Taxes for Peace Not War
Organization profile published 1981

Publisher:  Peace Tax Fund Committee, Victoria, Canada
Year Published:  1981
Resource Type:  Organization
Cx Number:  CX2147

Abstract: 
The Peace Tax Fund Committee has its two year old roots in a Victoria, B.C. Quaker Meeting, but now includes people from a number of groups concerned with peace issues its goal is to convince the Canadian government to provide a legal alternative for those who object to a portion of their tax dollar being used for military expenditures. This document gives and overview of their position and strategy.

The document points to the fact that the last federal budget called for expenditures of $450 per taxpayer on arms and the military, six billion dollars in total. The groups would prefer that this money be spent on peace research (or on the problems that lead to conflicts) rather than on the military. Job creation, health and social services and constructive (rather than military) aid to less developed countries are the group's preference for the use of these funds. The committee's strategy is to get the federal government to establish a "Peace Tax Fund". People would be able to legally give that portion of their taxes that goes to military expenditures to this fund. The group is presently working with MP's, lawyers and peace activists to develop a bill to put before Parliament.

This abstract was published in the Connexions Digest in 1981.