Will lower taxes to help Punjabi biz community, says Canada’s leader of opposition Andrew Scheer

Considering the Sikh community’s hard work, we will give a low-tax regime to them which will allow them to prosper, he said.

Leader of opposition in Canada, Andrew Scheer, said on Wednesday that after coming to power, his party will bring in a low-tax regime keeping in mind the interests of the Punjabis running small businesses.

Canada’s Conservative Party leader Andrew Scheer along with his wife Jill Scheer paying obeisance at Golden Temple in Amritsar. (Sameer Sehgal/HT)

The Conservative Party leader, along with his wife Jill Scheer and Federal Member of House of Commons in Canada Bob Saroya, was in Amritsar to pay obeisance at the Golden Temple.

Talking to media, Andrew Scheer said, “In Canada, the Liberal government has just raised the taxes on small businesses. The government is spending much of its time to attack small business owners there and accusing them of evading taxes. Sikhs in Canada run a number of small businesses and are also providing jobs to other communities. Considering the Sikh community’s hard work, we will give a low-tax regime to them which will allow them to prosper.”

He further said Sikhs have been contributing immensely to Canada’s progress for the last 115 years. “If our government holds the Country’s reign, we will launch more ambitious programmes to allow more Punjabis to come to Canada and settle there or study in our universities.”

At the Golden Temple’s information centre, Scheer was honoured by Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) chief Gobind Singh Longowal. He was presented a siropa (robe of honour), a miniature model of Sri Harmandir Sahib and set of books on Sikh history.

Scheer and his wife also did ‘sewa’ in the Langar Hall (community kitchen). After paying obeisance, Scheer also visited Jallianwala Bagh and Bhagat Pooran Singh Pingalwara Charitable Society.

At Pingalwara, he visited the artificial limb centre, children’s ward and special school, where he interacted with the residents. Scheer said he was impressed with the great humanitarian work.

Pingalwara’s president Dr Inderjit Kaur and vice-president Jagdeep Singh were also present.