I used to work for a bank till the late 1980s. It was difficult to make ends meet, with all the deductions from my salary. So I quit my job, and started my own business, with capital I got from a mortgage loan on my house. It became even more difficult financially at first, as in most start-ups. However, I made a go of it for 10 years. I actually made less than I did in my old job, but because my wife and I worked together, we took dividends from the business, which minimized our taxes, and avoided all the usual payroll deductions. That was the only way we survived.

While doing that, I met hundreds of other people in similar situations. They were leading a way of life that no one in a government or unionized job will understand. So when Trudeau/Morneau talk about "equalizing" them with salaried people by taxing them more, they are really assaulting a whole way of life, which millions of Canadians lead. That's what has stressed out so many people, even without looking at specifics.