(Queen’s Park) – Simcoe North MPP Garfield Dunlop said today that the Liberal government’s first budget goes against Dalton McGuinty’s 230 election promises, and instead, charts a new course on which taxes will increase more than 20 times over the next year, and provincial debt rise by $12 billion by 2007.

“Premier McGuinty has betrayed the people of Ontario with this budget,” said Dunlop. “With over 50 separate tax or fee increases in the budget, he has broken the ultimate promise to taxpayers of not raising taxes.”

Some of the key impacts of the 2004 Liberal Budget include:

· $1.6 billion personal income tax hike to pay for health care premiums;

· $3.9 billion electricity rate hike (will take over 20 years to collect, but being booked in for this year alone)

· 65 percent increase in user fees payable by the average Ontarian;

· increases to taxes on liquor, beer, wine and tobacco;

· delisting of key health services such as eye exams, physiotherapy and chiropractic services;

· 50 percent increase in driver’s licence fees;

· elimination of the Ontario Home Ownership Savings Program; and

· elimination of critical tax credits such as the Workplace Accessibility Tax Incentive, the Workplace Child Care Tax Incentive, and income tax incentives for electricity supply and conservation

“In true Liberal fashion, the McGuinty government has released a budget that will have Ontarians pay more and get less,” said Dunlop. “Members of our P.C. Caucus will not stand idly by and watch this government tear down the economic foundation and the one million new jobs that we helped create over the past eight years.”

Contacts:
Garfield Dunlop
(705) 327-4500 (cell)