Small business was one of several topics covered by Kelowna-Lake Country candidates at a forum on Monday night.
The forum was held in front of a capacity crowd at Creekside Theatre in Winfield and was sponsored by the Lake Country Chamber of Commerce.
A question about how candidates would support small businesses teed off a back-and-forth between Conservative candidate Tracy Gray and Liberal candidate Stephen Fuhr.
READ MORE: Kelowna-Lake Country candidates talk climate change
READ MORE: 香蕉视频直播楾his is a business decision香蕉视频直播� 香蕉视频直播� Liberal candidate floats idea of strategic voting
Fuhr lauded his party香蕉视频直播檚 reduction of the small business tax from 11 per cent to 9 per cent. He also targeted Conservative leader Andrew Scheer for his rhetoric during recent Kelowna visits.
香蕉视频直播淵ou may have noticed that Andrew Scheer likes to come to Kelowna,香蕉视频直播� said Fuhr.
香蕉视频直播淗e likes to take shots at me because there were some small business tax changes in the previous parliament and he likes to say that I just sat back and let it happen, which is completely not true. Anybody with an internet connection and some critical analysis can find out quickly that I was very boisterous about this. Ironically though, when Mr. Scheer comes here, what he doesn香蕉视频直播檛 say is that we reduced small business tax 香蕉视频直播� it香蕉视频直播檚 the lowest in the OECD. And guess what? He voted against it.香蕉视频直播�
Fuhr also said he and 30 or 40 other MPs fought for a more 香蕉视频直播渕oderated solution,香蕉视频直播� and the proposal at the gate was dramatically different from the result because of it.
Gray fired back, saying that while the Liberals lowered the small business tax, they also nixed income splitting, which hurts small business owners.
香蕉视频直播淭hat香蕉视频直播檚 just one tax that you香蕉视频直播檇 have as a small business,香蕉视频直播� she said.
香蕉视频直播淭here are other taxes. I香蕉视频直播檝e talked to literally thousands of business owners in Kelowna-Lake Country, where their personal taxes have been affected.香蕉视频直播�
Fuhr then said for over 90 per cent of small businesses in Canada, all they will see is a reduction in small business tax.
香蕉视频直播淚t is true that some small businesses will be adversely affected by some of the other changes,香蕉视频直播� he said.
香蕉视频直播淲ith regard to income splitting within a Canadian controlled private corporation, the government changed rules on that. What they said is that 香蕉视频直播榣isten, you can still do that, but the person in the company actually has to work in the company.香蕉视频直播櫹憬妒悠抵辈
READ MORE: PPC signs vandalized again in Kelowna
While the Conservative and Liberal candidates dominated much of the conversation surrounding the topic of small business, the other candidates got their say as well.
The Green Party香蕉视频直播檚 Travis Ashley said that small businesses are the foundation of Canada and he will welcome large corporations to get out of the way.
香蕉视频直播淥ver 50 per cent of our GDP comes from small business,香蕉视频直播� he said.
香蕉视频直播淪o when a big corporation says, 香蕉视频直播� we don香蕉视频直播檛 like your laws; we香蕉视频直播檙e going to leave,香蕉视频直播� I say leave.香蕉视频直播�
Ashley also said the Green Party plans to raise the federal corporate tax rate from 15 to 21 per cent. He added that they would remove bureaucratic red tape, avoid duplicate taxes and give incentives to green startups.
Independent candidate Daniel Joseph said he would fight for free enterprise.
香蕉视频直播淔ree enterprise is critical to Canada香蕉视频直播檚 economy,香蕉视频直播� he said.
香蕉视频直播淪elf-determination; not pre-determination. We cannot pre-determine the green economy. The green economy, if it香蕉视频直播檚 going to happen, needs to be self-determined.香蕉视频直播�
The People香蕉视频直播檚 Party of Canada candidate John Barr said despite his party not having a platform on small business just yet, the key is a thriving economy.
香蕉视频直播淎 big part of our policy is to reduce the tax burden on the Canadian businessperson and the Canadian citizen,香蕉视频直播� he said.
香蕉视频直播淎lthough I can香蕉视频直播檛 answer from a policy standpoint, the motivations of our party is to reduce the tax burden on individuals and businesses.香蕉视频直播�
Five of the seven local candidates were in attendance for the event. Independent candidate Silverado Socrates and the NDP香蕉视频直播檚 Justin Kulik were absent, though Kulik had volunteers handing out letters stating his regrets that he could not attend the event.
michael.rodriguez@kelownacapnews.com
Like us on and follow us on .
