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Bringing about a higher level of transparency and accountability in provincial and federal governments to help protect taxpayers from abuse

Bringing about a higher level of transparency and accountability in provincial and federal governments to help protect taxpayers from abuse.

Doctors say tax us: Canada is worth it

During the past month many doctors have mobilized to oppose the tax changes proposed by the federal government for individuals who are incorporated. We say that the government should move ahead with these plans and go much further in pursuing Canadian economic equity. We recommend that our physician colleagues should resolve their financial issues through negotiations with their ministries of health.

Canada’s poverty rate is 20th out of 31 OECD countries. The Canadian poverty rate went up slightly from 2005 to 2015 to 14.2 per cent, representing 4.8 million people. The child poverty rate was up marginally to 17.1 per cent. Ominously senior’s poverty rates, which had fallen dramatically for two decades, increased from 12 per cent to 14.5 per cent.

Read more at Toronto Star

Quebec to spend surplus on eliminating health tax

Quebec’s finance minister says the province finally has its debt under control and so can now afford to spend $2.2 billion over the next three years on infrastructure, healthcare, and education.

In a mid-fiscal-year budget update on Tuesday, Carlos Leitao said the provincial government is now in a position to eliminate the health tax for all Quebecers on Jan. 1, 2017, two years ahead of schedule.

Leitao had promised in March 2015 to begin wiping out the health tax for low-income Quebecers in 2017, and to eliminate it for everyone in 2019.

This will cost the provincial government $179 million in the current fiscal year.

“Now that our house is in order, we have the means to change things to improve the lives of Quebecers,” said Leitao, who, in addition to spending more on healthcare and education, also wants to take measures to improve the economy in rural Quebec.

Leitao said it’s all a sign that steady, patient work and so-called austerity measures have been effective.

Source: http://montreal.ctvnews.ca/quebec-to-spend-surplus-on-eliminating-health-tax-1.3130592