Another "prominent" Liberal claims Canada is in deficit, lies about income tax

Garth Turner, a self-proclaimed communications expert claims on his blog that Canada is in deficit.

... spend more than Liberals, to reduce a surplus to a deficit,...

Garth Turner. Is. Dead. Wrong.

Repeat after me:
Canada is not in deficit.
Canada is not in deficit.
Canada is not in deficit.

Let's talk about this "massive" spending increases. As I have already talked about here, you can see that most of the increased spending is in transfers to the provinces and territories. The finance department is now projecting about a 3 billion dollar surplus, a slight increase from the 2.3 billion originally forecast.

If you don't believe, what about what the Globe and Mail said?

Substantial increases in transfers to the provinces have meant that provincial budgets are now far healthier, and federal-provincial bickering has dropped to a dull roar.

Garth, are you against increased transfers to the province to improve health care and education? Would you prefer that the Government of Canada keeps those billions to spend in March Madness and instead force the provinces and territories to raise it from increased taxes?

Jim Stanford, economist for the Canadian Auto Workers conceded that "Our schools and our hospitals are in better shape than they would have been otherwise,".

The lowered corporate tax cuts (that the NDP wants to take away) have helped Canada's corporations remain competitive.

The last round of tax cuts, announced last November, were particularly well timed to help stimulate a flagging economy.

Garth goes onto to lay out another whopper out when he claims that "Income taxes have not come down a dime since Harper came to power. In fact, he raised them in his first budget.".

You sir, are deliberately lying.

This government has lowered the income tax paid to the government for all Canadians, in the 2007 fall fiscal update income tax reductions have occurred or were scheduled:

• An increase in the basic personal amount exemption to $9,600 from $8,929, retroactive to Jan. 1, 2007;
• Two years later, on Jan. 1, 2009, the basic personal amount exemption will be increased to $10,100;
• The lowest personal income tax rate moves to 15 per cent from 15.5 per cent, effective Jan. 1 2007, undoing a change made in the first Conservative budget.

I can hear you now, see the Conservatives raised income taxes. Yes, they raised the base rate of taxation to 15.5%, but threw in enough other offsets that every single Canadian paid less income tax. Read the 2006 budget yourself, were you not part of the government then?

Lowering personal income taxes for all taxpayers, which, together with the GST reduction, provides almost $20 billion in tax relief to individuals over the next two years. It will do this through:

• A new Canada Employment Credit—a tax credit on employment income up to $500 effective July 1, 2006. The credit amount will double to $1,000, effective January 1, 2007.
• Increases in the basic personal amount—the amount all Canadians can earn without paying federal income tax—so that it grows each year and remains above currently legislated levels for 2005, 2006 and 2007.

To refresh your memory Garth, the Liberals lowered the tax rate to 15% from 15.5% just weeks before the government fell. It was a pathetic attempt to buy votes, one that wasn't planned, and it didn't work. That is why you are in opposition. I remember reading about the costs to reprint the income tax forms as the current year's was already printed as the bureaucracy was taken by surprise by the announcement.

So Garth, can we expect an apology from you regarding your misleading and outright lies contained in your blog post?

We're better off with Harper.