It’s hard to believe it’s been 20 years since Brian Mulroney gave us the ultimate present…the GST. Much like children, taxes grow up so fast you wonder where the time has gone. The lovely gift of the GST was born on January 1st, 1990 and, much like the Royal Canadian Mint’s Red Breasted Nuthatch coin, has been a steady source of income for the federal government ever since – to the tune of at least $15-billion annually.
Since being introduced, the GST has also been used as a political game changer with both the Liberals and Conservatives campaigning to reduce or remove the tax at various points over the past two decades. In fact, in 2006 Stephen Harper secured his first minority government after promising to cut the GST by two percentage points.
I’m sure we all have so many fond memories of the GST over the last 20 years. Here are my top four in no particular order:
- That time in 1993 when I bought a VHS copy of the hit blockbuster Mrs. Doubtfire and I had to pay an extra $1.40 on my purchase as a result.
- In 1991 when I saved up all my money and finally got that Hypercolour shirt I had my eye on since 1989. I had to pay an extra $2.09 because of you.
- In the fall of 2004 when you cost me an additional $35 when I bought that Franklin Mint Monopoly set that featured gold plated hotels.
- Winter 2009 when I bought that 42-inch LED television and I only had to pay an extra $50, rather than the $70 I would have paid in 2006. With that extra $20 I was able to buy the HDMI cables I needed to get true high-definition.
We’ve had so many good times together. Like a true friend you’re always there.
Thanks for all the memories GST, here’s to the next twenty!
