I found these
comments on the CBC website and some of them are pretty funny...
Quote:
I'll be watching my money closer than ever, since I'll have less of it. I'm low-income, so my taxes are actually going up.
I won't be saving anything from the GST cut, since most of my income goes towards food, which isn't taxed.
—Arianna | Ottawa
Working and living in a city like Toronto, 1% will hardly play any impact at all. Cost of living is so high that you'll probably spend what you save without even knowing it.
For every $100 spent, you save $1. Not much of a saving if you ask me.
—Erfan Baig | Toronto
You are joking - right?
I might be able to treat myself to a big Mac.... oops, I forgot: I need to fill my car up, pay my rent, life insurance, car insurance, heat, light, phone, clothing, new eyeglasses, vet bill, medicine.
Hey, that Big Mac.....HOLD THE MEAT!
—Leia Cairns | Vancouver, B.C.
Most Canadian individuals will never see this cut. To small business though, this will be a huge money generating scheme.
Take for instance the parking lots advertised at $5.74 per day. With the current GST rate, this works out to an even $6. Do you really think they are going to start charging $5.96 inclusive? No, they will simply raise the rate to $5.78 plus GST to an even $6.
What about parking meters at $1 per hr? Same thing I'm afraid. Airport shuttles, Limousines, amuzement parks, camping. What about bank charges? I really don't think anyone expects the banks to start charging $9.91 cents per month on accounts or $1.48 on ATM withdrawals.
The individual consumer will rarely see this benefit. It's all smoke and mirrors.
—Quentin Harvey | Hamilton, Ont.
I don't see any savings whatsoever for me. The 1% reduction is G S T will be eaten up by inflation and the increase in the income tax by 1/2 percent. What we need is a substantion cut in the income taxes and a freeze on any more taxes. The taxpayer, as usual is being taken for a ride.
—Bruce Broderik | Guelph, Ont.
I commend the Harper Government for stepping forward with any changes to lower Canadian taxes. Considering the previous Liberal Government spent a great deal of time squandering those same tax dollars, its about time Canadian's received a break.
However, I have to say by the time you factor in the growing costs of hydro, water and City Taxes in Ottawa! what windfall would you be referring to exactly?
The only people who seem to be getting any windfall here are those greedy MP's with their allowance increase.
—Susan Bellefeuille | Ottawa
What will I do with my tax cut: I'll do a lot of watching:
Watch social programme's for youth and families being cut. Watch community libraries suffer further staffing shortages, watch university tuitions continue to rise and research $$$$$$ continue to fall; watch nurses work themselves to the point of breakdown due to staff shortages.
—Paula Jessop | Port Credit, Ont.
I will buy about 5 cents worth of penny candy with all the money I will save. Wow praise Stephen Harper!
— Fernand Daigle | Moncton
Though we would have all liked to have seen the GST blown away to nothing, this is still a step in the right direction. What am I going to do with my extra money? Simple! Spend it as disposable income and sink it into our economy to keep people employed and working.
—Chris | Windsor, Ont.
A 1% Gst reduction will have almost no effect, not even worth discussing. The biggest impact any government could do would be to reduce the gas prices at the pump.
I don't care whether they regulate prices or stop gouging us with their tax on tax in the gas. Do something with that to the tune of 10 - 15 cents per litre and that would be a windfall. I won't hold my breath.
—Dave Rolfe | Barrie, Ont.
Popcorn and beer, of course!
—Andrew deMos | Mississauga, Ont.
5 billion dollars divided by 30 million people = $167. Taking into account I don't buy transit passes means this number will be even less. Hardly makes a difference spread out over a year.
I can now afford a couple more beers every weekend.
—Jason Chodachek | Winnipeg
I'm 63, and my children are grown, so no child care benefits for me. I live in the country, so can't buy monthly transit passes. I have recently been diagnosed with severe rheumatoid arthritis, and have had to stop working, so I won't qualify for the employment credit.
My annual income will now be $21,600, and I will be paying 0.5% more income tax on that. I don't think I'll be going on a spending spree!
—Susan Bain | Perth Rd. Village, Ont.
After viewing the new tax cuts I feel that there will be little additional monies in the pockets of the average Canadian. And all of that will probably be erased by the half-percent increase in Income Tax. So what will I do with the extra $30 to $40 a year.. not much.. Probably spend it at Wal-mart.
—Derek Fleming | St. John's
I think all the attention given to this 1 cent tax cut is hilarious! Really unless you are making some very large purchases most of us won't even notice it.
I am not one of Harpers average Canadians earning over $60,000 a year, I am one of the tax payers who will pay more next year because of the tax increase to 15.5%.
—S Fowler | Chatham, Ont.
Well they've done it again, given with one hand and taken it back with the other. One percent of the GST is given back and we'll give parents $1200.00 Great and now the but.
But we will take .5% of your gross income and we'll tax the $1200.00 at a rate of .5% more than we were before we lowered the GST. Works for me. give 1% here and take it back from the ones that can afford it least.
—Percy Clarke | Summerside,P.E.I.
Well, I plan to buy diapers for my newborn - or maybe some coffee and donuts.
—Jordan Kolbeck | La Loche, Sask.
I'll use the extra tax money to spend on things that I otherwise wouldn't be "allowed" to get in previous times by our beloved government. 1% is a step in the right direction, but I want to see taxes completely abolished.
Let people spend their money where THEY want to.
—Michael Gale | B.C.
I plan to start a campaign to get Harper to resign. I feel he is the worst plaque to ever his this country, and if we make it through 4 years with Harper, then bring on the bird flu cause it will be nothing in comparison.
—David Driedger | Ont.
It won't put any more money in my pocket, instead it will go into the gas tank of my car.
—Daniel Moser | Kelowna, B.C.
I earn $43k per year working for the military. Single income, because where we are posted has now work, two kids aged 2, and four.
So let me think.. Yep my wife gets the child tax rebate of $1200. Awesome, but my taxes are going up. So really is it going to change my income taxes? Mmm. I don't think so.
I don't use public transit. So it really doesn't do me any good. I'm posted to a place that might have 15,000 people.
Gst goes down 1 percent. Wow.. Thats a whole savings of what? 1 cent on a chocolate bar? Even on a new car, that might save you $250 bucks.
My advice. Get real government call me when you completely axe the GST like was promised so many years ago.
—Ian Howard | Petawawa, Ont.
I plan to take my tax savings and invest it in a litre of gas!
—Kevin Kunderman | Princeton, B.C.
These tax changes will not effect me in the slightest. The meager savings that I may receive from the GST cut will be gobbled up by the increase in my income tax.
My daughter is six years old, so no savings there. It's all just a lot of hot air as for as me and my little family.
—Mark Tardif | Courtenay, B.C.
Since I'm a single working near senior, there are not a lot of cuts coming my way. I figure if I save the "windfall" faithfully, I might be able to treat myself to a Starbucks coffee at the end of the month - if I'm lucky.
—B Puchala | Vancouver
If the GST goes down 1% but your income tax goes up by 0.5%, in the end is the difference for the regular Canadian that big? Seems to me it is just politicians tying to make people feel better.
—Julie Skrepnek | Edmonton
I will be putting the extra few dollars into my 2-year old's savings account, which goes toward her RESP. We also have another little one on the way, so we'll use it for that as well.
—Ada Uddoh | Winnipeg
I am not going to see a cent of it. Why? Because the merchants will simply increase the base price of the goods.
—Mark Bell | Toronto
A one-percentage point cut in the GST amounts to nothing to those with very little disposable income. While those in the low income bracket do spend a larger portion of their income, when compared to higher income earners, the vast majority of their money is spent on groceries, which are already exempt from GST.
—Emrys Graefe | Ottawa
I can't afford any more tax-cuts. Every time we get tax-cut announcements, they get clawed back either by regressive tax increases or de-listing of services or increases in service fees.
It's amazing that in a world of over consumption by 1st world countries, Harper is promoting more of it by cutting consumption taxes. In other words, to save on taxes you have to spend more therefore lowering your overall real savings or personal equity.
It's all a red-herring to cover-up the huge corporate tax-savings or corporate welfare hand-outs.
—Greg Engh | Mission, B.C.
I won't be doing anything, since I really won't be saving any money. I don't have a child, I don't buy transit passes (there are no buses in my town) and I am in the lowest income tax bracket. So on July 1, I will actually have money taken away, as my income taxes will rise 0.5 per cent.
Yes, the Tories are doing great things for me, a real "hard working Canadian". Thanks.
—J. Wilson | Alberta
CKA Uber 
