Paul Martin commentary
We marked Tax Freedom Day in Canada this week.
That’s the day when the average family has earned enough money to cover the cost of government. The concept was established by the Fraser Institute to underscore the size of government in this country and how the cost of funding the public sector has ballooned.
This year, Tax Freedom Day fell on June 9, a day later than last year as either the cost of government went up or we collectively made less money.
The Institute also breaks it down provincially.
Saskatchewan came out on top of the class this year with Tax Freedom Day here arriving nearly a month ago on May 20. Quebec is at the bottom of the list on June 27.
The institute notes that with a June 9th date, it means the cost of all three levels of government amounts to more than 43-percent of the average family’s income for a year. But then there’s the matter of deficits… if we take those into account, Balanced Budget Tax Freedom Day is two weeks from now.
