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On the campaign trail, Justin Trudeau promised to cut income taxes on middle-class Canadian families. Since becoming prime minister, he and his government have repeatedly claimed to have kept this promise.

For instance, the Trudeau government’s first budget in 2016 proclaimed “the government cut taxes for middle-class Canadians everywhere.” And just last week, he made a similar statement to a global audience at the United Nations General Assembly.

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But as is often the case, reality doesn’t match political rhetoric. In fact, despite the repeated claims from Ottawa, the Trudeau government has increased the amount of personal income taxes paid by the vast majority of middle-class families.

What is causing the disconnect between its rhetoric and reality?

Cutting income taxes is a laudable goal. After all, the average Canadian family currently devotes approximately 43 per cent of its income to its total tax bill to all levels of government. So many families would welcome tax relief.