For Immediate Release
December 2, 2009

One day of HST hearings = absurd

Queen’s Park -- Where there is little or no public opinion, there is likely to be bad government, which sooner or later becomes autocratic government.  -- William Lyon Mackenzie King

A 48-hour sit-in in the Ontario Legislature by the Ontario PC’s is now over but members continue to demand Premier Dalton McGuinty do the right thing and offer public hearings outside of Toronto.

“This is a bill that’s about 170 pages long – it’s a bill that brings in a $3 billion tax increase and to have one day of public hearings downtown Toronto is absolutely absurd,” said Haldimand-Norfolk MPP Toby Barrett. “That’s why MPP’s Bill Murdoch, Randy Hillier, Bob Bailey and myself have stayed overnight in the Legislature for the past two nights.”

Barrett said his office has received hundreds of emails and phone calls from constituents who are very much against the HST that will make their life more expensive in these tough economic times.

Many writers and callers, according to Barrett, are seniors and those on a fixed income who are sincerely worried how they will afford rent and everyday necessities. Following is an excerpt from an email sent to Barrett’s office that seems to reflect what others are feeling and thinking.

For us middle class people, there seems to be no surplus left over to put in RRSPs to have any kind of pension when old.  Mr. McGuinty will have us worked right into the grave, & still the taxes keep on accumulating.  

“This is taxation without representation,” Barrett continued. “This tax hike was not mentioned in the last election; it was not in the Liberal election platform and when Mr. McGuinty was elected he promised all Ontarians he would not raise their taxes.”

For more information please contact MPP Toby Barrett at 519-428-0446 or 1-800-903-8629