Canadian election opinion piece.

[K-ice]

This is an interesting perspective on the Canadian election.

http://edmontonjournal.com/opinion/tory-tax-breaks

Financially, we are not as well off as this couple.

But I think the Tory policies will benefit me more than the others.

However, who else is saying "thanks but no thanks"?

[Heather in Ottawa]

Voting ABC, but the TFSA thing makes me sad. It's a nice savings vehicle for any tax bracket (unlike the RRSP). People wanting so overwhelmingly to reduce the limit is just hating on those who are willing to save instead of spend. We all know you don't need to be "rich" to save $10,000 per year.

[scottish]

Yep.   We're in a financially similar situation, except our kids are almost grown.   We're happy to forgo some money from those with lower income to get Harper out of office before he goes completely batshit crazy like Rob Ford.

Besides, it's hard to say if a new government will actually roll back the TFSA limit.   Election promises and all that.

[Endersmom]

We are the same that we benefit from the conservative policies but I will gladly give it up to see Harper go

[The Fake Cheap]

Great article. 

I too am taking an ABC approach, even though likely in a few years we would be benefiting from the 10K TFSA limit.  Also the 10K limit for 2015 will very likely stay and be rolled back to $5,000 or 5,500 in 2016.  Harper is...he just needs to go.

By the way there is a thread about the Canadian election in the off topic board.

[Gerard]

Voting ABC, but the TFSA thing makes me sad. It's a nice savings vehicle for any tax bracket (unlike the RRSP). People wanting so overwhelmingly to reduce the limit is just hating on those who are willing to save instead of spend. We all know you don't need to be "rich" to save $10,000 per year.

The problem, though, is that it gives a big tax break to a bunch of rich people who were already saving that much without any effort. It doesn't really encourage people at the margins to save more; it just impoverishes the treasury, and the cumulative effect could be a real problem after ten or fifteen years.

There have to be better ways to use tax policy to reward savers. I'm just too dumb to know what they are. Higher GST might be a good start, although that's more about punishing spending than rewarding saving.

[TravelJunkyQC]

I'll be sad to see the TFSA 10,000$ limit be reduced (although I'm hoping I can scramble another 10,000 together by January 1st to at least max it out for 2016 - I'm guessing it won't be gone that soon). However, Stephen Harper himself could hand me a 20,000$ check and I still won't vote for him. Thanks, but I already left a military-obsessed-xenophobic-anti-abortion of a leader (ahem, the Bush years) - I don't need another one.

[Le Barbu]

I'll be sad to see the TFSA 10,000$ limit be reduced (although I'm hoping I can scramble another 10,000 together by January 1st to at least max it out for 2016 - I'm guessing it won't be gone that soon). However, Stephen Harper himself could hand me a 20,000$ check and I still won't vote for him. Thanks, but I already left a military-obsessed-xenophobic-anti-abortion of a leader (ahem, the Bush years) - I don't need another one.

I think it's likely our (Quebeckers) biggest disctinction with Conservatives (or Republican or any right party). Whatsoever we are stiff or loose with the economy and budget, we almost all agree on human rights and military related questions. For myself, I would vote NDP if I could thrust them to balance the budget...

[YK-Phil]

This is an interesting perspective on the Canadian election.

http://edmontonjournal.com/opinion/tory-tax-breaks

Financially, we are not as well off as this couple.

But I think the Tory policies will benefit me more than the others.

However, who else is saying "thanks but no thanks"?

My future but most importantly the future of my (our) children is worth much more than whatever personal benefits I can derive from any TSFA. ABC is the only choice in these elections.

[Margie]

long time lurker - first time poster:
Everyone should vote regardless of their party of choice - but seriously take a good look at Ontario and what has happened after 12 years of Dalton - My poor sweet Canada, hopefully it will remain one of the best countries in the world. 

[Koogie]

It certainly is a tough one this time.  I am traditionally a small "c" conservative.  Fiscally conservative, socially liberal.   A Red Tory if you will.

Stephen Harper I have never cared for (for me he isn't a conservative, he's a Reform Party goon).   Social conservatives give me the willies just as much as NDP economists   ;o)

Most of you are probably to young (or weren't even born yet !) to remember the ineptitude and horrors of left wing Federal economic policies.   At this stage let us all hope that economically speaking Trudeau Part II doesn't turn out like Trudeau Part I and that Justin is more capable than he seems or is stage managed by someone like Paul Martin for the economics portfolio.

[FrugalFan]

Good article! ABC for me as well. There are many things I don't like about Harper, but he has had a terrible influence on our federal granting system for universities, which was once regarded as one of the best in the world. This affects my job every day. Yes, I would miss the extra TFSA room, but that is not a big deal to me compared to all the other issues.

[RetiredAt63]

Looking at Chretien with Paul Martin as Finance Minister, and Harper with (really) Harper as finance minister, it seems clear that any Prime Minister needs to be able to delegate the big portfolios to someone really capable.  Micro-managers do not make good policy leaders.

Steven Harper was never a Conservative, always a Reform.  Peter MacKay has a lot to answer for.  Red Tories - look at Joe Clark and Flora MacDonald.  I wasn't that keen on Clark at the time, but looking at the present group of candidates makes me nostalgic - those were NOT the good old days, but this sure is not the golden age of quality candidates.

It's not that Canada requires charismatic leaders - look at MacDonald, MacKenzie King, Pearson - but we do want competent people who have some human empathy. 

It certainly is a tough one this time.  I am traditionally a small "c" conservative.  Fiscally conservative, socially liberal.   A Red Tory if you will.

Stephen Harper I have never cared for (for me he isn't a conservative, he's a Reform Party goon).   Social conservatives give me the willies just as much as NDP economists   ;o)

Most of you are probably to young (or weren't even born yet !) to remember the ineptitude and horrors of left wing Federal economic policies.   At this stage let us all hope that economically speaking Trudeau Part II doesn't turn out like Trudeau Part I and that Justin is more capable than he seems or is stage managed by someone like Paul Martin for the economics portfolio.

[K-ice]

Has anyone noticed that these sites recommend different candidates for the ABC option?

https://www.votetogether.ca/riding/48014/edmonton-centre/
http://www.strategicvoting.ca/swingdistricts.php
http://voteswap.ca/Main_Page