QUEEN’s PARK – “In contrast to a government focused solely on defending a plan to raise taxes while public services are cut back, Ontario’s New Democrats used the spring legislative session to propose sensible, workable ideas to improve the lives of Ontario families”, said NDP Leader Andrea Horwath.
“Instead of spending the legislative session defending a backwards tax plan, New Democrats put forward progressive and practical ideas that will make a real difference in Ontarians’ lives,” continued Horwath. “If the people of Ontario are doing well then Ontario will do well.”
Throughout this session the New Democrats state they have proposed sensible solutions to make life better for Ontario families. Those proposals include an Ontario Retirement Plan would help the six in 10 Ontarians who don’t have a pension plan at work; Amendments to the Mining Act would ensure that Ontario’s natural resources are used to create jobs in Ontario, and; A cap on executive salaries would ensure scarce health dollars are invested in front-line care.
The NDP have also attempted to fight the McGuinty Government’s blended sales tax the HST. NDP MPPs shared the stories of some 1,200 Ontarians who wrote letters illustrating the hardship the new tax would cause. More than 250,000 Ontarians signed an NDP petition calling for a stop the new tax.
At an event at Queen’s Park today, Horwath unveiled an HST countdown clock, a reminder that Ontarians will be forced to begin paying the widely-opposed tax in just over three weeks from today. “Instead of new taxes that hike the cost of living, Ontario families want to see their priorities reflected at Queen’s Park,” Horwath said.
Horwath plans to spend the summer urging Ontarians to reject the unfair tax and urged people to visit the NDP’s HST website at www.unfairtaxgrab.com.