Close X
Thursday, November 14, 2024
ADVT 
National

Freeland finds safety in numbers on digital sales tax

Darpan News Desk The Canadian Press, 13 Nov, 2024 04:41 PM
  • Freeland finds safety in numbers on digital sales tax

Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland isn’t showing signs of worry that the U.S. can now launch a trade challenge against the Liberal government's controversial digital services tax.

The Liberals are slapping a three-per-cent tax on the Canadian revenues of digital giants, which will affect major U.S. tech companies such as Google and Apple.

The U.S. government formally challenged the tax under the Canada-U.S.-Mexico Agreement in August and as of today can now request a dispute-settlement panel to probe whether Canada's new tax breaches the trilateral trade pact.

It's not clear if President Joe Biden will move to do that in the waning days of his administration or leave it to Donald Trump, who takes over in January.

The first Trump administration was eyeing retaliatory measures against countries bringing in such taxes, and powerful Republicans in Congress have pushed for aggressive action against Canada.

But Freeland says some of Canada’s closest allies have brought in their own digital services taxes and not faced "trade consequences" from the U.S.

MORE National ARTICLES

Skateboarder hurt in hit and run

Skateboarder hurt in hit and run
Police on Vancouver Island are appealing for witnesses after a 60-year-old skateboarder was hurt in a hit-and-run on Remembrance Day. Mounties say it happened along Comox Road near Scott Road, outside Courtenay.

Skateboarder hurt in hit and run

Former B.C. premier John Horgan passes away at 65

Former B.C. premier John Horgan passes away at 65
Ambassador to Germany and former British Columbia premier John Horgan has died at the age of 65, after his third bout with cancer. Horgan served as B.C.'s New Democrat premier for five years before stepping down in 2022, then was appointed ambassador last year.

Former B.C. premier John Horgan passes away at 65

'Do the work': Ottawa urges both sides in B.C. port dispute to restart talks

'Do the work': Ottawa urges both sides in B.C. port dispute to restart talks
Ottawa has urged both sides in the labour dispute at B-C ports to return to the table after the latest mediated talks collapsed over the weekend. A statement from federal Labour Minister Steven MacKinnon says both the employers and the union representing more than 700 longshore supervisors "must understand the urgency of the situation" as a lockout enters its second week.

'Do the work': Ottawa urges both sides in B.C. port dispute to restart talks

Canadian Union of Postal Workers issues 72-hour strike notice to Canada Post

Canadian Union of Postal Workers issues 72-hour strike notice to Canada Post
The Canadian Union of Postal Workers has given 72-hour strike notice to Canada Post. The notice is for both the union's urban bargaining unit and its rural and suburban unit.  In a release early Tuesday morning, the union says workers will be in a legal strike position as of Friday if negotiated settlements have not been reached.

Canadian Union of Postal Workers issues 72-hour strike notice to Canada Post

No jail time for woman involved in theft of money for school supplies

No jail time for woman involved in theft of money for school supplies
A woman who stole more than 14-thousand dollars meant for school supplies and programs including hot meals for vulnerable kids won't spend any time in jail. The recent provincial court decision says the woman was the treasurer of the South Rutland Elementary Parents Advisory Council (PAC) in Kelowna when she began stealing the funds in 2016, soon after her husband lost his job.

No jail time for woman involved in theft of money for school supplies

Surrey police transition deal still in works, less than three weeks before handover

Surrey police transition deal still in works, less than three weeks before handover
The exterior of police stations will soon look different in Surrey. New signs have been ordered to reflect a transfer of policing responsibility to the municipal Surrey Police Service from the RCMP, after six years of planning and political turmoil. 

Surrey police transition deal still in works, less than three weeks before handover