Magic Statistics

A survey by international management consultants KPMG has found that Canada’s tax rate on corporate income is one of the world’s highest.

Canada's corporate tax rates are hovering almost 35 per cent higher than the global average, according to a survey of 92 countries released yesterday by KPMG LLP.

Average rates around the world dropped for the 11th successive year to 26.8 per cent in 2007, as national governments adjusted their tax regimes to attract global investment, while Canada's tax rate has remained steady at 36.1 per cent since 2004, the report stated.

European Union countries tend to have the lowest corporate taxation rates, averaging 24.2%.  Two major developed countries with rates above Canada’s are the United States (40.0%) and Japan (40.7%).

As Europe has reduced corporate taxation, it increasingly relies on indirect taxes (e.g., VAT or GST).

[T]he survey also found that indirect taxes in Europe are the highest in the world. Value Added Tax (VAT) or Goods and Services Tax (GST) rates in the EU countries average 19.5%, compared with 17.7% in the OECD, 14.2% in Latin America and only 10.8% in Asia Pacific. Canada’s average federal GST is 6%. Additionally, all provinces, except for Alberta, impose a form of GST or retail sales tax at rates ranging from 6% to 10%, on the sales of taxable goods and services.

None of Canada’s three northern territories levies a retail sales tax.

Japan’s indirect tax rate is 5%.  The US does not have a federal sales tax, although states and cities impose such taxes at various rates.

Previous related post: Now that’s tax reform

Liberal journalists can be so entertaining.  They presume to hector churches on how best to vitiate compromise update their theology.  (Anybody we know come to mind?)  Keep up with the times, you laggards, or you’ll become irrelevant.  Everyone who’s anyone will stop paying attention to what your church has to say.

Horrors!  In the minds of many modern clerics, that’s a fate worse than death.

Ted Byfield finds it all rather amusing.

One of the most rewarding disclosures when the liberal press venture forth into the mysterious world of religion is the astounding ignorance of both its history and its current condition that they so unerringly place on display.

They deliver severe admonitions to bishops and clergy, warning of the calamitous consequences their church will suffer if it does not liberalize its ecclesiology, compromise its theology and sodomize its morality.

Yet the very churches that have done all these recommended things are precisely those suffering such a disastrous exodus of their members that their church's very existence is now in question.

Churches following liberal nostrums are not only losing members; the sought-after social influence fails to materialise.  Churches that stick to the Bible and traditional convictions, on the other hand, prosper.

Go figure.

Previous related posts:

• Michael Ingham hits a new low
• Globe and Mail catches up with Archbishop Andrew
• Michael Ingham seeks to conform the church to the world

The Most Rev Terrence Buckle, Archbishop of Yukon and Metropolitan of BC and Yukon, yesterday circulated a letter to the clergy of the Diocese of Yukon with his thoughts on General Synod 2007.  He has graciously allowed it to be posted here.

Diocese of Yukon, Anglican Church of Canada
June 30, 2007

Dear Friends in Christ:

Having returned home to Whitehorse on the 26th of this month and having had a few days to reflect on the General Synod held in Winnipeg I would like to share with you some of my thoughts on the results of General Synod.

First let me say that I found the conduct and manner of this Synod respectful. Although the discussion was long and tiring on the matter of the blessing of same sex unions the conduct of delegates while under such pressure was civil given the circumstance of strong disagreement.

The election and installation of Archbishop Fred Hiltz as Primate of the Anglican Church of Canada was a major part of the General Synod agenda. Archbishop Hiltz has been for some years now the Bishop of the Diocese of Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island.

Following General Synod there was a meeting of the National House of Bishops on June 26th. This provided an opportunity for all Bishops to meet with our new Primate Archbishop Fred Hiltz and to debrief from General Synod. I must say that if this first meeting of the bishops with the new Primate is a sign of the nature of our working relationship in difficult times then we have much to be encouraged about as I sense a strong willingness to work together in spite of strong differences of opinion. I believe that Archbishop Hiltz will give the kind of leadership that will foster collegiality among the Bishops of our church.

It was moving to observe the installation of Bishop Mark MacDonald as the First National Indigenous Bishop of the Anglican Church of Canada. It is evident that with Bishop Mark now in place officially as the National Indigenous Bishop that we will see significant changes in our church as the vision of a National Indigenous Church unfolds.

One day during General Synod was spent with the National Synod of the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Canada to celebrate six years of our two churches being in full communion with each other.

There were a number of resolutions passed at General Synod that took up a major amount of our time and many resolutions that were before us were of necessity referred to the Council of General Synod due to a lack of time for consideration of them.

It was most encouraging to receive such unanimous support from the General Synod for the Council of the North. Funding at current levels for the next five years was approved with the endorsement of additional fund raising opportunities to increase support for Council of the North Dioceses. As well the General Synod consented to work with the Council of the North to find creative ways of sharing resources to encourage stewardship and congregational development in all Council of the North Dioceses to help us move as close as possible to self-sufficiency.

A report known as the Governance Report was discussed. This report made recommendations for restructuring our church. The resolution from this report called upon the Primate, after consultation with the House of Bishops, to initiate talks with the provinces and dioceses on possible changes to our structures.

There were resolutions dealing with the blessing of same sex unions. These resolutions brought about much debate from General Synod Delegates. A resolution was passed that stated:

"That this General Synod resolves that the blessing of same sex unions is not in conflict with the core doctrine, in the sense of being creedal, of the Anglican Church of Canada."

However a resolution failed to be passed which stated:

"That this General Synod affirm the authority and jurisdiction of any diocesan synod, with the concurrence of its bishop, to authorize the blessing of committed same sex unions."

Another resolution coming out of this discussion was passed in relation to the Marriage Canon of our church. This resolution as passed states:

"That this General Synod request the Council of General Synod to consider a revision of Canon 21 (On Marriage) including theological rationale to allow marriage of all legally qualified persons and to report back to General Synod 2010."

The passing of these resolutions has now affirmed that the blessing of committed same sex unions is doctrine but not in conflict with the core or creedal doctrine of the Anglican Church of Canada. This means that the blessing of committed same sex unions is considered doctrine of importance but not of the greater importance of creedal (core) doctrine: (Like the Divinity of Christ for example)

The above mentioned resolution that failed to pass has prohibited dioceses from proceeding at this time with the blessing of same sex unions.

The passing of the resolution on the revision of Canon 21 on Marriage has requested the Council of General Synod to consider a revision of the Marriage Canon and to provide a theological rationale to allow marriage of all legally qualified persons. The Council of General Synod is to report back to General Synod 2010.

The resulting consequence of the voting results of these resolutions leaves many with a sense of confusion and uncertainty as we seek to keep together and work together as a church over the next three years until General Synod 2010. Our church is hurting, it feels torn, people are weary of the matter and in the days ahead we will see how the rest of the Anglican Communion reacts to these resolutions of the Anglican Church of Canada.

One further mention of a resolution that was passed needs to be mentioned and this concerns the House of Bishops Statement on Pastoral Care of Same-Sex Couples. The resolution that passed reads as follows:

"That this General Synod welcome the statement of the House of Bishops of October, 2006 urging the church to show pastoral understanding and sensitivity to all same-sex couples, including those civilly married, and committing the House to develop pastoral strategies to give effect to the acceptance of gays and lesbians to whom we are already committed by previous General Synod and COGS (Council of General Synod) resolutions, House of Bishops guidelines, and Lambeth Conference statements."

For those of you who wish to learn more about General Synod 2007 much information can be found on the National Website of the Anglican Church of Canada <www.anglican.ca>

In our Provincial election for Council of General Synod Members I am pleased to say that the Rev. Lee Titterington was elected as a member from our Diocese and will over the next three years serve in that capacity.

I trust that this report is helpful to you. What does all this mean for us as a diocese that has at our most recent Diocesan Synod affirmed Christian Marriage as taught in Holy Scripture and the Book of Common Prayer? I believe that it means that we continue to be faithful to what we have declared and affirmed unanimously at our most recent Diocesan Synod and to seek to be inclusive in biblical pastoral care to all people. The reality is that we live in a Country and a Territory that permits civil marriage of same sex couples. We are called to exercise faithful, biblical pastoral care to all people among us and by God's grace we must prayerfully press on seeking to be faithful to the One who died and rose again to give to all who believe in Him forgiveness of our sins and new life in Him.

Thank you for your prayers both for General Synod and for those of us who represented our Diocese at General Synod. God bless you as you seek to faithfully serve Him.

Yours Sincerely in Christ,

Archbishop T.O. Buckle

Archbishop Buckle also said today that, in his view, most Synod delegates did not intend to defeat Resolution A185, which would have required a 60% majority for passage of Resolutions A186 and A187.  There was a great deal of confusion when the motion was being discussed, and many delegates did not fully understand what they were voting on.  He believes that most wanted to require at least a 60% majority for passage of the later resolutions, not the bare majority that permitted A186 to pass and almost allowed passage of A187.

Letters from other Anglican bishops are posted at felix hominum.

The collect for today, the 4th Sunday after Trinity, from the 1662 Book of Common Prayer:

O God, the protector of all that trust in thee, without whom nothing is strong, nothing is holy; Increase and multiply upon us thy mercy; that, thou being our ruler and guide, we may so pass through things temporal, that we finally lose not the things eternal; Grant this, O heavenly Father, for Jesus Christ's sake our Lord. Amen.

The Epistle: Romans 8:18-23
The Gospel: St Luke 6:36-42