MCGUINTY LIBERALS BOW TO PUBLIC PRESSURE: MORE HST EXEMPTIONS
PC REVENUE CRITIC LISA MACLEOD

For Immediate Release November 12th, 2009

(Queen’s Park) – Reacting to public pressure and demands from the Official Opposition, Dalton McGuinty will be exempting the HST on food and beverage items under $4.

Despite repeating many times that the Province can not afford to exempt much from proposed the 13 per cent tax grab, Dalton McGuinty has once again gone against his word. Each time Mr. McGuinty caves in and grants an exemption is further proof that the HST itself is a bad policy that was never thought through.

Quotes:

“Mr. McGuinty is reacting to public pressure, and its working.” --- MPP Lisa MacLeod, PC Revenue Critic (Nepean-Carleton)

“The DST is a $3 Billion tax grab on the backs of Ontario Families, nobody wants this tax not even his own caucus, Mr. McGuinty might as well exempt everything.” --- MPP Lisa MacLeod, PC Revenue Critic (Nepean-Carleton)

“Dalton McGuinty has spent months defending his plans to increases taxes on food. By admitting it’s a bad idea now – he is confirming he was misleading Ontario all along. What else are they misleading Ontario about when they talk about the HST?” --- MPP Lisa MacLeod, PC Revenue Critic (Nepean-Carleton)

Quick Facts:

• The DST is the merger of the PST and GST into one tax, which means the 8 per cent PST will be applied to a whole new range of goods and services previously not subject to PST.
  
  
• The DST kicks in on Canada Day 2010. Under this new tax, Ontarians will pay more for a long list of goods and services not previously subject to the provincial sales tax. Among those items are: ice rink fees; electricity; haircuts; newspapers and magazines; internet and cable; accounting, legal and real estate fees.
  
  
• The Canadian Federation of Independent Business has found that small businesses expect to spend close to $4,000 on HST transition costs – and are deeply concerned about the impact of the HST on consumer spending and the underground economy.
  
  
• A TD Economic Report has found that “Sales tax harmonization means an increase in the tax burden on consumers who will pay the flat HST on a broader array of goods and services than before. This will lead to an overall increase in the consumer price level”
  
  
• Ontario PC Leader Tim Hudak and the entire PC Caucus are committed to fighting and stopping this Dalton Sales Tax.
  
  
• For a full list of items that will be taxed under the DST and to sign the PC Party petition visit: www.daltonsalestax.com

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Jad Haffar
Parliamentary Assistant
Office of Lisa MacLeod, MPP Nepean-Carleton
Legislative Building, Room 347
Toronto, ON
M7A 1A8
Phone: (416) 325-6351
Fax: (416) 325-6364
Email: jad.haffar@pc.ola.org
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