OTTAWA — Cheryl Gallant, M. for Renfrew-Nipissing-Pembroke, is warning small, mostly family owned and operated campgrounds, to prepare for the worse after being told by the Liberal Party Chief Tax Collector that she will “enforce the law.”
“My Conservative colleagues and I were shocked by the dismissive contempt displayed by Trudeau’s chief tax collector towards a family-run small business like a campground,” MP Gallant said. “This arrogant attitude is out of touch with reality. What happened to ‘sunny ways’? A cloud has been cast over family campground owners and every Canadian who enjoys camping.”
This tax measure in the first Liberal deficit budget unfairly targets small campgrounds that are family owned and operated. In order to be considered a small business and pay taxes at the small business rate, a campground must have more than five, full-time, year-round employees. As most campgrounds are seasonal, they cannot afford to hire in the off-season when the campground is closed. Two spouses working together to run a campground as joint owners, cannot be considered as employees.
“The Prime Minister demonstrated his contempt for small business by claiming that small businesses were nothing more than tax scams during the last election,” MP Gallant said. “He believes they are set up as a way to avoid paying taxes. That comment is an insult to the husband and wife team who work 60 to 70 hour weeks to manage a family campground during the short summer camping season.
“Camping is family time, getting kids off video games and out into nature and the great outdoors. The last affordable family vacation will now be taken away from Canadians,” stated MP Gallant in the House of Commons. “It is truly unfortunate that the first budget of the new regime should be so wrong for Canada. I urge the Liberal Party to really think about the harm it is doing to Canada with its policy of high deficits and raising taxes.”
42nd PARLIAMENT, Edited HANSARD Tuesday, October 4, 2016
Mrs. Cheryl Gallant (Renfrew-Nipissing-Pembroke, Conservative):
Mr. Speaker, tourism is a major economic driver in Canada with nearly six million Canadians camping every summer. Many campgrounds are small, family-run, seasonal businesses. Surprise tax bills in the tens of thousands of dollars are being sent to these small businesses, because the Liberals have decided that unless a campground has five or more full-time, year-round employees, they no longer qualify for the small business tax rate.
Why are the Liberals targeting small campgrounds to pay for their out-of-control spending?
Hon. Diane Lebouthillier (Minister of National Revenue, Lib.): Mr. Speaker, the Canada Revenue Agency is currently working with tourism businesses and we will continue to enforce the law
