Note to readers: The Tax and Spend newsletter ends this week, as I move on to a new role at The Globe, as Editorials Editor. My deepest thanks to all of the thousands of Globe readers who subscribed to this weekly digest of fiscal intricacies and oddities. I learned a lot; I hope you did too.
You can expect to see tax and spending issues pop up frequently in the editorials space. I also urge you to check out the other excellent newsletters in our lineup, particularly the Politics Briefing from the Ottawa bureau. And here is one last newsletter – one you can sing along to.
The CPI is Comin’ on Down
You better watch out
You better not buy
You better not pout
I’m telling you why
The CPI is comin’ on down
Tiff’s raising his rates
He’s raising them twice
You’re gonna find out that debt is a vice
The CPI is comin’ on down
Tiff sees when we’ve been shopping
He knows when we’re in hock
He knows if our credit’s bad or good
So just stuff your cash in a sock
Danielle, the Hard-Line Premier
You know Lévesque and Bouchard and Johnson and Marois
Parizeau, Landry and other Quebecois
But do you recall
The most famous sovereigntist of all?
Danielle the hard-line premier
Had a very scary law
And if you ever read it
You would see it had a flaw
All of the other premiers
Didn’t dare to follow suit
Trudeau wouldn’t let poor Danielle
Bait him into a dispute
Have Yourself a Merry Tax Amnesty
Have yourself a merry tax amnesty
Let your debts be light
From now on
Your repayment plan is out of sight
Have yourself a merry tax amnesty
Make someone else pay
From now on
The CRA will be miles away
Spending Bills
Social programs, growing programs
Means test there for a while
In the air
There’s a feeling
Of excess
Ministers gaffing
MPs passing
More red ink is no trial
And in every committee you’ll hear
Spending bills, spending bills
It’s spending time for the Liberals
Ka-ching-a-ching, hear them sing
Soon it will be budget day
Follow me on Twitter, @PatrickBrethour
