Canadians can no longer afford a Liberal government, NDP leader Jagmeet Singh said during a campaign stop in Sudbury on Sept. 12, because Justin Trudeau has refused to close tax loopholes and tax havens that are costing Canadians some $25 billion a year in tax revenue.
With Sudbury NDP candidate Nadia Verrelli and Nickel Belt candidate Andréane Chénier by his side, Singh referred to data from the Parliamentary Budget Office, seeming to reference a 2019 report that found up to $25 billion a year in tax revenue is lost from corporations avoiding paying their share of taxes.
“$25 billion over six years is nearly $146 billion in revenue,” Singh said today, saying that is money that could be invested “in our country.”
He said an NDP government would “end Trudeau’s free ride for big corporations by closing loopholes and cracking down on big corporations avoiding their fair share of taxes.” He said broken down, corporate tax avoidance costs taxpayers about $50,000 a minute.
“There’s a cost to voting for Mr. Trudeau,” Singh said. “If you vote NDP, we’ll close tax loopholes and havens.”
The NDP leader said in 2015 Trudeau promised to take on corporate tax loopholes, but instead cut the number of Canada Revenue Agency audits on large companies and the wealthy by 30 per cent.
Ending corporate tax avoidance, Singh said, would result in more tax revenue to be used for “cheaper prescription drug costs, more affordable homes and better health care for families and seniors.”
“Canadians work hard and pay their taxes, but instead of making life more affordable for them, Justin Trudeau has been letting big corporations use tax havens and loopholes to avoid paying their share,” Singh said. “We will close those loopholes and fight to make the ultra-rich and corporations pay their share. I will deliver and fight for everyday families, not just those at the top.”
During the question period, the NDP leader referenced the insolvency situation at Laurentian University, saying only New Democrats went to bat for the Greater Sudbury region.
“The only ones fighting were New Democrats … (and) people in Sudbury and Nickel Belt knew who’s been fighting for them — New Democrats.
