PCs promise to lower taxes on small businesses, NDP wants to create rent-to-own starter home program

Nova Scotia's top political party leaders returned to the campaign trail Tuesday after taking Monday off for Remembrance Day.

Nova Scotia's top political party leaders returned to the campaign trail Tuesday after taking Monday off for Remembrance Day.

Progressive Conservative Leader Tim Houston is promising to reduce taxes on small businesses if re-elected, NDP Leader Claudia Chender announced the creation of a rent-to-own starter home program, while Liberal Leader Zach Churchill vowed to “deliver a better deal for the Cape Breton Regional Municipality.”

Houston says if re-elected he will change the amount small businesses are taxed in order to allow them to grow, reinvest and hire more people.

“Any plan for higher wages in Nova Scotia has to start with small businesses,” said Houston.

The PC leader says he will reduce the province’s small-business tax rate from 2.5 per cent to 1.5 per cent. He says he will also raise the small business tax threshold from $500,000 to $700,000, allowing more small businesses to benefit from the reduced small business tax rate.

“This one change will ensure more small business owners will be able to make ends meet,” said Houston. “More importantly it also means that, over time they will have a little bit more room to invest in their business and, hopefully, grow. Each dollar we leave in the pockets of small businesses is a dollar that will eventually give them confidence to hire that extra employer or pay their current employees a little bit more.”