Morneau chides NDP for opposing end to ‘unfair tax advantages’ for wealthy

OTTAWA – Finance Minister Bill Morneau is putting the squeeze on federal New Democrats, chiding them for failing to support his proposals to end what he calls unfair tax advantages for some wealthy small business owners.
In a letter to three New Democrat MPs, Morneau says he was surprised to receive a letter from them indicating that the NDP — normally a champion of reducing income inequality — supports “continued tax advantages for the wealthiest Canadians.”
And he says he’s disappointed by the NDP opposition to his “progressive proposal,” which he contends is designed to “ensure a level playing field for the middle class.”
The letter is in response to a letter sent to Morneau on Sept. 7 by Windsor-area MPs Brian Masse, Cheryl Hardcastle and Tracey Ramsey, in which the trio of New Democrats urge the finance minister to “heed the voices” of doctors, dentists, orthopedists and others who are vehemently opposed to the proposed tax changes.
They urge Morneau to “reconsider” his proposals and concentrate instead on “tax cheats” who hoard their money in illegal offshore accounts, robbing the federal treasury of some $6 billion per year.
In his response, Morneau notes that his proposed changes are supported by a number of organizations with which the NDP would ordinarily be aligned — the Canadian Labour Congress, the Canadian Nurses Association, Canadians for Tax Fairness, the Canadian Association of Social Workers, the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives and the Broadbent Institute.

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