Doctors for Fair Taxation has been resting the past three years but it is now back into the political debate about Federal taxation policy with some old and new friends. A new group of doctors has developed on the issue of taxation of Canadian Controlled Private Corporations (CCPCs). Go to their site and support the letter they have written to Finance Minister Bill Morneau asking him to stay the course for his tax proposals. All of us on the steering committee of Doctors for Fair Taxation have signed the letter. And please support your local activists on this issue.
At Doctors for Fair Taxation, we think that the Government’s proposals are a tepid response to Canada’s serious economic and health inequalities. We support the Government’s proposals which are projected to enhance revenues by $250 million. But we find it concerning that they would leave untouched reforms to stock options and capital gains which would bring in $1 Billion and $10 Billion respectively. Read our statement on the new federal tax issue. And please feel free to send it around. We have included references so you can get to the source material if you want.
We are trying to coordinate our work on this issue with others and we look forward in the future to establishing a more permanent group of physicians concerned about:
- Health inequalities
- The relationship between health inequality and socio-economic inequality
- The appropriate policy role for fair taxation in ameliorating the impact of these inequalities.
We are upper income Canadians who directly appreciate the value of effective public services. Market-based systems may spur economic growth (at least as defined in traditional economic terms). But market-based systems breed inequality. Effective public services, like Medicare and public education blunt some of society’s economic, social, and health inequalities. As former US Justice Oliver Holmes said, “Taxes are the price we pay for a civilized society.”
We agree. We don’t want our tax money wasted. But we are prepared to pay higher taxes to make Canada an even better country. Tax us! Canada is worth it.
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About us
We are a group of doctors who believe unfair taxation has contributed to growing economic inequality in Canada. Since 2012, we have been working in collaboration with other groups and Canadians to shift the public discourse on taxes, encourage governments to adopt reasonable tax increases on their wealthiest citizens, and to seriously study new revenue tools to help address income inequality. For more information please visit: doctorsforfairtaxation.ca
For more information or to arrange an interview please contact:
Michael Rachlis MD
Interim Coordinator, Doctors for Fair Taxation
416-466-0093 / contact@michaelrachlis.com