For immediate release:
May 5, 2010

McGuinty Admits HST Will Cost Ontario Families
MPP Dunlop continues to fight “outrageous liberal tax grab”

Orillia:  When confronted with Statistics Canada evidence yesterday, Premier Dalton McGuinty was forced to admit what Progressive Conservatives and Ontario families have known all along: The Controversial Liberal Tax Grab will cost them thousands more each year!

“The facts revealed yesterday are clear: average Ontario families will see an HST hike of between $862 and $1732 per year, at a time when Dalton McGuinty's Liberals are also hiking electricity rates and other fees,” said Simcoe North MPP Garfield Dunlop.

The harmonized sales tax combines two existing taxes -- the five-per-cent federal GST with the eight-per-cent retail sales tax -- into one 13-per-cent levy, effective July 2010.

“After months of denial, McGuinty has finally admitted the HST will increase costs substantially for families,” said Dunlop. “He has tried to balance the books first with this nasty tax grab and then on the backs of pharmacists with front line health care cuts, while at the same time wasting hundreds of millions of taxpayer dollars in the E-Health Scandal. We have not forgotten that McGuinty funnelled those dollars to Liberal friendly consultants through untendered contracts and sweetheart deals,” added Dunlop.

57 days from now the new HST kicks in and the added tax will affect everything from gasoline, hydro costs and internet bills to airline tickets and haircuts.

“I am continuing to fight the Liberal’s outrageous tax grab which is taking money out of all of our pockets,” added Dunlop.

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CONTACT:

Garfield Dunlop
Simcoe North MPP
Cell: 705-327-4500