Conservatives get it right and take HST off poppies

Algoma-Manitoulin-Kapuskasing MP Carol Hughes
News Release

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OTTAWA – Just days before the poppy campaign kicks off and Canadians begin to remember the veterans who have made so many sacrifices on their behalf, Algoma-Manitoulin-Kapuskasing MP, Carol Hughes is delighted to announce the success of a New Democrat plan to remove the tax from poppies.

When the governor general received the year’s first Remembrance Day poppy, New Democrats pointed out that the HST was costing veterans 13 percent on the cost of ordering poppies which are then distributed for donations that the Legion uses to support veterans and their families.

“The extra tax meant Legions were losing money when they ordered poppies,” said Hughes. “Those funds would have eventually been squeezed from millions of dollars Canadians make in donations.”

The poppy campaign is a crucial fundraising tool for the Royal Canadian Legion.

By charging the extra tax on the purchase of poppies, the government was hurting the Legion’s bottom line.

New Democrats are pleased the government agreed with the proposals in an NDP Private Member’s Bill, which removes the HST on poppies and wreaths, and adopted these measures.

Legions will be reimbursed the tax that would have been more than double the amount the government took from donations last year because of the additional tax applied as part of the HST.

Legions sell about 16 million poppies every year as part of their work around Remembrance Day.

As the Armed Forces grow, we are creating a new generation of veterans and they need our support too.

Canada’s military, police, and RCMP veterans are an ever-changing group.

We need to keep moving forward with better support for our increasing number of veterans.

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