Tilly O’Neill Gordon, Member of Parliament for Miramichi today showed her support for our Veterans and local Legion in advance of Remembrance Day by announcing the Conservative Government will provide a 100% rebate of any sales tax the Royal Canadian Legion pays when they buy their poppies and wreaths from private sector suppliers. 

MP O’Neill Gordon also purchased 8 wreaths from Veteran's Affairs to have her represented in the various areas of our riding as we did last year.  She personally will be laying a wreath at the Veteran's Wing of the Miramichi Senior Citizen's Home on November 6th.  She will be laying wreaths at James M. Hill School on November 11th at 11:00am on behalf of Royal Canadian Legion Branch # 3 and in Sunny Corner at 2:00 on behalf of Royal Canadian Legion # 90 Northwest Miramichi.

“Our Government is pleased to provide this tax relief to support the Remembrance Day Poppy Campaign” said MP Tilly O’Neill Gordon.  “Our action recognizes the special status of poppies and wreaths as symbols of the contribution, courage and sacrifices of those brave men and women who serve and have served in Canada’s armed forces.”

This change restores the tax relief that essentially existed for poppies and wreaths until the previous government removed it in 1996. With the proposed rebate, Remembrance Day poppies and wreaths will be fully free of any sales tax. 

“The ‘poppy tax’ meant a portion of the donations that Canadians made every year on Remembrance Day did not benefit the Legion and our Veterans” said MP O’Neill Gordon.  “That was wrong, and I am glad our Government is restoring this tax relief and helping our Veterans in this small way.”

The proposed rebate would be retroactive to January 1, 2010 to cover any sales tax on the current year’s poppies and wreaths acquired by the Royal Canadian Legion.