(151) Victoria, BC: The Income Trust controversy need not have happened.
The concerns re:tax leakage (which did not exist) could have been eliminated simply by grandfathering existing trusts for ten years and denying additional monies from being adding to the existing ones.
Since that opportunity has been lost the "Marshal Savings Plan" is a solution that should not be lost.
I call upon M.P.'s of all political parties to support this potential solution which would be a godsend to many senior and retired citizens and relieve the stress that has been placed on them.
It would, in the long run, also contribute to economic activity in Canada.
(152) Crossfield, Alberta: What happened to the "accountability" Harper stressed when he wanted us to cast our vote for him? He stipulated that he would not touch the income trusts and we believed him.
This man has cost me thousands of dollars but at least I have the small satisfaction of knowing that I didn't vote for him in the first place.
Perhaps he could actually read the Marshal Plan before making a decision unlike what he and his so called "Finance Department" did for the income trust plan.
(153) Delta, British Columbia: We elect MP to represent our interests at the national level - NOT to ignore our interests in favour of policies that only benefit financial institutions and traders.
For many Canadians, especially retirees, income trusts have provided a reliable supplemental income.
The Income Trusts model also promoted Canadian ownership of corporation operating in Canada. Why is this Conservative government in such a such a rush to sell any profitable company to foreign owned interests? Witness what has happen to the mining industry and is only beginning in the oil patch. The widely held ownership of trust units would effectively stopped these harmful takeover.
(154) Markham, Ontario: As a Canadian, who is also a senior, and whose RRSP helps support my standard of living, I call upon you to ensure the Marshall Plan is implemented in the upcoming budget. On many occasions I have heard Finance Minister Flaherty talk about tax fairness and so I am assuming he would be concerned about the senior population in Canada who hold income trusts in their RRSP accounts. Double taxation would seem to be unfair, illegal and immoral.
(155) Edmonton, Alberta: I would be very surprised if the smug Mr. Flaherty would admit that anyone could come up with a better idea than he. Best of luck to all.
(156) Calgary, Alberta: Please implement the Marshall Savings Plan solution.
In this economic downturn we can ill afford to destroy a sector of the economy. I suggest it would be to the benefit of all Canadians if the Conservative party took a step back from their ill informed decision to eliminate the Trusts.
(157) Dartmouth, Nova Scotia: As with many Canadians, I was holding (and continue to hold) a number of Income Trusts and believed the Conservatives when they told us that they would NOT increase taxes on Income Trusts as they campaigned for seats in Government.
This latest proposal will not repeal the damage that has been done to so many of us retirees, but would at least provide a measure of relief for those of us still holding Income Trusts in our RRSP.
I highly recommend the implementation of the attached proposal. As a concerned Canadian I call upon you to ensure the Marshall Savings Plan is implemented in the upcoming 2010 budget
(158) Saskatoon, Sask: 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.
(159) Cobble Hill, BC: My wife and I planned on our RRSP's to fund our retirement. Our RRSP investments were selected from the energy and pipeline income trusts, which have provided us with a decent return on our capital for over 12 years now. And which we were counting on to continue for the duration of our retirement. Never mind the $330,000 loss of capital we suffered as a result of the Harper/Flaherty Tax Fairness Plan announcement on October 31, 2006. Our major concern now is being to retain income trusts and the return they generate for our RRSP/RRIF portfolio. The Marshall Plan will do that.
(160) Markham, Ontario: My RRSP supports my cost of living on a regular basis. Also, I hold Income Trusts which pay the much needed dividends. The Marshall Plan is needed to protect my income from double taxation. I call upon you to support the Marshall plan in the upcoming 2010 Budget. Don't disappoint us again.
(161) Dorchester, Ontario: To Whom It May Concern
Senior citizens, who are most vulnerable due to a reduced income stream, were punished severely by the federal Conservatives strategy to tax income trusts after indicating otherwise during the election campaign
I believe that not only should ITs held in RRSPs be taxed more fairly, but that income distributions from ITs held outside RRSPs should be taxed at a reduced rate if held by seniors to compensate for the huge capital loss received on their investments
Politicians should operate under the same rules as taxpayers and have their gold plated entitlements eliminated. They would then have a clearer picture of how the citizenry has to manage retirement funds
(162) Calgary, Alberta: I could paste a lot of boiler-plate here but I'm sure you're familiar with it all. You know it's all true, whether you want to admit it or not.
This is your chance to save (some) face. Do it. You can't stay away from the voters forever.
(163) Kelowna, BC: Mr. Flahert's betrayal in October , 2006 has cost my wife and I thousands of dollars that we can ill afford. Although the Marshall Plan will not recoup them all it will surely help us out a lot.
Please give this plan some serious thought!
(164) Barrie, Ontario: enough with the taxes....
(165) Edmonton, Alberta: I agree with The Marshall Savings Plan and should be incorporated, also should consider a rebate of the money [approximately $35 billion] taken away from investors due to the faulty government imposition on Income Trusts on October/2006.
(166) Edmonton, Alberta: I agree with The Marshall Savings Plan and should be incorporated, also should consider a rebate of the money [approximately $35 billion] taken away from investors due to the faulty government imposition on Income Trusts on October/2006.
(167) Heidelberg, Ontario: A terrible injustice has been committed with the broken promise by the Prime Minister. He promised unequivocally, to leave trusts intact because of their importance to small investors and retirees. Then without proper research or consultation, Harper broke his promise and stole 35 billion investment dollars from Canadians just like me.
(168) Winnipeg, Manitoba: I concur with this proposal. Regards
(169) Kelowna, BC: Mr. Flahert's betrayal in October , 2006 has cost my husband and I lost thousands of dollars that we can ill afford. Although the Marshall Plan will not recoup them all it will surely help us out a lot.
Please give this plan some serious thought! Thank-you,
(170) Winnipeg, MB: I would ask that you adopt this plan into the upcoming budget. We were lied to by our Prime Minister. The double tax on our RRSP savings ia an onerous burden to me, a retiree. This plan would be a win win for all.
Thank you....
(171) Calgary, Alberta: Please implement the Marshall Savings Plan,
S.O.S.
(172) Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ontario: Stop the double taxation of Trusts held within RRSP accounts!!!
(173) Burnaby, BC: I am a retired person and depend on additional income.
(174) BLAIRMORE, ALBERTA: PLEASE GIVE THIS SERIOUS CONSIDERATION. IT IS VERY IMPORTANT.
(175) Thunder Bay, Ontario: I lost over $200,000.00 as a result of Mr. Flaherty and Mr. Harper, decision to tax income trusts after telling the public before the election that they would not tax income trusts. (LIE) As a retired person I will never consider voting conservative until this issue is rectified. This has not only affected my wife’s and my income, but it limits those extras you want to spend on your grand children.To stimulate an economy it is best to put cash in the hands of the public especially seniors. I find that we have less available cash for the numerous charities we once supported.
(176) Kelowna: B.C.: Please ,please give us old timers a break with the Unit Trusts.
They constitute 95% of my retirement income.
I was self employed.
(177) Westbank, B.C.: Here is your one last chance to make ammends for the injustice done to income trust investors.
Adopt the Marshall Plan.
(178) Merritt, B.C.: As a self employed person with no pension plan I invested in income trusts. I bought them over the years with the hope of retiring with a small income only to have the rules changed with out notice .This was almost unbelievable. Now would be a good time to correct this and save face before it`s to late, then maybe we can still stay retired with a livable income rather than depending on a government supplement.
(179) Nanaimo, British Columbia: It is important for me, as well as other investors, especially in my age group, ie Boomer, that our pension plans not be damaged by over taxation. There are far too many older Canadians with no company employee or government employee pension plan. It is vitally important to implement a plan that will, at the very least, avoid punitive taxation which will inevitably reduce our standard of living in retirement. We just want to be treated fairly.
(180) Harrison, BC: For those of us that saved and invested and believed in the government's commitments, the income trust fiasco is devastating! The Conservatives must reverse course or find something like the Marshall Plan to prevent stable retirements from regressing into a total fiscal mess for individual retirees.
(181) Edmonton, AB: By chopping off my planned means of income, as well as redirecting the plans of our Canadian income trusts, I also like so many retirees, have had to invest in riskier equities to try to maintain my retirement income.
If the Conservatives did not want proliferation of trusts, the simplest and logical solution would have been a grandfathering clause.
I strongly feel the Government has no business in affecting the equities market as they did.
Consider how our friends to our south can almost manipulate the markets at will.
I had been a conservative supporter, but am no longer.
I AM IN FAVOUR OF IMPLEMENTING THE MARSHALL SAVINGS PLAN IN THE UPCOMING 2010 FEDERAL BUDGET
(182) Calgary, Alberta: Having tried to provide for my retirement, I invested a large proportion of my moderate RSP in income trust units and have seen a substantial lost in value, not by poor investment but by the Government decision to change the rules.
It is the fact that there is no such loss and that, for whatever reason, incorrect assumptions have been provided to support the rule changes.
I feel that an admission of error should be made or at least the suggested "Marshall savings plan" be introduced to mitigate my losses and help me in my retirement.
(183) Kelowna, B.C.: I have not forgotton or will I ever forget the flip flop by Harper regarding the trust mess.
(184) Butner Federal Correctional Complex, Butner, NC: Jim: Your tax leakage argument is a fraud and you know it is a fraud in the very same way that I ran a ponzi scheme.
Your fraud of investors losing $35 billion based on that tax leakage lie is the same of my defrauding people of abut $60 billion in their retirement savings
I sure wished that I had a "Marshall Plan" to save me from this 150 year prison sentence.
My advice: Take the Marshall Plan and pretend it was your idea from the outset before Ignatieff claims all the credit for fixing your gawd-awful mess.
Telling that little white lie, about the Marshall Plan being your idea, will be a cake walk for you, after all you were the guy who "almost" got away with the tax leakage lie. Emphasis on "almost".
Your partner in crime,
Bernie Madoff
(185) Havelock, On: Mr. Flaherty, I want my $16000 loss returned to my RRSP
(186) Oakville, Ontario: #### Please implement the Marshall Savings Plan solution to Canada’s deficit crisis and pension crisis ####
(187) Etobicoke, ON Please do the right thing and restore the rights of ordinary Canadians to own income trusts. Do not allow your party and its policies to be held hostage by insurance companies and foreign private equity.
FYI, the baby boomers represent a ticking time bomb set to explode upon the Canada Pension Plan. By killing income trusts, the Conservative Party, the Finance Dept and the beneficiaries of this policy, namely the big Lifeco's and foreign private equity, have removed a source of independent, taxable income and made the coming situation far worse.
I personally am sick and tired of foreign companies taking over profitable Canadian companies. I am also sick and tired of the way that despite the attempt through restricted political donations to curtail undue influence on government policy by the wealthy few, that pernicious influence continues to operate. That's not democratic.
The Marshall Plan is a win-win solution: for ordinary Canadians, for seniors, and for Revenue Canada. Again, I urge you to do the right thing. My vote, whenever the next election is held, is going to depend on your party's leadership and integrity in this matter.
(188) Kingston, Ontario: Please implement the Marshall Savings Plan solution to Canada’s deficit crisis and pension crisis.
It is time to stop screwing Semi retireds and Pensioners. Time for the lies from Harper and Flathead to stop
(189) Courtenay, B.C.: My wife and I have lost over $ 100,000.00 dollars of hard earned savings that we thought would be there for our future retirement.
We have saved since I was 22 and my wife was 18.
Where has our retirement nestegg gone ??
Now our retirement date has been moved substantially and not because of a bad decision on our part, but because of the hypocrisy of our elected Federal Party.
Whenever we think and talk about how Government policy has effected us, we feel sick to our stomach.
I'm sure that the Federal Government does not give TWO HOOTS about us, but it should.
We elected you and I pray not again.
The Electorate deserves better !
Accept the fact that your policy change was wrong and immoral and reverse this bad situation and RETURN OUR MONEY !
(190) Kelowna, B.C.: Please implement the Marshall Savings Plan solution to Canadas deficit crisis and pension crisis and help the 75% of Canadians without pensions and preserve the means to a decent retirement income and standard of living
(191) Edmonton, Alberta: Please help the seniors maintain their RRIF accounts holding income trusts, we don'twant to be a burden on society, help us to maintain our independence.
(192) St. Andrews, NB: 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.
As a retired person I was more than disappointed with Jim Flatery's decision on income trusts. As a result, I lost approximately 30% of my entire retirement income. I am now really feeling the effects of this and could be living a dramatically different life that I am now. I hope that Jim Flatery, due to future policy changes, feels the same effects in his retirement years – although I doubt it – politicians always come out ahead.
(193) Sidney, BC: The devastating effect of the "about face" on tax regarding the Income Trusts on Canadians and their retirement could be offset somewhat by considering the Marshall plan.
If their is anyone in the Harper Government with any empathy AT ALL, please consider this option. Yours,
(194) Calgary, Alberta: Please implement the Marshall plan to reverse an error that shouldn't have been made. People relied on the previous assurances that Income Trusts would not be touched.
(195) Vernon, 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.
(196) North York, Ontario: 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
(197) Lutes Mtn., New Brunswick: I've worked hard for a lifetime and saved to provide for my own retirement. I've been comfortable with the risk of the market as it could mostly be understood. The one risk that proved to be not understandable was the cavalier attitude of my own government that wiped out a big part of my self built pension. If this proposed plan will help to right a terrible wrong then I’m for it.
(198) Montreal, Quebec: Please stop the erosion of our retirement funds by double taxing income trust distributions in my RRSP. Taxation must reflect basic fairness. Thank you
(199) Cochrane, AB: The Marshall Savings Plan has merit and should form a part of the upcoming budget. It is a way for the government to raise taxes while benefiting most Canadians. In addition it will improve access to capital for existing income trusts which leads to increased investment and JOBS!
If you're looking for a win-win-win, this is it!
(200) Laval (Montreal), Québec: The RRSP/RRIF is a waste of money. I am 72, and after the law implemented by our...'beloved finance minister', every single penny that I am forced to remove from it is used to pay taxes. So far, I could not use a single dollar to support myself. On top of that, I cannot claim the huge capital losses that our.. 'BFM' caused me with is income trusts fiasco. If I was going to do it again I would not contribute a penny to my RRSP. To pay much much more later ???? Ridicolous!!! Better to keep the money under a mattress rather than be destroyed, in one day, by our... Financial experts'.
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