Beyond The Commons

Aaron Wherry covers all the goings-on in and around Parliament Hill. Follow Aaron on Twitter: @aaronwherry

Categories: Beyond The Commons, Capital Read

Gerard Kennedy Maverick Watch

by Aaron Wherry on Friday, January 29, 2010 1:07pm - 25 Comments

The Liberal MP dares champion the notions of “discussion” and “consideration” and even “debate.”

Leading economists, former Finance officials and Parliamentary Budget Officer Kevin Page have all said sales tax increases are required to balance the books. It has not gone unnoticed among some Liberals that in Britain, the Conservative opposition is leading the polls and winning praise for “authenticity” after proposing specific deficit-fighting measures that include some tax increases. ”I think we do need to talk about it,” Mr. Kennedy said yesterday in an interview with The Globe and Mail.

Tags: Gerard Kennedy, GST, Kevin Page, parliamentary budget officer, tax, taxation

More by Aaron Wherry

http://intensedebate.com/people/jolyon jolyon

"It has not gone unnoticed among some Liberals that in Britain,"

Libs and Conservatives are watching one another apparently because UK Cons are looking at what Libs did in mid to late '90s to get our finances under control.

If I was Libs I would not assume public in UK and Canada are in same mood – right now, Brits are where Canadians were in mid 90s with high deficits and questions about how we were going to pay for everything while here in Canada we have had a massive deficit for one year only after paying down debt for a decade.
http://intensedebate.com/people/G0D God

God thinks that GK should stick to his talking points.

E.B.

Ya know? There are enough oddball characters here already. I'm really not sure we need a contributor witha Messianic Complex.

Mike T.

PERMANENT TAX ON EVERYTHING OMG OMG SOCIALISM

TedTylerEzro

Mike, half of your posts are faux-conservative ironic insults these days. Everything should be in moderation.
kcm

It's ok. He's from Edmonton…you can say things like that there.

Dave Abbey

Gerard Kennedy is a genuine person and gutsy to say what has to b e said!
http://intensedebate.com/people/PolJunkie PolJunkie

Finally! A politician that tells the truth.
kcm

So, is this a trial balloon? If not, then get out of the way Mr Ignatieff and let someone with courage lead.

http://intensedebate.com/people/LynnTO LynnTO

Not every party requires that all dictum come from the Leader's office.

kcm

I realize that. Perhaps i was a little harsh on Ignatieff? As i said, i think it's a trial balloon…and a pretty smart one…maybe even Ignatieff thought of it. If it were to fly so to speak, this could get intersting. At least liberals are now proposing ideas, even if sometimes contradictory. Maybe we oughta shut parliament down more often. [ it's a joke folks]

http://intensedebate.com/people/LynnTO LynnTO

Maybe a little harsh – but I agree with your point that this is likely a test-run.

Me, I'd like to see more ideas come from every party. And I do mean every party – then, at least, we'll have something to compare.

kcm

Amen to that!

http://intensedebate.com/people/SisyphusThis SisyphusThis

I suspect Kennedy will carry the can until the feedback appears so
that MI can determine whether it's safe to raise his head or not.

kcm

Duck! Incoming… NDP morter fire!. :)

http://intensedebate.com/people/SisyphusThis SisyphusThis

NDP ? Serious people but nobody takes them seriously … pop guns.

The garbage like this scares everybody …

http://www.americanprogress.org/issues/2010/01/de…

American context but it works here too …

TedTylerEzro

Great article!
kcm

Sis

So you got a problem with a revenue hole in our finances? Are you referring to previous tax cuts??

If you aren't a dipper then what? Marxist, anarchist? Can i join?

sbt

I have to admit to being somewhat perplexed by the desire to raise the GST. The Liberals gained their reputation for fiscal responsiblity and deficit fighters in the 90s largely through spending cuts and are now musing about the exact opposite solution that led to 3 majority governments.

I don't really see why Ignatieff doesn't propose going after the transfers again which would force the provinces to make the cuts or raise taxes to cover the shortfall. The premiers would be upset but they're always upset and Ignatieff won't have to run as a tax-raiser which tends to not work out well at the ballot box.
http://intensedebate.com/people/Tceh Tceh

There are better ways to attack the deficit and deal with the pension/retirement income problem facing Seniors at the same time.

Diane Francis outlined the "Marshall Savings Plan" last week but it probably shows too much imagination and requires too much thinking to get off the ground. But it would work.

http://tinyurl.com/dianefrancis
Lord Kitchener's Own

I'd certainly vote for a party that advocated putting the GST back up to 7%, though I'm sure I'm in the minority.

Reversing a stupid policy decision is always a good idea, imho.

http://intensedebate.com/people/David0M David_M.

Perhaps the minority but I agree with you. It could be coupled with lower payroll taxes as a job creation tactic.
TedTylerEzro

I'm a rabid conservative, and I support a high G.S.T. Of course, I'm a big fan of consumption taxes in general.

Of course, I'm also someone who thinks the consumer class doesn't pay their fair share of taxes, and even if they did they should pay through the nose anyway. Amount of consumption shouldn't be the primary indicator of economic health.

Wascally Wabbit

Gerard Kennedy is doing what Harper and Flaherty are running from…pointing out that the lowering of the GST is what put the tax revenues into a structural deficit in the first place – according to most economists. Cheap political move that now has all sorts of nasty crows coming home to roost!
He is also showing a potential for the Liberal party to move ever so slightly to the left – perhaps left of where Michael Ignatieff and his advisers would like it to be…but where a lot of shrewd thinkers believe it can pick up more votes from the NDP & Greens.