While I am the first to admit there’s room for improvement in any government, let’s take a look at some of the good news that tends not to be covered by most media outlets.

It’s human nature to look at a federal government’s accomplishments with some skepticism, but there is lots of evidence that Canada is among the most productive and stable countries in the world. While it may be tempting to believe that our collective cup is half-empty, there are indicators that reveal Canada’s cup is three-quarters full.

This government realizes that Canadian families and seniors are facing many pressures with their cost of living. We all need to buy groceries, pay bills and handle our household expenses, which can quickly add up. Canadians have been complaining about federal government tax gouging for many years, and we are proud to be turning that around. We firmly believe the best way government can help is to lower taxes so families can keep more of what they earn.

That’s why we cut the GST from seven to five per cent, lowered income tax rates, reduced tax for small business, and introduced tax credits for tools, textbooks, transit passes, and kids’sports, to name just a few examples. This spring alone, we refunded billions in tax relief to individuals and families. In fact, your typical working family is over three thousand dollars further into the black now than they were just three years ago.
Tax Freedom Day – the day Canadians have paid off the tax they owe and start working for themselves – came on June 14 this year. That is a full 11 days earlier than it occurred under the previous government and one of the earliest in memory.

And we’re going to keep that trend going with our new Tax-Free Savings Accounts. For the first time in nearly a century, we will allow Canadians to make money without paying tax. All Canadians qualify and anyone who is trying to save for the future will see results. Imagine not being penalized for working hard and saving – it makes little sense to us to penalize people for doing the right thing.

Furthermore, our government is supporting families through the $1,200 annual Universal Child Care Benefit that is being paid directly to parents. Over two million Canadian families are benefitting directly because they have more money to spend on their own priorities. We’re not putting more money into Canadians’ pockets – we’re simply leaving it there. That money trickles down through the retail sector to provide a positive domino-effect that boosts the entire economy. Governments that tax too much cripple the economy by taking and spending your hard-earned dollars themselves. Why would anyone vote to allow that?

Media reports and doomsayers repeat the worrying news from the U.S. and other economies around the globe. Canadians should be confident that they are in the best fiscal position of any G-7 country. While no country’s future is ever assured, let’s count the blessings we have and enjoy the improved spending power that lower taxes have made possible.

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The audio version of Garry's July 28, 2008 op-ed column can be heard by clicking here