alberta is debt free, and the money back thing was STILL a poor idea. You have lots of debt that your predecessors caused to repay.

'Stealing' the idea of bribing the electorate? You'd prefer the Conservatives held a patent on that concept?

The idea is a pretty old one. To presume the Albertan government is the first, anywhere, to return cash to it's citizens would be wrong. They do it in lots of Petro-States.

[Resolute 14]

Dont be making presumptions if you are going to be accusing others of making presumptions.

I never said that the Klein government was the first to think of this. I'm well aware of Alaska and other regions of the world that do this. That said, it is extremely un-surprising that the Martin Liberals would be coming up with this silly proposal at the very same time that everyone is making a big issue out of Alberta's surplus, and what Klein is doing with it.

[ken0042]

Originally posted by Snakeeye@Oct 6 2005, 07:48 AM
Note to Martin: Alberta is debt free, and the money back thing was STILL a poor idea. You have lots of debt that your predecessors caused to repay.

Agreed 100%. That was my reaction when I saw the news report.

Also, the latest I heard is it will be issued as a tax credit on our tax returns, so they are in effect lowering taxes.

If they want to give money back, lower the GST to 5%. That will increase spending and pump up the economy. Or eliminate GST on many essentials, like TP, clothing, etc.

[Agamemnon]

Originally posted by Snakeeye@Oct 6 2005, 02:38 PM
Dont be making presumptions if you are going to be accusing others of making presumptions.

I never said that the Klein government was the first to think of this. I'm well aware of Alaska and other regions of the world that do this. That said, it is extremely un-surprising that the Martin Liberals would be coming up with this silly proposal at the very same time that everyone is making a big issue out of Alberta's surplus, and what Klein is doing with it.

Ah, my apologies.

You said the Liberals were 'stealing' the idea from the Alberta Conservatives, I thought you meant that.

[Incinerator]

Hey Paul how about paying down that 500 trillion national debt with that money instead of running a gun registry with it? :P

[Fuzzy McGillicuddy]

I have no problem with the Alberta government giving residents a so-called prosperity cheque if the money is there. Besides, the entire surplus isn't being doled out. Some of it is pegged for "re-investment".

But this federal plan is another thing. Unlike Alberta the federal government is still knee-deep in red ink. The federal debt is still somewhere in the $500 Billion range. It costs nearly 1/5 of every dollar just to service this debt. In other words, nearly 20 cents of every dollar goes towards interest fees. If there is a surplus, pay down the debt. Besides, I think the feds should cut taxes before they start handing out cheques.

[Incinerator]

Originally posted by Fuzzy McGillicuddy@Oct 6 2005, 04:24 PM
I have no problem with the Alberta government giving residents a so-called prosperity cheque if the money is there. Besides, the entire surplus isn't being doled out. Some of it is pegged for "re-investment".

But this federal plan is another thing. Unlike Alberta the federal government is still knee-deep in red ink. The federal debt is still somewhere in the $500 Billion range. It costs nearly 1/5 of every dollar just to service this debt. In other words, nearly 20 cents of every dollar goes towards interest fees. If there is a surplus, pay down the debt. Besides, I think the feds should cut taxes before they start handing out cheques.

Yeah but the Fiberals would never have the kind of insight that you just revealed, keep dreamin'

[Resolute 14]

Originally posted by Agamemnon@Oct 6 2005, 08:30 AM
Ah, my apologies.

You said the Liberals were 'stealing' the idea from the Alberta Conservatives, I thought you meant that.

"Idea" was probably a bad word. I probably should have used "plan".