In the recent Globe and Mail Leaders debate on the economy Stephen Harper blurted out, "We do not offer [refugees] a better health-care plan than the ordinary Canadian can receive, and I think that’s something both new and existing and old stock Canadians agree with.” The use of 'old stock Canadians' has created quite a stir and posed questions about whether the remark was racist or elitist. Plot twist: I don't care because he's not!
Harper's real questionable remark was a later use of 'ordinary Canadians,' in reference to other parties raising taxes (Liberals will raise personal tax for the 1% and NDP for the largest corporations). He said that the other two leaders wanted to raise taxes for ordinary Canadians. Really? Well...Yeah. I guess if all Canadians are ordinary Canadians then you can spin it like that. Let's look at a few sample homes of Harper's ordinary Canadians.
The reality is that those who would be taxed are the rich and the richest. It is inexcusable and irresponsible for a Prime Minister to skew his rhetoric to mislead Canadians about taxation and the actual facts (a word he likes to use often to cite limited information). The truth is that neither the Liberals or the NDP plan to tax 'ordinary Canadians' and the NDP promises not to. Harper also made the bizarre claim that the NDP's plan included tax hikes for all employers and workers. But to say this one would have to think of CPP and EI (pension and employment insurance) as tax. Mr. Harper, these are not taxes, they are benefits. A safety net for all Canadians. Especially the ordinary ones.
