OTTAWA, ON – Today The Honourable Pierre Poilievre, Member of Parliament for Carleton, continued to press the Liberal government for an answer on the status of the small business tax cut.

 

“In 2015, the Conservative government tabled a small business tax cut which would have reduced the small business tax rate to 9% by 2019,” Poilievre said. “Unfortunately, the 2016 budget defers this tax cut indefinitely and not even the Small Business Minister seems to have a timeline for its implementation.”

 

In an interview with CTV News, Small Business Minister Bardish Chagger was asked why her government deferred a tax cut for small businesses. “I wouldn’t say that it’s deferred,” the minister said – in direct contradiction of the budget, which says on page 220 that the tax cut is “deferred.”

 

The minister did not answer for this contradiction when asked about it twice in Question Period on April 18, 2016.

 

The Small Business Minister’s mandate letter from Prime Minister Trudeau directs her to “Work with the Minister of Finance as the small business tax rate reduction is implemented.” However, the 2016 budget deferred this reduction, with no timeline for when it will be implemented.

 

“Either the tax cut is going ahead as scheduled or it’s been cancelled,” said Poilievre. “If it’s been deferred, what is the government’s timeline for implementing it? Small businesses must plan years ahead, even if the government cannot. I will continue to pressure the government to reverse course (again) and let job-creating entrepreneurs keep more of what is theirs.”

 

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