Ramblings & Musings

only to the families where there are two earners with $35,595 and more. One earner got only $270 extra, and if there was an unworking spouse, it was less by $73 and each kid who was the full-time student at post-secondary institution reduced this by $50 because non-refundable tax credit rate was also reduced.

So, Mr Johns who had a non-working wife and a kid at University got a meager amount $150. And Ms Smith who is the loner with $15,000 income got only $70. These people are more vulnerable than those who were considered by Liberals as the most vulnerable. On the other hand, increase of the personal and sposal exemption by $1000 would give to Mr Johns $320 and to Ms Smith $160. And a larger increase of the personal/spousal exemptions would be a better deal even for the extreme case of two earners with no kids at the University.

I am not even mention the planned planned GST reduction, textbook tax credit and other things.

The other problem with the current 15% lower bracket tax rate is that it is very biased against families with one big earner. Due to the difference between the personal and spousal exemptions and between 15% in the lower bracket and 22% in the next (35,595-71,190) the family of two of $35,595 earners pays by $1,400 less than the family of two earning $71,190 + $0. The difference between 15% and 22% is two large. Even between 16% and 22% was too large in comparison between 22% and 26% in the next bracket.

So, my advice: go back to 16% and increase personal/spousal exemptions and the $5,000 limit of the educational amount which could be transferred from a child, each by $1,000. Or even better by $2,000 increasing lower tax brackets rate to 17% which would be more consistent with other rates.

And good people of Regina-Wascana: it was Mr. Ralph Goodale who aired $500 BS. So next time send him not to Parlament but rather to school (no, I do not mean the University, but Junior High where he will learn how to count properly).