THUNDER BAY – The Ontario Progressive Conservatives are pointing out that Dalton McGuinty’s HST has had a tough start. “Dalton McGuinty’s HST tax grab is hardly one month old and already the results are not good for Ontario families,” charge the PCs.
“In addition to forcing families to pay more for gasoline, hydro and hundreds of everyday goods and services, Ontario lost 30,000 jobs in July according to Statistics Canada figures”.
“It’s a contradictory start for the largest sales tax grab in Ontario’s history, which Dalton McGuinty and his senior cabinet ministers repeatedly have claimed will create 600,000 jobs. In addition to this month’s job losses, the HST is also proving to have a negative impact on housing sales, which dropped, for example, by 34% in Toronto in July”, charges Peter Shurman, the PC Critic for Economic Development and Trade.
“Tim Hudak and the Ontario PC Caucus have been saying for over a year that the HST is bad for Ontario families and will kill jobs. Whether you are looking at job numbers or housing numbers, we are already seeing the devastating impact of Dalton McGuinty’s HST tax grab,” adds Shurman. “Dalton McGuinty promised his HST tax grab would create 600,000 imaginary jobs. In fact, the HST has cost Ontario 30,000 real jobs.”
QUICK FACTS:
- According to Statistics Canada, Ontario lost 30,000 full-time jobs in July 2010, including 7,700 jobs in the construction sector.
- Ontario’s unemployment rate increased to 8.5%, making it 6.25% greater than the national average.
- A recent survey of real estate agents (by Royal LePage Real Estate Services) found 86% of all respondents believe the HST is having an impact on their business.