Economy

SUMMARY

The Conservative Party of Quebec believes in the power of the market to drive progress and collective prosperity: the greater the economic freedom of a nation, the greater the increase in its population's standard of living.

Quebec operates within the North American context. but is an outlier with respect to its burdensome taxation and regulation policies, and its propensity for picking winners and losers in business via government programs and subsidies that are both costly and ineffective.

The Conservative Party is calling for Quebec to assert itself as a North American leader: to favour individuals and families through a simple and attractive tax system, and to appeal to investors via a regulatory and fiscal framework that favours business development instead of penalizing it.

The CPQ proposes to protect your purchasing power by advocating for tax cuts that benefit all taxpayers.

The party also proposes to suspend the collection of provincial taxes on gasoline, and to encourage more seniors to re-enter the labour market.

DID YOU KNOW?

Quebec is one of the most highly taxed jurisdictions in the world and by far the most taxed in North America.
Quebec's personal income tax burden is 14.1%, compared with 12.5% in the rest of Canada and 8.3% on average in developed countries (OECD).
According to the Fraser lnstitute's Canadian Consumer Tax Index, taxes represent the single largest expense for Canadian families, accounting for 4% of family income. This is higher than spending on housing, food and clothing combined (35.4%).
Our tax bill has gone up by 992% since 1961-a 20-fold increase-far exceeding the 767% growth in the Consumer Price Index (CPI) over the same period.
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OUR ECONOMIC VALUES

Quebec extends over more territory than many European countries and possesses an abundance of natural resources. For over 400 years, our population has been notable for innovation and for its determination to live and prosper here. Of course, today's Quebec is quite different from the Quebec of our ancestors. This is not only because of the technologies that have revolutionized its industries, but also because of the thousands of newcomers who have decided to live here and to contribute through their knowledge and skills. Today's Quebec is brimming with potential, but to exploit this it must renew itself and free itself from the shackles that bind it in the past.
A growth-oriented government must refrain from increasing a tax burden that discourages effort and entrepreneurship, and must resist the adoption of measures that impede the movement of goods and capital to and from neighbouring economies. It must also refrain from maintaining-and especially increasing-the regulations that already impose crushing burdens on businesses and the labour
The role of the state is not to substitute for private enterprise, and it should not be telling us where to work, how to save our money, or what to build and produce. Rather, it should provide an environment that fosters the competition that generates the beneficial innovations that meet the needs of
We do not believe that more and more state intervention is an effective solution to every The fundamental missions of the state are to protect individual rights and freedoms, to administer civil. criminal. and penal justice systems, to invest in public infrastructure, to respond to natural disasters and to create the conditions in which free citizens can flourish. Regulations may be necessary in order to establish the rules of the game and to protect the most vulnerable among us, but the state should never micro manage markets, nor impede a free and flourishing market. Government must avoid granting privileges and encouraging dependence on the part of individuals and businesses. When the state does have to act on behalf of its citizens, resources and decision-making power should be delegated insofar as possible to the organizations closest to the beneficiaries.

PROTECTING THE PURCHASING POWER OF QUEBEC'S TAXPAYERS

More than two years into the present health emergency, the financial consequences are being felt by Quebec's taxpayers who are living through the sharpest increase in the cost of living since the GST was introduced in the early
According to the Fraser Institute, the average Quebec family spends more on taxes (36.4% of their budget) than on food, shelter and clothing combined (35.4%).
Although the Quebec government has no say in the Bank of Canada's monetary policy, it does possess fiscal tools that can improve Quebecers' purchasing power.
A reduction in the tax rate of the first two income brackets will increase the disposable income of all Quebec taxpayers.

THE CPQ IS COMMITTED TO:

Increasing the basic personal tax exemption to $20,000 from the present $15,728.
Reducing the tax rates for the following brackets:
- First $46,295: from 15% to 13%
- From $46,295 to $92,580: from 20% to 18%
These measures would be applied retroactively for the fiscal year 2022.

GASOLINE TAXES

The Quebec economy is directly affected by fluctuations in the price of gasoline.
The Quebec government's tax revenues are increased by high gasoline prices; this benefits the government. but not citizens
Several Canadian provinces and American states have already suspended their gasoline taxes.

THE CPQ IS COMMITTED TO:

Suspending collection of provincial gasoline taxes in order to remain competitive with other Canadian provinces and American states, and to mitigate the impact of inflation on taxpayers.

A COMPETITIVE TAX REGIME FOR THE LABOUR FORCE

Quebec businesses have suffered greatly under the measures imposed by the Quebec government over the course of the past two years.
Several factors have contributed to exacerbation of the labour shortage, including the multiple assistance programs that have had the effect of discouraging a return to work.
In the face of a spendthrift federal government with multiplying relief programs, the Quebec government has several tools at its disposal for responding to this crisis.
Quebec has the highest payroll taxes in all of North
Numerous seniors aged 60 and over are increasingly able (and willing) to contribute to the growth of the Quebec economy.

THE CPQ IS COMMITTED TO:

Increasing the tax credit for career extension for experienced workers:
- From $1500 to $3000 for those from 60 to 64 years old
- From $1650 to $5000 for those 65 years and up
- The tax credit will be refundable
Gradually reducing payroll taxes to bring them in line with the Canadian average.

TAXES ON SECOND-HAND PRODUCTS

The more we can prolong the useful life of a consumer product. the smaller its ecological footprint becomes. The longer a product is used, the greater the opportunity for recouping any damages to the environment caused by its manufacture or disposal.
Applying the QST to second-hand goods discourages their purchase, and this harms the environment because the production of new consumer goods is a potentially polluting process.
The practice of applying the QST to the sale of second-hand goods affects our society's least advantaged population the most.
Applying QST to the sale of second-hand goods amounts to double taxation, since these goods were already taxed at the time of their original purchase.