This week, Yukon’s Member of Parliament, Larry Bagnell, voted against Conservative MP Gérard Deltell’s private members’ motion regarding private health and dental plans. The motion called on “the government to abandon any plans it may have to in any way tax health and dental care plans.”
By voting against this motion Yukon’s MP has effectively supported the federal government’s plans to tax the private health and dental benefits of Yukoners.
Taxing health and dental plans will significantly affect many Canadians. Similar taxes have shown in other jurisdictions that such a tax has very negative impacts on those affected. According to the Canadian Dental Association, when a similar tax was introduced in Quebec, 20 per cent of employers dropped health and dental benefits for employees.
A Conference Board of Canada study stated that as a result of this tax, someone earning $45,000 a year who receives private health benefits could pay close to $1,100 extra in tax each year and the federal Department of Finance estimates that the total value of this new tax is $2.9 billion.
Connor Whitehouse President,
Yukon Conservative Association