David Dodge on Corporate Tax Cuts
David Dodge is as close to an authoritative mainstream voice as we have on economic issues (not that that means he is always right, but he sure counts in the mainstream media.)
Here is what David Dodge had to say on postponing corporate income tax cuts in a lecture at Queen’s a year ago.
“In addition the final scheduled cut in the corporate tax rate might be foregone (or postponed well past 2013) without losing tax competitiveness as it now seems unlikely that major cuts in the U.S. or European corporate tax rates will take place. These additional revenues later in the decade would help to maintain the federal balance.”
That sounds pretty much like the Iggy position to me.
Very interesting — not only because it once again lets the air out of the Cons’ hyperbolizing tires about the ‘danger’ of reversing the latest cuts now, but also because it provides a little historical perspective on the Libs’ former reasoning to show it’s really not so hypocritical of them at all to change their mind now, either:
so, back in 2006/7, did it indeed appear as though the economies in Europe & the USA competing for new international businesses to locate there were poised to keep reducing their top corporate taxes until they were below ours, such that a floor of 14% appeared reasonable or even necessary then… but no longer does, since the unforeseen recession stopped those other nations’ tax reductions in their tracks, as well?
If so, then instead of continuing to cancel each other out (as the NDP & Libs do on the talking heads shows when they bicker over how hypocritical the Libs may or may not be on this) and letting the Cons win the rhetorical day, wouldn’t it be better for them to make common cause and agree that whatever they might have thought in the past, there definitely SHOULD be a freeze at the 18% level right now?
@speller
You would think the libs and ndp would be smart enough to co-operate on at least that common message and not waste the sound bites. Drives me nutty seeing that instead if attacking the Tories, the ndp focus on the liberals. Look mr/mrs ndp we get it you are different, but first let’s focus on the dragon.
From what I’ve read, the NDP has been focusing attacks on the Conservatives.
My remark was about the TV shows like Power & Politics, but they slam them in print, too:
http://www.ndp.ca/press/reality-check-ignatieff-attacks-his-own-corporate-tax-cuts
Sure, the NDP throw a jab at the Liberals once in a while, but overall, they mainly go after the Conservatives.
We realize that Darwin we are not idiots, at least I don’t believe so, but when the party’s president comes out and blasts the liberals during the opening salvos of this taxation fight, it surely is a sign to the rest of the party that teaming up with the liberals on this corporate tax cut is more desireable than picking away at the liberals.
Again a desperate attempt to grab a few liberal votes. That is not going to help replace this dragon.
So it is much more than a couple of jabs at the liberals. On this corporate tax cut we need to have a focus against the tories. It is poor judgement on the part of the NDP to cherry pick during a time when they can the country can least afford risking a majority with Harper.
that should read less desireable to team up with the liberals on this issue
Meh. If the Liberals want the NDP to co-operate with them, maybe they should quit with the misleading “strategic” voting appeals, which they have been trotting out yet again lately. Iggy’s been, overall, much more prone to co-operate with the Conservatives than with the NDP, starting right at the beginning of his leadership with preferring distancing himself from the NDP over forming a government, and pretty much never stopping since. I can sympathize if the NDP at some point said “To Hell with him and the silver spoon he rode in on.”
If someone keeps whacking you, at some point you have to put a boot in their groin when it counts even if it’s not superficially expedient. Otherwise they’ll never have a reason to stop.
Meanwhile, does anyone else think it’s pretty likely that Iggy would, if elected, turn around and cut those corporate taxes after all?