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Grading Harper: Strong on Defence, International/Interprovincial Relations, Near Failing Grades on Taxation Policy
A Weekly BDO Dunwoody CEO Business Leader Poll by COMPAS in the Financial Post

Finance Minister Jim Flaherty appears to be a lightening rod for discontent for a government that earns strong grades in almost all areas except taxation. The government’s grades on taxation policy are among the very lowest it has received on any subject by any audience in COMPAS’ large normative database of performance scores.

The following are the key findings from the COMPAS business panel of CEOs and business leaders, interviewed this past week for The Financial Post under sponsorship of BDO Dunwoody LLP:

• Half the business panel now perceives the government’s ending of tax deductibility on interest for foreign investments as harmful to Canadian business;
  
  
• The federal government’s taxation policies (personal and corporate) earn near failing grades (as does its environment policy—in sharp contrast to strong grades for defence policy, relations with Quebec, financial probity, and various other areas of policy;
  
  
• All things considered, an overwhelming majority of panellists believe that the government has done as well as it can be expected given its minority government status;
  
  
• A passionate majority believes that “for all its failings, it is far better than any of the alternatives”;
  
  
• Almost half believe that “it’s hard to tell what it’s really like until it forms a majority government”; and
  
  
• Intriguingly, minorities believe that the government has “been weak on carrying out pre-election promises” and that “too many of its decisions reflect the view of the public service.”
  

These are the key findings from the past week’s web survey of the COMPAS CEO and business leader panel undertaken for The Financial Post under sponsorship of BDO Dunwoody LLP.