Scheer to cancel $1.5B in corporate welfare, redirect savings to Canadians

Conservatives to review and eliminate taxpayer handouts to wealthy executives, shareholders, and foreign companies

A new Conservative government will
cancel hundreds of millions of dollars in corporate welfare handouts to wealthy
executives, shareholders, and foreign companies and instead put that money in
Canadians’ pockets so they can get ahead, Conservative Leader Andrew Scheer
announced today.

Scheer said a new Conservative
government will conduct a review of all business subsidy programs in order to
eliminate $1.5 billion in corporate handouts that don’t create jobs and support
economic growth in Canada.

Those savings would instead go towards
new measures to help hard-working Canadians.

“Under Justin Trudeau, Canada’s
wealthiest and most politically connected have received billions of dollars
from Canadian taxpayers, who are working harder than ever and just not getting
ahead,” Scheer said. “I will put an end to handouts to wealthy executives,
shareholders, and foreign companies and instead put that money in Canadians’
pockets so they can get ahead.”

A new
Conservative government will also review innovation programs to ensure that
they are supporting Canadian companies with patents, technologies, and economic
benefits that remain in Canada. Conservatives believe that government support
should help Canadians by creating jobs and opportunities.

Conservatives
will make sure
that funds spent on research and development will benefit Canadian companies,
so that the intellectual property, technology, and resulting profits will
benefit Canadians.

Conservatives
will also strengthen regional development agencies and mandate them to focus on
economic development, small- and medium-enterprises, and community-based
projects.

“Hard-working Canadians are rightly offended when they
see their tax dollars going to further the interests of the wealthy and
well-connected friends while Justin Trudeau makes them pay more for gasoline,
groceries, and home heating,” Scheer said. “That’s why I’ll get rid of these
unfair handouts and use those savings to help Canadians get ahead.”

As
Prime Minister, Andrew Scheer will:

Cancel
Trudeau’s Carbon Tax
Remove
GST from home heating, saving households $107
Make
maternity benefits tax-free, providing up to $4,000 in tax savings
Bring
in a Green Public Transit Tax Credit, saving families hundreds – potentially
thousands – of dollars
Bring
in the Universal Tax Cut, saving a working couple $850
Bring
in the Children’s Fitness Tax Credit, saving parents up to $150
Bring
in the Children’s Arts and Learning Tax Credit, saving parents up to $75
Boost
the RESP, giving parents hundreds more
for their children’s education