Finance minister says 'no new taxes' while opposition parties want tax reform

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All three opposition parties are in favour of a tax reform discussion, but the Progressive Conservative minority government is adamant it will not introduce new taxes.

"We promised no new taxes," Finance Minister Ernie Steeves said on the New Brunswick Political Panel. "No new taxes means no new taxes."

The panel on Information Morning Fredericton discussed the PC's first budget released on Tuesday, with a heavy focus on what taxation changes parties think are needed.

Green Party MLA Kevin Arseneau said the new budget did not have a "long-term vision" for the province because it didn't address the tax system.

"Big corporate are not paying their fair share of taxes, no talk about tax havens [in the budget], nothing," Arseneau said.

People's Alliance Leader Kris Austin agreed.

"There's very few things myself and Mr. Arseneau will agree on. This is one," he said.

"We need a complete tax reform."

Austin said New Brunswick is one of the only provinces where the tax system works the way it does, and that the current system is "completely out of date."

Liberal MLA Gerry Lowe's pulled property tax assessment bill that would have subjected businesses to property tax on their equipment and machinery was brought up, but the finance minister said such a reform would not be feasible.

"Not unless you want to tax every farmer for every piece of equipment they have ... and chase industry out of the province," Steeves said.

But Steeves said he did agree that a discussion on tax reform was needed.

Representing the Liberal party on the panel, Roger Melanson said while his colleague's bill was pulled, they still plan to have a discussion about it in the legislature, and hope to bring the idea of property tax reform to a committee for study and consultation.

"It wasn't about the farmers, it wasn't about the fishermen, it was about the bigger industries," Melanson said.

Even if all three parties were in agreement on a tax reform, legislative tradition dictates that the opposition cannot introduce bills dealing with taxation. Those have to originate from the government.