Wake Up To Tax Laws

The media spotlight on the "public policy" limitation on film tax credits in Bill C-10 may have eclipsed a more serious concern that we are being taxed without adequate democratic representation.

The recent debate on Bill C-10 has highlighted the fact that tax bills do not get the level of scrutiny they deserve. Since the now-infamous film tax censorship provision was initially proposed by the Liberals in 2002, no MP had noticed the "public policy" limitation until its existence was revealed by the media. In all fairness, it is hardly surprising that MPs do not bother with tax bills, as tax legislation is typically drafted in an incomprehensible style.