The Conservative Party of Quebec (PCQ) is committed to eliminating the sales tax on used goods, including automobiles, which constitute by far the largest source of tax revenue on used goods.
The Conservative leader, Éric Duhaime, was also at a car dealership in Donnacona, near Quebec City, on Friday, to make his announcement.
However, he specified that he intended to abolish the tax on all used goods, including furniture, appliances, antiques, clothing and so on.
Mr. Duhaime argued that this taxation is regressive by definition because it affects more the less affluent who cannot afford to buy new.
He adds that it is also unfair, since those who sell used goods on the web, for example, escape the tax, while businesses such as thrift stores or others do not.
According to the Conservatives, this measure would result in a loss of revenue of approximately $350 million for the state, but Éric Duhaime acknowledged that this figure is imprecise due to the lack of details and distinctions when a business sells to both new and used, for example.
The Conservative leader even makes it an eco-friendly gesture, arguing that reusing goods is far better for the environment than throwing them away and buying new.
Studies on the third link
Éric Duhaime also launched a full-throttle charge against the chief caquiste François Legault, who opened the door to a bridge rather than a tunnel to connect Quebec to its south shore at a press briefing on Friday. His team immediately had to correct the situation, reaffirming that the Coalition avenir Québec project was a tunnel.
Mr. Legault, however, refuses to reveal the studies on his third sub-river link project, saying he wants to wait until they are updated to assess the impact of the pandemic, telework and so on.
Éric Duhaime insisted that it was the taxpayers who paid for these studies, that they therefore have the right to see them and he demanded that François Legault make them public before the October 3 election. He criticized the outgoing Prime Minister for asking the public for a blank check on this issue.