Our politicians are Lying - Lying - and Lying again!

Everybody loves to see ex-pats return home to Newfoundland and Labrador.

It's the one excitement we get - compared to the pain and anguish of outmigration and the family consequences it brings.

Follow this:

A 35 year old leaves home - the fishery is no longer viable in his/her community. The person moves to Ontario or Alberta for work. At first the family stays behind - they can't sell their home - it's not worth anything anymore. As the months drag on with no prospects of the fishery recovering -those months become years and the family is suffering from the continued absence of a parent or spouse.

That 35 year old is now 38 and is either going through a divorce or is in the process of moving the family to Alberta or Ontario in an effort to save the relationship.

If divorce happens - the family is split - one spouse is trying to keep the homestead going in Newfoundland and Labrador within a community that can not hang on without the fishery. The children will be shuffled across the country - while both spouses seek a new relationship and perhaps a new family.

If the family moves - other family members are left behind. Grandpa and Grandma who planned to live with their children in older years now move into a government subsidized home. Aunts, uncles, and cousins lose touch and lose the all important sense of family that's felt in a rural community.

So far we have the taxpayer and the future generation gone - left behind are retirees that will require more government assistance in order to replace what would have been provided by the family.

Worse the children who have moved away with the parents are no longer going to grow into Newfoundland and Labrador taxpayers and their grandparents needs; medical, transport, and care will be paid for by children of those who have stayed.

So the 35 year old who moved to Alberta and Ontario is lost to our tax base - as they spend productive tax years in another province. They pay for seniors care in Alberta or Ontario and nothing to the care of seniors in this province.

Eventually the 35 year old retires having spent 20 years of productivity somewhere else. Driving the economy of Alberta or Ontario. Driving the population and tax growth. Driving more seats in the House of Commons.

At 65 the person repatriates to Newfoundland and Labrador. They are on retirement income and in a very different tax bracket. As that person gains chronic and then debilitating illnesses - the taxpayer of Newfoundland and Labrador take on the health and drug costs. The taxpayer of Newfoundland and Labrador take on the cost of homecare or residency in a personal care home. The person who left at 35 did not contribute to the tax base for these essential services. That is left to the young Newfoundlanders and Labradorians who remain home to work.

As the oil goes and continued resource giveaways come home to roost - young Newfoundlanders and Labradorians cannot afford the tax necessary to maintain essential health, transport, and education services. Off they go - to upper or western Canada while Newfoundland and Labrador slips into economic distress - the Greece of 2041.

Upper Churchill will save us? No it won't and that's why politicians won't and can't deal with the truth.

Canada is like a starving vampire - and the only blood it thirsts is the life-blood of Newfoundland and Labrador - and so far we are keeping it satisfied.

“When truth is replaced by silence,the silence is a lie.”
Yevgeny Yevtushenko

Here's a Challenge Premier - try this out with Flaherty

Our skilled tradespeople are migrating to Alberta for work - and they are making good money in that province.

Many of these people have families at home - students and spouses - who must avail of our healthcare - education - and transportation infrastructure systems. That is only right - they are Newfoundlanders and Labradorians.

Here's the problem - because the outmigration of our skilled tradespeople is fairly significant and for Revenue Canada purposes - the taxpayer reports - based on "ordinary residence" as at December 31st of any year. For many of our people - that will be Alberta and Ontario and in some cases Nova Scotia and PEI.

These workers may be employed for 6 months in Alberta and return home for 6 months or any combination - unfortunately Revenue Canada that cuts the checks back to the provinces (provincial tax) they do not break down how many months people live in what province.

We invest in training so people can gain professional skills - they have to move away for work so they pay their taxes elsewhere - they return home and utilize infrastructure in Newfoundland and Labrador while not paying personal income tax here.

Why not be really creative Danny - why not ask Minister Flaherty to consider tax splitting based on numbers of months in various Canadian provinces. This would help economies which are "developing" to receive much needed provincial tax needed to maintain and build infrastructure. It would also reflect more accurately the realities of migrating workers.

Great for Alberta and Ontario - they get our skilled people for a portion of the year - they collect their personal income tax - and our people only use their health - education - and transportation infrastructure so many months of the year.
Only in Canada eh?