(101) St-Pierre-Broughton, Quebec: Now is your opportunity to help the 75% of Canadians without pensions to preserve their means to a decent retirement income and standard of living.
(102) COALDALE, ALBERTA: Please consider these changes before all of our income trusts are swallowed up by pension funds and foreign hedge funds, neither of which pay taxes
(103) London, ON: It's not to late to remedy the stupid decision made by the Finance Minister. What's wrong with admitting you were wrong? I have voted Conservative in the last five elections believing that you were a reasonable alternative to the Liberals. Your breaking of your promise regarding Income Trusts shattered my confidence in your commitment to the wellbeing of all Canadians. Please rescind your decision to tax these essential retirement income modalities.
(104) Hamilton, Ontario: The Marshall Plan should be implemented ASAP to help undo some of the tremendous damage done by the broken promise to leave income trusts intact.
(105) Notre Dame de L'ile Perrot, Quebec I call on you to ensure that the Marshall Plan is implemented in the March 2010 Budget
Preserve income trusts as a essential profit sharing plan for all Canadians
Help Canadians that have on rrsp income and stop the take over of Canadian companies and Canadians natural resources.
Promote saving and investments in Canada for Canadians by Canadians
(106) Kleinburg, Ontario: As a concerned Canadian I call upon you to ensure the Marshall Savings Plan is implemented in the upcoming 2010 budget. Diane Francis (Editor, Financial Post) considers the Marshall Savings Plan a "brilliant" solution.
(107) Vernon, B.C.: The difference in my income from the change in income trusts has been considerable as well as my 'nest egg" which will hopefully take care of me until the end. The value of my trust company shares took a big "hit" at the time. My plan has always been to have sufficient funds to look after myself and that plan was working up to the point of the ruling of the trusts. Well now the government can fill the gap and take care of me with tax money
(108) Sault Ste. Marie, ON: To write yet another comment on the injustice perpetrated upon Income Trust holders (especially those of us who chose with assurances from the Con. Party of Canada of the safety of trusts in respect to taxation status)for purposes of retirement planning would prove one more lost voice in an increasingly growing crowd.
Rather, the comment should address the general untrustworthiness of this Min. of Finance, and THIS PM who stole votes with what turned out to be an empty promise. In reneging on that promise the M of Finance managed to destroy many well planned RRSPs and RRIFs (and so the retirement plans of many thousands of Canadians), while giving many offshore investors a very jaundiced view of the Canadian investment scene where policies appear to change on a whim.
It seems a sad comment that we continue to vote for this Party, which punishes its retirees with this sort of fiscal trickery, only because the alternative is even more unpalatable, and seemingly lacking in direction.
I feel like I'm in an abusive relationship, where "Its easier to deal with the devil I know, than the one I don't"!
(109) Salisbury, New Brunswick: My retirement incomme plan was devistated because of the changes that were made with regards to Income Trust. In addition my net worth was greatly eroded overnight. Please consider the Marshall Plan as a viable solution.
(110) Rocky Mountain House, Alberta: You guys got it all wrong the first time around when Jim Flaherty was masquerading as a finance minister. So now is the time to set the record and the playing on level again.
(111) West Vancouver, BC: Do not tax Income Trusts tax only those that receive the income when they receive it. If you are concerned about loss of tax to forein holders then make the income trusts eligible only for Canadians[foreigners can not own}.
(112) Pincourt, Quebec: I would like to know why you continue to insist that there is tax leakage on Income Trusts? Why did you black out most of the report? Would you accept my income tax returns this way?
Why should I trust you ever again when you did an about face on your commitment not to tax Income Trusts? Don't you realize that you will eventually tax the proceeds from my RRSP? Why do you now want to double tax me?
What you have done is grossly unfair to ALL Canadian taxpayers who, unlike you, have no defined pension plans.
(113) Crabtree, QC: I was waiting for two years now to vote again against the Conservative Party. The Flaherty mess will be devastating for my retirement income. But if the Marshall Plan is implemented I will reconsider my vote.
(114) Shanty Bay: Nobody complained about a 7% GST. Reducing it, made some political sense initially, but was plainly a dumb move.
What is so wrong with being taxed on your spending? Strike one!
Harper lied about not touching Income Trusts and many people that were counting on Income Trusts for their retirement lost a lot of money as a result of Flaherty's Halloween "joke". My family lost at least $75,000 plus a reduction in monthly distributions as a result. Strike two!
Here appears to be an opportunity to somewhat correct the Income Trust Debacle. Do something soon, otherwise it will be strike three for me (currently still a contributing Conservative). Thank you,
(115) Halifax, NS: Please fix this mess.
(116) Calgary, Alberta: Please implement the Marshall Savings Plan solution!!!
Ever since the Income Trust fiasco I have had no respect or trust towards Stephen Harper and his Conservative Government. This was handled so poorly and without proper research and knowledge. The costs to Canadians far outweigh the gains. It is criminal that the government has continued to hide the true facts from Canadians!!! And to think Harper in an economist!!! Time to TAKE RESPONSIBILITY and make some proper choices. Do what is RIGHT! This is not about your EGO's. Time to get them in check!
(117) Montreal, Quebec: I urgently implore you to correct the serious problem of double taxation of income trust distributions received in RRSP's. It's a simple matter of fairness
(118) Regina, SK: Please do right and make amends for your broken election promise regarding income trusts.
The Marshall Plan is the most straight forward and sensible way of accomplishing this.
Income Trusts are still the number one hot topic issue and will not go away until reparations are made. Thanks,
(119) Mississauga, Ontario: This will help Canadians without pensions and make it fair with the Canadians who have pensions. It will also promote savings and more investment in Canada by Canadians. Please make this right! Thanks
(120) Elliot Lake, Ontario: Please implement the Marshall Savings Plan solution
(121) Carleton Place, ON: As a concerned Canadian I call upon you to ensure the Marshall Savings Plan is implemented in the upcoming 2010 budget. Diane Francis (Editor, Financial Post) considers the Marshall Savings Plan a "brilliant" solution.
(122) Mississauga, Ont.: While all of the suggestions I have put forward to the Finance Minister and my local MP have fallen on deaf-ears, I believe The Marshall Plan suggestions also go at least part way towards recovering the substantial losses I have suffered to my retirement income due to the Income Trust legislation.The suggestion(s) warrants your full consideration, and implementation which will at least assist in restoring my, and thousands of Other's, retirement income.
(123) London, Ontario: All Canadians should be treated equally under the Law. Preferential treatment should not be given to the wealthy and members of the Public Sector.
(124) Prince Albert, Sask: The this income trust fiasco personally cost us $80,000 in a matter of days from which we can never recover. Income trust were the main source of our income after retirement and the stupid implymentation of the the tax has cost us many nights of lost sleep and continues to do so.
(125) PENTICTON, BRITRISH COLUMBIA: As a concerned Canadian I call upon you to ensure the Marshall Savings Plan is implemented in the upcoming 2010 budget. Diane Francis (Editor, Financial Post) considers the Marshall Savings Plan a "brilliant" solution
(126) Calgary, AB: Do not tax Income Trust unit holders twice to the tune of 62%. Thanks again.
(127) Baysville, Ontario: If you implement this plan I will consider voting for your party. If you do not take some action to correct the "income trust situation" you will never get my vote.
(128) Charlottetown, PEI: Please implement Marshall Savings Plan Solution
Here is the answer to all the unforeseen problems which have been created by the taxing proposal for income trusts. it eliminates the unfair and unacceptable double taxation applied to income trusts which should be given every advantage possible. It is well known that Canadians are not well prepared for retirement, why should those who are attempting to provide for their retirement be double taxed as is the present case.
Please give careful consideration to this Marshall Savings Plan Solution.
(129) Oakville, Ontario: I hope that the government will accept this new plan for income trusts. Small investors/pensioners like myself have been/will be hurt if nothing is done. This new plan looks like a win-win situation for both us beleagured tax payers and the government. I am conservative by nature but feel that Jim Flaherty and the conservative government have betrayed me. I know the government won't back down because governments never do even when they know they are wrong, but at least it would be honorable to implement this compromise.
(130) Toronto, Ontario: PLEASE IMPLEMENT THE MARSHALL SAVINGs PLAN. As a concerned Canadian I call upon you to ensure the Marshall Savings Plan is implemented in the upcoming 2010 budget. Diane Francis (Editor, Financial Post) considers the Marshall Savings Plan a "brilliant" solution.
(131) Comox, B.C.: The taxes imposed on Income Trusts have eroded my RRSP savings and my non registered savings by $200,000. I followed all the rules, listened to govt. advice, professional brokers advice, and worked for 40 years in Canada. I feel that the Federal Govt. has let me down along with tens of thousands of other retired people in Canada. Us retired people helped make Canada a great nation, but we have been poorly dealt with by our governments, especially the federal government, and especally the Conservative Party under Harper. I have no confidence in the Harper Govt. and especially no confidence in Flaherty. Do you think I could vote for this party? It`s getting very difficult in Canada for retired business people especially, to find any satisfaction in voting at all.I sincerely feel that the interests of the people of Canada over the past 3 or 4 decades have not been satisfactorily represented by their federal governments. Part of this problem I feel is not only caused by the division of language and cultures, but also by geographical divisions.
(132) Calgary, AB: Either adopt the Marshall Plan or reinstate Income Trusts.
These broken promises will not be swept under the carpet.
A recent CBC survey puts income trusts way out in front as the number one issue at 1796 votes for and 15 votes against.
Why won't you listen to the voters?
(133) Nanaimo, BC: I have been infuriated for nearly four years as a result of the October 2006 income trust fiasco .The frustration is compounded by the fact that Stephen Harper promised us
( on record) that this would never happen on his watch .Everyone ,except Canadian seniors that have income trusts in their portfolios, get ofsetting tax breaks to eliminate the double taxation .
Can you imagine the uproar if the 30% of Canadians that have private or government pensions had their pensions reduced by a like amount . the country would probably come to a standstil .
The Marshall plan is brilliant ----do it .
(134) Ottawa, ON: I support the proposed Marshall Plan. I call upon you to ensure the Marshall Savings Plan is implemented in the upcoming 2010 budget. Diane Francis (Editor, Financial Post) considers the Marshall Savings Plan a "brilliant" solution.
(135) Cochrane, Alberta: As a retired person who operated my own business the Income Trusts were a major part of my investment plan and, in turn, retirement income. After the announcemnt of the Flaherty Income Trust Policy I felt as if I had been hit in the solar plexus. To help restore the pensions of myself and millions of others I urge the Government to adopt the Marshall Savings Plan
(136) Saanichton, B.C.: I am still appalled by Mr. Harper's and Mr. Flaherty's decision to break a pre-election promise not to tax income trusts.
I am a retired senior with no pension (other than CPP), and must 'make my own pension'. I bought into an income trust in the mid-'90's, with the full encouragement of the Government of Canada, who then changed the rules in an ill thought out move to solve a 'tax leakage' problem that easily could have been dealt with without destroying my income trust portfolio, while still keeping the 'foreign takeover' specialists from moving Canadian assets out of the reach of the Canadian tax collection system.
I fully support the Marshall Savings Plan to avoid a ridiculous double taxation of income trust assets held in registered accounts. I will fully support any political candidate or party that attempts to correct the income trust problem created by the first Harper minority government. I will fully support any legitimate attempt to compensate in some way those individual Canadian income trust holders - Canadian taxpayers who were effectively betrayed by the Government of Canada, the Harper government.
(137) West Kelowna, BC: please implement the Marshall Saving plan solution to canadas defecit and pension crisis
(138) Surrey, BC: Please implement the Marshall Savings Plan Solution.
As a semi-retired person, 70% of my income currently comes from the distributions of income trusts. If these stop, I will become a Wallmart Greeter. If they continue, I will NOT collect old age supplement. In fact, part of my Pension may be clawed back. That's OK, at least I will have an income to enjoy my retirement years.
If all of the trusts convert to corporations, and distributions have been cut (one of my trusts converted, and I received 1/4th the amount as a dividend as a distribution) then I will be a far greater burden to the Canadian Pension system.
Thanks for considering this brilliant plan, the Marshall Savings Plan.
(139) Toronto, ON: The Flaherty policy was not only grossly unfair to people like me, it was based on a grossly nonsensical theory (tax leakage). I can think of only one reason why the Harper Government has not already reconsidered it - the prospect of Jim Flaherty getting egg on his face.
(140) Port Clements, BC: You need to implement this plan as you have already destroyed hundreds of thousands of dollars of my retirement plan by the 2006 income trust rules. Now is the time to make up for those bad decisions.
(141) Calgary, AB: I and many of my friends are very concerned that as retirees without formal pension plans we will have no alternative for holding our life savings in investments that are designed to produce a steady stream of income.
I am not saying that all investments should have this objective, but it is reasonable to have a portion of the equity market fall into this category, so that all Canadians are given access to income and security in their retirement years.
Regular Canadians want to be on a level playing field with pensioners with formal pension plans or with private equity that can structure ownership in a way to be tax effective. Pension plans do not have to pay tax on earnings, they are taxed in the hands of the pensioners when they receive payment. Why should income trusts be treated any differently.
Companies should be able to choose whether their operation is a stable cash generating business for the benefit of their shareholders or whether they are a growth company. This decision should not be forced on them by the government and government should not be able to tax companies and citizens both on the earnings from operations and from withdrawals from RRSPs.
The Marshal Plan seems to be a reasonable approach in the near term to address these issues. Please consider this or something with a similar result for the sake of your retired constituents who require investment income.
(142) North Saanich, BC: please help to fix the fiasco caused by your income trust legislation
(143) Port Clements, BC: As a concerned Canadian I call upon you to ensure the Marshall Savings Plan is implemented in the upcoming 2010 budget. Diane Francis (Editor, Financial Post) considers the Marshall Savings Plan a "brilliant" solution.
(144) Vancouver, BC: The announcement of the change in tax policy on income trusts has cost me over $150,000 because I believed the Prime Minister's promise that he would not do so. The Marshall Plan would provide a chance for correcting this egregious lie.
(145) Fall River, NS: I'm a retiree that still have investment in Income Trust, since I don't have revenues from a pension plan I though that this was a great way to supplement my regular revenues such as CPP & OAS.
Please included the Marshall Plan into the next Federal Budget, what a brilliant idea it is! That would make the Income Trust sustainnable to both the Goverment and the investors,and prevent whatever Income Trusts that are still operating to either convert to corporation or be taken over by foreigners. Let keep our companies to Canadian!
Respectfully submitted.
(146) Edmonton, AB: Canadians want to invest in Canada, but the double-taxation of RRSPs via the Flaherty tax on income trusts and in other ways impedes Canadians from investing in Canada to save for their future.
(147) Antigonish, Nova Scotia: The Conservative Party of Canada owes it to the retirees of our country to correct the iniquities of the Income Trust tax issue and the Marshal Plan seems like an excellent way to go about it. This should be adopted immediately .
(148) Calgary, Alberta: I strongly urge the federal government to take the steps necessary to minimize the tax bite as it relates to income trusts and RRSPs. Canadians have a difficult enough time trying to attain financial security in their old age. Most of do not have the gold plated pensions that government workers, large corporate employees, and MPs have.
(149) Victoria, BC: As a concerned Canadian I call upon you to ensure the Marshall Savings Plan is implemented in the upcoming 2010 budget. Diane Francis (Editor, Financial Post) considers the Marshall Savings Plan a "brilliant" solution.
(150) White Rock, BC: Preserve income trusts as an essential "profit sharing" investment choice for ALL Canadians.
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