QUEEN’S PARK — NDP Leader Andrea Horwath says the McGuinty Liberals need to come clean with northern families and admit that the government’s northern energy credit won’t come close to offsetting the cost impact of the new Harmonized Sales Tax (HST) on home heating, hydro and gasoline.
“The Finance Minister will be in Thunder Bay later today to sell his northern energy credit. Before the Finance Minister does his dog and pony show, will the government tell Thunder Bay families exactly how much the HST will cost them on utilities and gasoline alone?” asked Horwath during today’s Question Period.
“For people in northern Ontario, the HST on home utilities – including heat and hydro – and gasoline for the car will make life a lot less affordable, even with the energy credit,” she added.
Horwath told the legislature that she visited Thunder Bay last summer, where she met with Milton and Anne Marion.
“The Marions are seniors who pay as much as $600 a month for furnace oil. They’ll be paying an extra $50 a month when Dalton McGuinty’s HST kicks in,” she explained.
“The credit won’t offset that added cost. The McGuinty Liberals need to come clean with families like the Marions and tell them exactly how much extra the HST is going to cost them.”