Tories, NDP target seniors with campaign promises

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CTV.ca News Staff

Date: Thu. Sep. 18 2008 11:41 AM ET

Conservative Leader Stephen Harper is promising up to $150 annually in added tax relief for seniors if his party is re-elected.

Harper said his government would increase the Senior Age Credit by $1,000. Seniors in the lowest tax-paying income bracket would receive the maximum of $150 in savings.

"We should do more to let seniors keep more of their hard-earned dollars," Harper said during a campaign stop in Trois-Rivieres, Que.

He called the tax relief "modest" but "affordable, responsible and credible."

In total, the measure would cost federal coffers about $400 million a year, say the Tories.

Harper also promised to change a decade-old Liberal tax initiative.

In 1997, the Liberals changed the rate at which the government taxed U.S. social security benefits paid to Canadian residents.

The result was that about 85,000 Canadian seniors were forced to pay higher taxes then expected when planning their retirement, said Harper.

"If re-elected, our Conservative government will offer complete tax relief to seniors affected by this problem," he said.

NDP Leader Jack Layton also targeted seniors Thursday, announcing a $1-billion home-care program.

Layton said his government would pay to allow 100,000 more seniors to be cared for in their homes instead of institutions.

"As prime minister I will stand up for seniors, helping them to live with dignity in their home for as long as possible," Layton said in Winnipeg, alongside Manitoba Premier Gary Doer.

The program would cost $250 million in the first year and grow to $1 billion by the fourth year, said the NDP.

"Canada's senior citizens built this country, and we're all in their debt," said Layton. "It's time that a Prime Minister began to repay that debt and honour that contribution."

As health care is delivered on the provincial level, Layton said each province would negotiate deals with Ottawa.

With files from The Canadian Press

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Old Senior Citizen
said
0 0

"As prime minister I will stand up for seniors, helping them to live with dignity in their home for as long as possible," Layton said.

With a $billion dollars for seniors and $billions more for child care and health care,I'd like to know where are all these people who will be taking care of the kids,the sick people and old people,going to come from? One of the biggest problems with day care right now is no one wants to do that kind of work.Where are these workers supposed to come from? Training first?
Lots of questions,no details,no answers.
Just a lot of money being thrown at the problem without thinking through what will happen.
Old folks leave their homes because they can't take care of themselves or run a house any longer.How is this $billion going to help seniors,Jack?

Calgary Grandma
said
0 0

Well, it's a promise they won't have to keep for very long, after all, they are making it to us seniors!! And maybe the Minister for the Seniors portfolio will think of that and make a tasteless joke like insulting people involved with Listeria or Aboriginals. Insults and saying a shallow sorry is part of the Harpo campaign after all!!

Kudo
said
0 0

In the past 2 weeks, all the promises that Jack Layton made add up to almost the gross revenue Canada receives from us, companies and levy.

How can it be possible? Does he need to get paid as well?

Hello All, if I Kudo become the PM, I promised wiping out the GST, 10 new hospital in every province, 100B for highways and roads, 600,000 units for senior homes, lower tuition fee across Canada by 75%. Vote me, I am better than Layton and Dion.!!!

GC
said
0 0

How the Liberals can accuse anyone of deception and mistrust after the Sponsorship Scandal is beyond me.

Look in the mirror Mr. Dion and Mr. Rae....your platform is run on fear mongering because you have nothing else to offer Canadians...except more taxes!!!

Bob
said
0 0

$150 a month..... or about 40 cents a day. Not even a cup of coffee.

Robert
said
0 0

RE: Ken - Calgary

I remember that Taxing Income Trusts was because 2 major Canadian Telcos were going to convert to Income trusts to evade federal income tax. The hit you took would have been temporary; I know mine was.

Bob, Alberta
said
0 0

Poor Jack Layton. He still subscribes to the Communist rhetoric that big businesses and the market economy is bad. All problems can be solved by simply printing money and spending to correct every perceived wrong that exists. Let's just take the money from those greedy corporations and parcel it out to solve all the ills of the world. Time and time again the policies of the radical left have proven not to work, in B.C. with Barrett, Dosi etc. , in Ontario with boob Rae and in the old USSR with the collectives and the Marxist/Lenninists. When will people realize that you have to psy your way in this world? Successful business climates provide jobs and wealth for the populace. Arbitraily overtaxing business simply causes less investment, less jobs and less wealth. The promises of Layton cannot be paid for without causing deficits and economic malaise.

Jay
said
0 0

I am a young professional, I worked two jobs to put myself through school. I am not rich I make an average Canadian salary. More to the point what I am is sick and tired of paying high taxes. If the Liberals or NDP get their way and begin to "Tax and Spend" like madmen I will have to seriously look at relocating.

I wonder how the "Tax and Spend" groups would deal with the exodus of this country's educated young. How much farther in debt would this country go?

If you want to improve social programs then it is time to take a serious look at how they are run and to get the best bang for a buck! Not to throw more money at the problem. It just gets absorbed and nothing comes from it. Just have a look at Manitoba's Health Care system. Lots of extra money just thrown at it but there is still no cure for Hallway Medicine (NDP election promise) and no family doctors to be found.

Ken - Calgary
said
0 0

Oh my!!! How could we not vote for Harper when he's going to give Seniors a whole $12.50/month in tax savings! Maybe the seniors that he screwed over by taxing income trusts despite his promise never to do so, will now be able to finally forgive him! Wow, Harper... you're just.. such a man of vision.

More empty promises from a completely empty 'leader'.

Marcel
said
0 0

A promise to the Seniors Citizens by Mr. Harper should not be believed. The Canadians who have been effected on his flip flop on Income Trust are most likely a majority of Seniors Citizens. Mr. Harper, treat the people who built our country with more respect.

BOB A "P" "O" d Senior in Ontario
said
0 0

To Gramps:
Yes the Fiberals did raise the GIS and OAS in Jan 04. HOWEVER, these were clawed back in July 04 so we enjoyed these raises for only 6 months. Surely you noticed this when your July cheques went back to their previous value. The did not raise the threshold of earnings and consequently when they were reviewed in July 04 they were erased. Thank the Fiberals for giving us this NON RAISE. NOT!!!

Karen
said
0 0

Harper is not the best leader. He is definitely not the best communicator. What he is best at, is dressing up the message. Ontario residents will remember that we have seen the same techniques used by Mike Harris.

Years ago Marshall McLuhan said, "The medium is the message." The neocons have learned that fact well. They are great at the presentation. Every message they present can be argued against, but the presentation is so good, many are tricked into their fold.

Remember that all the money for Harper's promises will come, either from your pocket, or from your lifestyle. If our taxes don't pay for them, it will be our children who pay with higher tuition costs, or those in poor health, with reductions to health care, or huge reductions in infastructure.

If it wasn't so sad, the funny part of it would be hearing Harper explain why things are so much better for Canadians when he closes half the government offices across the country, or when the provinces are forced to make massive changes to health care, so they can keep their federal funding.

I hope the election results will be such that we won't have to listen to him say, "These are the changes Canadians voted for," even though most Canadians who vote for him will not have even considered those possibilities.

Keith in Brampton
said
0 0

Frunk & Maurice:

Thanks for belittling all us Nflders. You may THINK it hurts, but we've been getting slapped silly since 1949. We're used to it by now.

Our fish were traded away to foreign fleets to grease central Canadian trade deals - until there were no more to catch.

Our oil refinery isn't allowed to sell to any other Canadian province because it might take jobs away from Quebec refinery workers.

Our electricity is sold by Quebec at a huge profit while we get a pittance -because the deal is with Quebec (Joey didn't have much foresight in signing that deal, but you can bet if it was with any other province it would long ago have been renegotiated)

And I could go on...

No Federal government has ever made any serious effort to help us diversify our economy and become genuine contributors to Canada; we've been given enough handouts to keep those who remained quiet, but that's all. Because we don't have enough seats to have any real voice, so they don't care.

The deal Harper promised was designed to allow Newfoundland to use the (relatively) short-term gains from the offshore oil and other non-renewable resources to pay down debt (highest per capita in Canada), rebuild our infrastructure, and attract new, more diversified businesses to allow for long-term prosperity and to finally get us PERMANENTLY off the Federal teat.

By renegging on the deal, Harper has greatly increasd the odds that Newfoundland will have to come begging again when the oil runs out.

When someone promises you salvation and then just gives you shinier chains, you tend to be a little disgruntled.

So yeah, maybe we are "kept" - but only because people like you prefer our slavery to our freedom.

-from an ex-pat who had to move away to make a living (but would love to return)

Mr.P.
said
0 0

Why is it that every election, the Parties run for the nursing homes... these people may not be around next election!!! How about they focus on people coming out of University working 2 jobs to pay off OSAP... We need a tax break and we will still be here come next election !!!

Jimmy
said
0 0

PM Harper has kept far more election promises than any Liberal I can recall. $150 may not be much money in some people's pockets, but it's better than NOTHING, and it's FAR BETTER than hammering us with tax INCREASES which are being promised already by the Liberals. I know who I'm voting for. Layton has ZERO hopes of getting the office, so he can promise all he wants. The Green party has 5% voter support. The Bloq wants to tear Canada apart. Pretty obvious who the best choice is - if you want to decide how to spend your own money that is, rather than letting Mr. Dion decide for you.

Jennifer
said
0 0

I am not a fan of social program funding. Rather, I think there are other tax relief programs that can be offered in its place.

Secondly, these politician are offering promises which can only be offered on a provincial level so it really doesn't matter if you believe them or not.

There are lot of issues that our government needs to work on and it doesn't involve home care for seniors (in my opinion this is a waste of resourses) doesn't involve day care funding and it doesn't involve new highways. Canadians need to learn how to minimize their social programs so that we can fix our real issues.

Gail (Hamilton)
said
0 0

Jack Layton's program would skyrocket costs especially with the aging population. PM Harper's plan is fair, and to those who complain about one broken promise to stop an unfair corporate financial advantage, this was a wise move that could have hurt all Canadians. The problem with the left is that it always brings out the me, myself and I wants, rather that what we need.

R/H
said
0 0

Re; "gramps
That deduction for seniors is not for poor seniors as we pay no taxes as incomes too low....why does he not help the poor....not one GIS or OAS raise since he has been in power...we had one Jan.2006 but that was from a good guy named martin."
Well, I too am on a fixed pension and pay no income tax but must say that since Jan 2006 my pension has Increased by $74.84. Wow, I sure could use some more even a little helps us old folks. To the working man it probably is Lunch Money but for us it will help with the utilities... a bit anyway.

Peter in Ottawa
said
0 0

The knee-jerk condemnations of Harper are beyond my comprehension. This guy is by far the most capable, up-front, honest and forthright leader Canada has had in many years. We are highly fortunate a gent of his capability remains interested in leading our country, when he is so regularly condemned, insulted and ad-hominemmed as he is.

No wonder there are not more folks of his capability in government, when the populace reacts with such unfounded and emotive disdain as you see in these comments.

This guy does what he says he will do, and he does so consistently. In the rare cases (such as income trusts) where he does reverse his stance, he is up front about doing so and he explains why.

Contrast that to Dion, condemning carbon tax then adopting it - no explanation why. That's the pattern that is due for criticism.

Canadians will do well to think twice of their critcisms of Harper and other capable politicians...it would be a huge loss to Canada to lose him, and it IS a huge loss to Canada that such rampant behaviour demotivates other capable folks from engaging in service of our country.

DM in NB
said
0 0

Dd,
I am so tired of people like you saying that Harper broke a promise in the Atlantic accord, when he did no such thing. Stop spreading lies.

What REALLY happened is that he gave the premieres of NS and NFLD a CHOICE. Either you:
a) take the new formula, which will take oil&gas resources into account -- this option will give you more funding immediately but will decrease over time
b) KEEP the formula that you have, which will give you less immediate benefit but will give you more funding over time due to not taking the resources into account

BOTH premieres chose the first option. The problem is that they want both more funding now AND later. You can't have it both ways.

After making the decision, that's when they complained. Your premier's greed is the source of his own undoing. Stop blaming Harper. Your premier had the option to keep things the way they were, but he chose greed, hoping to get it both ways.

Eric
said
0 0

Promise-a-day Harper. The new and improved Reform party. Harper is one of the most manipulative political leaders we have had. From bully-boy to sweater-boy. Who is he really?

John E Neely
said
0 0

If you look at the full press release from Mr. Harper you will see that the relief for those who started receiving Social Security benefits after January 1, 1996 are NOT included in the change to remove the unfair taxes. One group lobbyed for this change and they arbitrarily set the date because those who started the organization fell into that group. Still an unfair situation for many of us who qualify for a small amount of Social Security because we did not qualify for full Canada Pension benefits.

gramps
said
0 0

That deduction for seniors is not for poor seniors as we pay no taxes as incomes too low....why does he not help the poor....not one GIS or OAS raise since he has been in power...we had one Jan.2006 but that was from a good guy named martin.

John
said
0 0

$150 dollars per year, how generous. How much is he giving in tax relief to big business and the wealthy ? What a vote grabbing joke.

Maurice
said
0 0

To all you Danny Williams drones:
You've jumped on Danny-boy's ABC campaign like cod to saltwater all because you claim Harper broke a promise to Newfoundland - but the very reason you love Danny-boy so much is because he broke Newfoundland's promises to oil companies, the federal government and provincial governments.
The only - and I mean ONLY - reason that Danny-boy is so P.O.'d at Steve is because he desperately needs a villain to keep Newfoundlanders blindly following his every rant.
In the meantime, the rest of the country is losing the actual respect it had (and should have) for Newfoundland as it gets forcefed more and more of Williams' over-the-top bull$&#!.

abbey
said
0 0

Harper's $150 annually is an insult, especially with the high costs of basic living, food, housing, energy costs, etc.
But I like Jack's promise to keep us seniors in our homes, especially when there is so much lack of care and shortage of care workers in institutes. I really prefer to stay in my home and have a home care worker. My vote goes to Jack.

Frunk
said
0 0

...why don't you list the promises KEPT. They far outweigh those not kept (for a good reason). ABC eh? Danny Williams is a dimwit and proves it with his childish games. Newfoundland is all mouth now that they have been like a "kept woman" since 1949. If they think they will get anything from Ottawa in future, they can dream on or kiss the cod fish.

Laurie
said
0 0

OK now WAKE UP folks. layton can make all the promises he wants, he knows very well he will never have to keep them. PM Harper on the other hand has kept his promises more than any other PM (Remeber the liberals Red Book??). The current gov't has paid down our national debt by over 40 Billion $. That is fiscal management and a huge tax savings for not only us but our children.

bunny
said
0 0

Sounds good to this pensioner.I don't understand why we question will he keep his promise.Except for income trust, what has he lied about?
I vote yes.

Faramir
said
0 0

...Why is Harper helping you...? The richest generation by far gets a tax break for leaving my generation over $400 billion in debt. You're... welcome! Seniors are not down and out like the media and ...politicians wants us to believe.

james
said
0 0

Did Jack Layton read the recent report card on canada's health system? Its not about how much money there is; its about how it is spent. We get very little for the enormous amounts of money we contribute compared to European countries.

This election is getting easier and easier to decide. Tax and spend versus more efficient use of the high taxes we already pay.

Amber in Saskatoon,Sask
said
0 0

Another promise from Harper,another promise kept. That $150 will pay for the 10% increase in my power. On a fixed income that feels nice.

Davey boy
said
0 0

I almost threw up watching Jack layton speak today. Could you spew any more crap.

Mary Munroe, Wallbrook, NS
said
0 0

Sometimes I wonder where people are coming from in their comments - Harper has the best record of keeping election promises that I have seen. This is a thoughtful offer to seniors that won't bankrupt the rest of us and I applaud his responsible economic approach.

DM in SK
said
0 0

Dd:

Remember Mr. Chretien promising to get rid of the GST? It never happened. Now remember Mr. Harper promising to lower the GST by 2%.

Dd
said
0 0

Sorry Steve...but Steve's list of broken promises is long. He broke his WRITTEN promise to Newfoundland over the Atlantic Accord, lied about openness and accountability, lied about the rapid reaction force for Labrador, lied about protecting women's rights, lied about not throwing people out of caucus for voting against the budget (Casey), lied about income trusts, lied about the size of some tax cuts (taking credit for cuts made by the Liberals), lied about protecting disabled vets by making it harder for them to get benefits...and that's off the top of my head. There's a website out there that lists 100 reasons not to vote for Harper that will give you a nice clear and concise list of his lies and broken promises.

The Harper government is transparent alright. He fooled me once. Not again.

ABC

Mandosa in Sarnia, Ontario
said
0 0

By now even the simplest of simpletons should be able to see some basic differences in the party platforms. Conservatives let you keep your money. The others promise to spend you and your neighbour's money for you, because you're just not quite responsible enough to know how to spend it yourself.
Good thing we spent several nervous decades in the cold war because we didn't want socialism over here, eh?

Craig in Calgary
said
0 0

Bob Port Stanley: How did you lose thousands? On income trusts?

If you were a smart investor:

1. You wouldn't have sold out after the news hit. Yes, there was immediate panic in the beginning and I lost 10% of my portfolio, but I knew it was a correction and held on. I have since gained it all back and more.

2. Why is all your money in income trusts? Diversification is the cornerstone of smart investing.

So $150 is a heck of a lot better than 0. Why do people continue to complain that "it's not enough"? Well, what is enough. $1500? $150K?

Shame.

Steve
said
0 0

You guys are ridiculous. He's one of the most decisive and honest politicians we've ever had. He's kept all his election promises that he made in the last election. That's more than I can say for the Liberals who continue to support the GST after their predecessors promised to get rid of it and didn't and who cheated Canadians with the sponsorship scandal. He'd win a contest on honesty any day.

Metro Man
said
0 0

Dd & ABC - think you folks just have not been paying attention. The sky is not falling. $150 to a senior on fixed income is a BIG deal.

bob port stanley
said
0 0

wow.!!!! after him losing me thousands. of dollers in imcome trusts that 150.will go along way

Dd
said
0 0

Another Harper promise.

Will he keep it or won't he...that is the question.

It's like playing the slots...get a winner, he keeps it...don't and he'll tell you to sue to make him keep the promise.

His promises are not worth the paper they're typed up on.

This time around, I'll go for the Green Shift rather than the Blue Shaft.

ABC

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