For Immediate Release
March 31, 2010
MPP DUNLOP: No April Fool’s Joke As HST Just 3 Months Away
Dunlop calls for at minimum the removal of HST on fuel & utilities
(Orillia) –Simcoe North MPP Garfield Dunlop is reminding all Ontarians that the countdown is on to McGuinty’s Tax Grab Day! Three months from now there will be an extra 8% added to our daily spending, as a result of the largest tax hike in Ontario’s history imposed by the McGuinty Liberals.
“Today while other jurisdictions around the world are introducing bold new ideas to recover from the recession and create jobs, we see the tired, out-of-gas McGuinty government continue with the same high taxes and reckless spending that failed to prevent or prepare us for hard times in the first place,” said Dunlop. “Does the Premier not realize the impact this is going to endure on the wallets of hard working Ontarians?”
Dunlop pointed out that McGuinty plans to tax a laundry list of goods and services that families and seniors buy every single day. The planned tax hike will increase the cost of common expenditures like household electricity, gas, coffee, internet access, and even funeral services. (Please see attached list with some of the additional items that will be taxed.)
“The McGuinty Government still has time to at least drop the HST on fuel for vehicles and household utilities,” Dunlop added. “Seniors and low income earners will be especially hard hit and simply cannot afford the additional costs.”
Dunlop is concerned that the extra tax burden will mean the Underground Economy will also flourish as citizens look to pay cash to avoid the 13% tax hit.
The tourism industry and small businesses have also indicated that increased taxes will affect their bottom line and translate into layoffs and fewer jobs for students desperate to cover increased tuition costs.
“To further infuriate hard working Ontarians the McGuinty Liberals are paying $25 million in severance packages to 1250 provincial employees as they become HST tax collectors without even losing a day’s work,” expressed Dunlop. “As the MPP for Simcoe North, I am going to continue to fight to stop these injustices and the implementation of this outrageous tax grab.”
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For more information:
Garfield Dunlop, MPP
705-327-4500 cell
Starting July 1, 2010, people across Ontario will start paying the 8 percent provincial sales tax (PST) on at least the following goods and services:
Accounting services
Prepared foods under $4
(coffee, fast food meals, etc.)
Gas at the pumps
Electricity
Home heating oil
Newspapers
Magazines
Haircuts and styling
Manicures
Postal stamps
Internet access fees
Theatre Admissions
Adult footwear under $30
Financial advisory services
Legal services
Gym fees
Arena ice rentals
Sports field rentals
Ski lift tickets
Campground fees
Boat docking fees
Golf green fees
Tobacco
Audio books for the blind
Funeral services
Electrical services
Plumbing services
Carpentry services
Air-conditioning repairs
Furnace repairs
Rentals of commercial property
Conferences and seminars
Home renovations
Real estate commissions
Landscaping
Grass-cutting
Snow-plowing
Moving vans
Dry cleaning
Car washes
Energy Star appliances
Bicycle safety gear
