Murphy’s Logic: User fees over taxes

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[00:00:07]The opinions expressed in this segment are solely those of the commentator.

[00:00:12]They do not purport to reflect the opinions or views of this station, CTV News, Bell Media, or its employees.

[00:00:20]Tonight, the debate over taxes, tolls, and user fees. Steve Murphy has some thoughts on what works best as our provincial governments battle big deficits.

[00:00:31]It's often quoted, but Winston Churchill did not actually say, "There is no such thing as a good tax."

[00:00:38]He did say that for a nation to tax itself into prosperity is like a man standing in a bucket and trying to lift himself by the handle.

[00:00:48]No doubt, our tax dollars fund many good and important things, but the point is few among us enjoy paying taxes, especially for things we don't approve of or don't use.

[00:01:00]Which is why tolls are sometimes an appropriate and attractive alternative.

[00:01:05]New Brunswick's plan to impose tolls near the Nova Scotia border has rankled more than a few people, notably Nova Scotians, who see it as some sort of provincial admission fee, but the rationale is that drivers who don't pay taxes to New Brunswick should pay to use the province's roads.

[00:01:22]Out of province drivers have been paying to use Nova Scotia's Cobequid Pass for years. That road wouldn't have been built without tolls, which were initially paid to the private sector developer.

[00:01:32]Truth is, in certain circumstances, user fees are fundamentally more fair than taxes, and the principle is pretty simple. People who make use of a service should pay more than those who don't.

[00:01:44]And those who are required or use a given service frequently can also be given discounts or exemptions, as Nova Scotia has recently done with the Cobequid Pass.

[00:01:56]Regrettably, Nova Scotia has also eliminated tolls on the Halifax Harbor bridges and in hospital parking lots, fulfilling political promises made during the last election campaign, even as the province's debt explodes.

[00:02:08]That's certainly not a good tax for the people who never or seldom use those services, who will also now share in the cost of maintaining them.

[00:02:18]Modern Canada has long favored universality in the delivery of government services without so many fees and tolls, but as governments struggle with their finances, this is a good time to consider whether more user fees, including road tolls, should be integrated into the revenue stream as an alternative to broadly higher taxes.

[00:02:40]I'm Steve Murphy.