- CTF Open Letter to Paul Martin Latest Step in Cut Taxes 2000 Campaign --

Letter to the Hon. Paul Martin

TORONTO: The Canadian Taxpayers Federation (CTF) has written Finance Minister Paul Martin insisting that "putting an end to bracket creep" must be his number one priority when it comes to deciding the mix and quantity of tax relief to be delivered in this February's budget.

The open letter - written by CTF federal director Walter Robinson - is the latest step in the federation's Cut Taxes 2000 campaign which was launched amidst a backdrop of 10,000 loonies on October 21st, 1999 to illustrate the decade long effects of extra taxes paid by taxpayers due to bracket creep. In his letter, Mr. Robinson outlines several compelling arguments in support of the CTF's position.

Robinson also cautions the Minister of the perils of ignoring the issue. "To offer Canadians other tax relief measures in the absence of ending bracket creep will be viewed by our organization as half hearted at best. To do so would be to employ a daylight savings approach to tax relief. Initially, taxpayers could spring forward with an easing of their tax burden, but they will quickly fall back as inflation driven incomes will be exposed to more and more taxes year after year," writes Robinson.

"There is a national consensus that bracket creep must be relegated to the dustbins of history," said Robinson in commenting on the letter. "This is the benchmark by which any tax relief measures and the budget in general will be judged."

In addition to today's letter, CTF communications staff will continue to actively push for an end to bracket creep through media appearances and speaking engagements. At the federal level, the next two Let's Talk Taxes columns (distributed to over 400 media outlets nationwide) will deal specifically with bracket creep. Publication dates are as follows:

January 6, 2000 -- Bracket Creep By the Numbers: A Legacy of Taxpayer Abuse

January 12, 2000 -- Ending Bracket Creep: Fiscal, Social and Political Consequences.

Mr. Robinson embarks on a mini-media tour beginning today in Toronto for a series of media appearances and an in-depth print interviews to give profile to the bracket creep issue. Later this month, the CTF will release its Bracket Creep 2000 report illustrating the cumulative effects of 14-years of bracket creep taxation.