The Bloc rushes in where federalists fear to tread

And justifiably so, in this case:

Wealthy Canadians should pay a special surtax to help slay the deficit, the Bloc Quebecois says.

Monday, the Bloc became the first party in the House of Commons to propose costed measures to eliminate the $56-billion federal deficit, including drastic cuts to the civil service.

“There are people who do not pay their fair share of taxes,” said Bloc finance critic Jean-Yves Laforest.

The party championed a temporary tax on the rich, similar to a plan U.S. President Barack Obama proposed, where Canadians with a taxable income above $150,000 would pay an extra 1%. The measure would affect 450,000 people and add $1.5 billion to federal coffers, according to the Bloc’s estimates.

From the London Free Press. Such a simple and sensible idea, yet the other parties are reluctant to talk about it. News flash -- not all tax increases are bad.