'Debate stunt': Conservatives target Trudeau with 'hidden home tax' document

Just hours before the English debate with all six federal party leaders, the Liberal party released a statement accusing the Conservatives of a “planned debate stunt.”

A release from the Liberals states that the Andrew Scheer’s Conservative Party “secretly registered” the website HiddenHomeTax.ca.

“It repeats a blatant falsehood Scheer has been peddling to Canadians for weeks that there is a secret plan to tax people’s homes,” the release states.

“It’s not true, and Andrew Scheer knows it. But just like right-wing American politicians, he’s trying to scare people into believing this desperate stunt.”

The website shows a “leaked document” dated Nov. 27, 2018 and prepared by Adam Vaughn, which states that at housing-related town halls an idea emerged of a “sliding scale on Capital Gains Tax on the sale of principal residences.”

It indicates that the scale would start at a 50 per cent tax after one year of ownership, down to 25 per cent in the second year, 15 per cent after three years, 10 per cent after four years and 5 per cent after five years.

“The idea would be to hit speculators who quickly flip houses in hot markets,” the document reads. “The funds could be invested back into enhanced savings programmes for first buyers.”

According to the Liberal Party’s platform, it promises to implement a new First-Time Home Buyer Incentive to give up to 10 per cent off your first home purchase and will increase the qualifying value from $480,000 to $750,000 in areas with higher housing costs. The Liberals also plan to a one per cent on vacant residential properties owned by non-Canadians who do not live in Canada.

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