And farmers tend to agree with Mercer.
It’s not only that the government is moving forward with these tax changes, but also how it’s being done that’s a sign the government has lost its way, according to Megz Reynolds, a pea, barley and lentil farmer from Kyle, Sask.
“(The government) has done it in a way that’s geared to divide Canadians and pit them against one another,†she told Farms.com today. “That’s the kind of language that they’ve used throughout this process. They’ve called exiting tax laws loopholes which they are not and they’ve basically made employees think that small business owners and farmers are tax cheats. And that’s not the cast at all.â€
Some farmers also seem to be confused as to why the government is targeting them in the first place.
“(Farmers) seem like an odd group to go after,†Chris McQuid, a cash crop and cattle farmer from near Vermillion, Alta., told Farms.com today. “There must be some further agenda to that because the tax changes really makes handing a farm down to your kids hard, but handing it over to a corporation seems to have some tax benefits to it. I don’t know what the government has against small businesses and family farms but it just seems odd.â€