Canada taxes business investment more heavily than any other competing nation except China—and taxes on Canadians’ personal investment income can reach 80%, according to a study released yesterday.

The findings underscore the need for a dramatic overhaul of the tax system to cope with growing competition from Asia and an ageing population, the C.D. Howe Institute said.

“Given the competitive and demographic challenges facing Canada, tax reform is increasingly urgent,” Jack Mintz, president of the institute, said in the report. “In the coming years, Canada should not simply react to changes in tax policy abroad, but should take the initiative and adopt policies that would unleash the Canadian tiger.”

The institute said federal and provincial governments should develop a five-year plan to lower taxes, broaden the tax base and shift taxes from investment and savings toward consumption.

Canada’s marginal effective tax on business capital—combining such things as depreciation deductions together with capital and corporate tax rates—averaged 39% in 2005, the second-highest among 36 industrial and leading developing countries. […]

**sniffle**  So that’s why I’m broke.
~Jason

We all know the definition of social insanity: doing things the same way over and over again and expecting different results…

…so Joanne and I must be socially insane. We tried out Canadian Healthcare again this evening. Our baby, Grace has been screaming sick for two days and we thought this evening it might be prudent to check her out at emergency… we knew it was mostly likely an ear infection (she’s our third child and you get to know these sorts of things). We’d quickly get a prescription for antibiotics to clear up the infection.

Dumb.

What were we thinking? Joanne waited for hours, forced to stand, holding Grace. I waited outside in the van with Seth sleeping in the back seat. Finally we gave up and went home. Almost two hours of waiting room, with lots of other people screaming in pain in front of us in line. Couldn’t they just give us that little flashlight-in-ear dohicky, so we could look in, and say, “yep, it’s an ear infection!”

I’m telling you, I think the medical profession is a complete farce in this country (apologies to the twenty or so doctor friends I have!) I would have gladly slapped down $50 bucks to not have to wait for hours!! Imagine what would happen if all the money that is lining politicians pockets was taken out of taxes, and we just started paying the doctors directly!!

And every time we experiment with the hospitals it’s the same thing. It’s been like this since we came here! (Pining) “Oh, to go back to New Jersey, where it cost an arm and a leg, but the wait was short!” At least there we were customers, worth keeping!

There’s not much worth keeping in Canada’s Healthcare.

~Jason

(DONE RANTING, SORRY!)

Let’s not lose focus here. The current Liberal homosexual fiasco is likely meant to distract us.

~Jason

Patfield, a Grade 8 student at John Dryden Public School in Whitby, Ont., was touring the Governor General’s official residence with about 60 students on Tuesday when he spotted Clarkson and asked: “Is that the woman that spends the money on the Queen when she comes?”

…then…

…the 15-year-old high school student whose question about government spending resulted in his class’s tour being cut short… Following the Ottawa incident, Patfield was told he was to receive a three-day suspension. The school reversed that decision Thursday.

Imagine being suspended for asking hard questions of our political leaders? At least there was some back-pedalling:

[Adrienne] Clarkson defended the boy’s - and anybody’s - right to ask questions about how government money is spent.

“Of course in my opinion there is no inappropriate question, only inappropriate answers,” said the one-time journalist known for getting her questions answered.

“(The question) shows, at least, an interest in what’s happening in the office of the Governor General and I thought questions like that should be answered.”

I thought this was well said:

Parenting expert and author Barbara Coloroso said the incident is an example of “zero tolerance being zero thinking.”

What a sad comment on reality. Fortunately, the suspension was lifted, and everyone has apologized.

Beware of asking questions.

~Jason