cross-posted from: https://lemmy.ca/post/34926056
Canada has implemented a new tax savings from December to February for some things like taxable groceries, crafts, and gaming physical media. I wanted to get a new Xbox controller and found the best price at Walmart for $55 a week ago. The tax holiday starts today and I now see that the $55 has increased to $62 and change, which is about how much tax I should be saving. Great to see this thinly veiled attempt to help Canadians ( /s - win votes) is just going to be extra profit in the corporations’ pockets.
And this is why any attempt to “fight” affordability that doesn’t include plans to kneecap corporations is effectively useless and a waste of time.
It is also just a break, and the fact the governmnet calls it a break is acknowledgement of the issues with corporate greed in this country. Struggling Canadians will go right back to struggling as soon as the break is over, if they can even find a way to benefit from it. It isn’t a solution and its barely even a bandaid. The government is taking a tax dollar hit that could be used for other programs like welfare, food banks, public transit, or create anti oligarch/anti monopoly policies. We could invest in a national nonprofit groccer to help make food more accesible for struggling canadians.
Instead the government is giving a blanket “break” so that everyone from the poor to the ultra wealthy is inspired to give into capitalism and consummerism and spend even more money while ensuring only the already wealthy capitalists benefit from it.
It seems like the only thing which could stop them from screwing consumers is hard limits on the profit margins they can charge.