Cutting taxes not top priority, Harper says

by GLORIA GALLOWAY — August 3, 2007

CHARLOTTETOWN -- Prime Minister Stephen Harper has not ruled out further reductions for Canadian taxpayers but made it clear yesterday tax cuts would not top a new agenda of priorities for his government.

"Everybody likes big tax cuts. I would love a big tax cut. [But] obviously what we do ultimately depends on the fiscal room the government has," Mr. Harper told a press conference to end his Conservative party's summer caucus meeting.

"First and foremost, this government is committed to running responsible fiscal policy where we not only balance our budgets, but we continue to run modest surpluses so we can pay down debt. That's important. And after that we will, obviously, look at a range of tax-reduction measures as well as investments in spending priorities where we think those are relevant to voters."

Conservative strategists and several MPs attending the meeting this week say tax cuts should be high on the list of measures adopted by the party as it prepares for another election.

But the most recent poll conducted by the Strategic Counsel for The Globe and Mail found only three per cent of respondents believe taxes are the most important issue facing Canada. By contrast, 23 per cent picked the environment and 16 per cent health care. Canadians are also more concerned about terrorism, government leadership and the economy.

Mr. Harper said the themes of his government's first year-and-a-half in office - tackling crime, democratic reform, tax reduction, good fiscal management, the environment and, possibly, tax cuts - would continue to dominate his agenda.

He also took a sharp jab at the Canadian Wheat board, which won a ruling this week that dashed the government's early hopes of stripping the grain marketer of its monopoly.

"Canadian farmers have spoken very clearly that they want to see this barley market opened," Mr. Harper said.

"So I hope the Wheat Board will start working with the government to make sure this is going to happen. Because it's going to happen one way or the other."

News coming out of the first day of the caucus meeting was overshadowed by Conservative attempts to keep reporters at bay. RCMP officers were dispatched to eject journalists from the hotel where the MPs had gathered.

While the government cannot bar reporters from doing their job in public spaces like streets, parks and airports, University of Windsor law professor Richard Moon said the Charter of Rights would probably not prevent government officials or the RCMP from asking a hotel to bar journalists. That's because a hotel is private property, and therefore not bound by the Charter's guarantees of freedom of association and freedom of expression.

The RCMP says it would not allow the government to dictate its measures when providing security for an event involving government figures.

However, in this case, the RCMP says officers were responding to a request from hotel management to remove journalists from the premises, just as they would respond to requests for help in removing anyone ejected from a business.

Source:The Globe and Mail