THE OFFICIAL NEWSLETTER OF THE FREEDOM PARTY OF ONTARIO MAY 1990 F ~edom Party Last issue in my Openers column rich pay" philosophy --- the very philosophy (What to do about the GST?), I warned espoused by Marxist-Leninists and which is against false and misleading tax protests now being openly shared by New based on the myth of "fair" taxation. Democrats and Liberals alike. This fact was Thanks to a group calling itself the Stand illustrated quite clearly at a "tax protest" Up for Canada Coalition. a perfect rally held in London Ontario on the weekend illustration of how not to protest taxes was of the staged anti-GST demonstration. provided within weeks of my warning. Among the speakers were University of Western Ontario law professor Rob Martin On the weekend of April 7-9, 1990, the (a past -NDP candidate) and Liberal MP Joe coalition staged an anti-GST protest which Fontana, possibly two of the worst choices included the distribution of literature, public in the entire city (David Peterson, with 33 rallys, and the provision of a "1-900" number tax hikes to his credit, would have been too to call for those wishing to register their obvious a target.) to select as credible "tax­ protest by phone. protesters". When law professor Rob Martin made it abundantly clear that he's "not opposed to Some "tax" protest! While the Stand Up paying taxes. .." --- as long as they're paid for Canada Coalition may have been by "corporations", the "wealthy", and tax protesting the GST, it sure wasn't opposed "cheaters" --- he also made it clear that to higher taxes. Campaigning on a theme what he really meant is that he's not declaring Canada's current tax system opposed to somebody else paying taxes. "unfair", the coalition had a "solution": a fair However, considering that most of the food tax system. "Fair", in the eyes of this left­ we eat, the appliances we buy, and the few wing coalition means, in their own words, the luxuries of life that many can afford are following: made by the very corporations to whom 1. Make the big corporations pay. Martin would shift the tax burden, it's not 2. Base income tax on ability to pay. hard to see who really ends up paying the increased tax --- everyone, in the form of 3. Get rid of tax loopholes for the increased prices where the tax is better wealthy. hidden. 4. Tax wealth. What this all adds up to is a "Make the As an avowed socialist and supporter of the New Democratic Party, each and every a consequence, ignorance leads voters to economic policy Martin has advocated over support the very taxes they think they're the years is precisely what makes annual tax fighting, while those who misrepresent the increases inevitable. And through my own cause of "fair" taxes end up being the only personal involvement in fighting taxes at the winners in a political game that has nothing municipal level. I can remember only too well whatsoever to do with lowering taxes. when Joe Fontana (as a London municipal Eventually, even the decieved come to realize councillor and controller) supported a that their taxes aren't going down --- and likely whopping self-awarded pay increase to never will --- so that ultimately, the worst thing municipal councillors and the spending of $110 possible happens: voter apathy sets in, and million tax dollars to fund the 1991 Pan-Am everybody comes to believe that there is Games in London. (Both issues were publicly nothing that can possibly be done about the protested by Freedom Party, the latter situation. successfully, the former not.) More recently, Fontana has advocated continuing to pour tax dollars into losing enterprises like VIA Rail. What moral or rational justification could possibly qualify either of these two representatives as tax protesters? What possibly makes them think they're so different from the Conservatives they're criticizing, and what makes them think that taxing the rich and corporations is any better than a GST? Perhaps a question more to the point is how Doing the wrong things can't help, but doing could anyone honestly interested in lowering the right things always does. Many people taxes possibly take "tax protesters" like Rob become apathetic not because they haven't Martin and MP Joe Fontana seriously? been active or trying to "change" things, but because they've been following the wrong course of action --- which invariably leads to the wrong conclusions and outcomes. Reality has a way of making itself heard. In the case of taxes, most still choose to blind themselves _ to a solution by falsely believing the "other guy" can afford to provide them with social benefits for ever and ever, and worse, by believing that this is "fair" and just. simply because the "other guy" makes more money. As I pointed out last issue, voter ignorance, Like all taxes, the GST is simply another means for politicians to rob citizens of their apathy, and support are the three greatest hard-earned dollars, a process made obstacles to fighting ever-increasing taxes. necessary, ironically, by a government There is overwhelming evidence that voters in committed to maintaining socialist spending Canada today simply do not understand that programs --- the kind of programs supported there is a direct connection between by New Democrats like Martin and Liberals like government spending and their individual Fontana. From the perspective of the taxes. Believe it or not. 75% of respondents to individual taxpayer however, Conservatives, a recent Canadian poll on government Liberals, and New Democrats are all cut from spending and taxation actually believed that the same cloth. Where Conservatives want to the government has "its own" money and tax consumption (through a GST), socialists should be able to afford the many social programs to which it has committed itself. As (cont'd on back cover) OF THE PEOPLE, BY THE PEOPLE, AND FOR THE PEOPLE -DEMOCRACY RECONSIDERED- BURLINGTON. LONDON. OAKVILLE. WOODSTOCK (November. 1989 - May 1990> Regular readers of Freedom Party's Freedom versus democracy, publication. Consent. will be familiar with the series of essays ("Can We Survive . speake~ tells·of difference Democracy?") concerning our warnings of the Sttry H" ,"Ita lIy TEl TO •• dangers inherent in any democratic system If TN Se,tIHHI,,". that allows itself to degenerate into simple ::- Marc Emery began his speech majority rule: many. however. may not be aware much as one would expect him to, that we have been gradually presenting these addressing a group of high school warnings to the public and that a great deal of students fresh from debating world affairs at a mock United Na­ positive interest has been generated by our tions assembly Thursday. activity. The 32-year-old London busi­ nessman, who has "a burning pas­ sion for freedom and individual Iib­ For example. in Oakville and Burlington. FP's erty" said he never thought he'd see the day when the Berlin Wall regional vice-president William Frampton's two would come down, when one soli­ editorials on the democratic process were tary man in Tiananmen Square published in the pages of the Oakville Beaver could hold up a line of tanks for and the Burlington Post. editorials which both hours, when people would give a global cry for freedom, and sacri­ challenged the principle of majority rule and fice everything, even their lives, to LONDON BUSINESSMAN Marc offered an alternate. more representative way achieve it. Emery addressed an attentive, it of voting for those who represent us in Then he dropped the bo~bshell. somewhat hostile, crowd tallow· government. A 'sample of each from the "Unfortunately, they're being be~ ing the high school United Na­ trayed, because what they want is tions assembly at the Fairview Burlington Post has been reproduced for your freedom, but what they're getting Centre Thursday. interest. o is democracy. " (Statt photo~ All that means, he told his now­ '" There was no time to dwell on '".-< captive audience, is that a govern­ this seeming paradox. Emery was .,; ment decides what the peop,le will Meanwhile in London on January 11. 1990. a demanding things of his audience, .-< get. A democratic government col­ London Free Press editorial headlined C lects various opinions and lays some quick mathematical calcula­ tions. There are more than a mil­ "Upholding rule of law is everyone's concern" ~ down judgement, just like any 11 dictatorship. And since the govern­ lion laws in Canada, which seems sparked a debate in that paper's editorial . quite a lot "to keep 25 million peo­ pages that ultimately involved FP's action ~ ment has a monopoly on force, it uses coercion to enforce those ple in line. That's a tremendous director Marc Emery. president and leader ~ jUdgements. number for a basic society. Most of <ll these laws restrict individual free­ Robert Metz. and provincial secretary Jack . ~ Business as usual Emery knows something about doms. Can anybody name one that Plant. among others. We've reproduced ~ gives you freedom? samples of the debate. pro and con. so that a; jUdgements. On Sundays, it's busi­ c ness as usual at his used bookstore, "People assume we ·don 't need a you can decide which arguments hold true. j City Lights. For flouting the law, c revolution here, because we have <ll he cooled his heels in a provincial Majority-rule democracy was openly en democracy. But that's exactly why correction centre for four days. we need one, a peaceful one." challenged in the community of Woodstock -t; And while his time there was a where FP action director Marc Emery's 3 mind-numbing experience, "the Emery's message.