Personally I am in favour of bringing the GST back up to 7% or even 10%

 The real answer to methods of austerity is increasing the GST back up to 7% or even higher to 10%. There are lots of safeguards in the GST thaat kept it from impacting on people's ability to buy the basic ingredients (I pay almost no GST at the grocery store; it is rare). When I go to the grocery store all you can see on so many shelves is prepared foods - boxes, cans, plastic containers and the basics that are the building blocks of all that food are there ready to buy and at a fairly reasonable price but they occupy such a small portion of the stores these days - the prepared foods are too expensive and many are imported. If your grocery bills are too high then buy the basics as they are not taxed. 

Reducing the GST was the stupidest thing that was ever done.  Guaranteed money coming into the coffers of the government on a daily basis helps to support the government workforce especially the military. Waiting for the budget and hoping for a much stricter accounting of the government spending particularly in the CRA. I continue to think utilizing the power of the internet to handle queries would be so much better than having to explain each and every time that you speak to anyone at CRA when they could just pull up your account and look at what has transpired. The year we spent talking to them every six weeks was pure agony and finally settled by the Head of Department after we paid the $20,000.00 which was promptly returned to us less than a week later with interest. That was ridiculous. Having to pay interest as well is absolutely ludicrous. It should never have been requested in the first place if the proper job was being done. The answer was so incredibly simple. 

I have been avoiding the news but cleaning means I run the TV while I am cleaning and so I am back into listening to all these things. I really like the new Gaza peace proposal prepared by President Trump and the world awaits decisions but it is excellent. As I said President Trump really should receive the Nobel Peace Prize if the Abraham Accords can become universal in the Middle East and there is peace there - it would be so wonderful.