It has been a great July in Bow River! I have enjoyed taking part in events across our riding, and getting the chance to speak with many of you about what’s happening in our riding and our country.
I have also had the chance to visit many of our local businesses. They haven’t forgotten the Liberals’ small business tax grab from last year. In fact, July 18th was the one year anniversary of the Liberals’ attempt to slap a new tax on local businesses to pay for the government’s out-of-control spending.
Thanks to pressure from Canadians across the country, the Liberals backed down on many of their proposals. However, small business owners aren’t out of the woods yet. The government still forced through tax increases and complicated compliance rules that will hurt many small businesses. These rules are so vague and complicated that a former Chief Justice of the Tax Courts said they will lead to a “battle” in court between taxpayers and the Canada Revenue Agency. The Parliamentary Budget Officer has estimated that they could end up costing entrepreneurs more than $1 billion.
The simple fact is that this Liberal government can’t control its spending, and they are looking for ways to tax anything they can. If they are re-elected in 2019, they may bring back many of the tax changes that they backed down on before. We Conservatives will continue to challenge them every step of the way, and we will always stand up for small business owners.
You may also have heard about Greyhound Canada cancelling its service in the prairies. I know that decision has the potential to affect some communities in this riding. For many people, Greyhound is the only way to travel between cities. Unfortunately, Greyhound has decided that these routes are no longer financially viable. However, there are numerous alternative companies operating in our riding. I hope that the Liberals will give the market a chance to solve this issue before risking taxpayers’ money on government intervention.
Finally, the illegal border crossing crisis has shown no sign of letting up. On July 16th, the Immigration committee agreed to hold special hearings to address this issue. It was Conservatives that forced the government to meet over the summer. The Prime Minister started this crisis, and I hope that this is a sign the government is finally taking the illegal crossings seriously. We will continue to monitor the situation closely and press the government to solve this crisis.
I can be reached in Ottawa at martin.shields@parl.gc.ca. My Brooks office can be reached at 403-793-6775 or martin.shields.c1@parl.gc.ca, and my Strathmore office at 403-361-2980 or martin.shields.c1B@parl.gc.ca. Please don’t hesitate to contact me about any federal issue.
