On most calendars in Ontario,
July 1st is a special day, in that it’s Canada Day, a day of mutual
pride in being citizens of the greatest nation on Earth. It’s usually observed through the practice of
time-honoured Canadian traditions, like the barbecue, slapping mosquitoes,
things like that, and it’s greeted with the general happiness that most
statutory holidays bring to the population.
But this July 1st, Ontarians will have a little
something extra to capture their attention, as that’s the day they start paying
the HST, or Harmonized Sales Tax. And
believe me, from the conversations I’ve had with people around the riding, and
in my day to day meetings with others, harmony is not something I’m seeing a
lot of, unless it’s got to do with opposing this tax grab.
In a cynical attempt to lessen the anger out there, the
McGuinty Liberals are cutting cheques to mail out to the fine citizens of Ontario, hoping they’ll
believe that these cheques, in some way, help cover the cost and pain the HST
will inflect on them. What they are,
plain and simple, is an attempt to quiet the outrage this tax has provoked
across the province, as well as right here in Renfrew County.
They are, quite clearly, an attempt to bribe people with
their own money. And that is
unacceptable.
This is not a tax that applies evenly across the
province. Here in the Valley, the
increase in gasoline costs alone will more than exceed any cheque sent to you
to buy your silence. The so-called
rebate will not be a protective barrier against increases in hydro and home
heating, which are already too expensive.
These everyday necessities, that already consume a significant portion
of the average family's budget, will be 8% more come next month.
The list of other things, that were never taxed before but
will be effective July 1st includes, Legal fees, home renovations, vet bills,
haircuts, vitamins, financial services, gym memberships, funerals, bicycles and
there are more. Honestly, do the
McGuinty Liberals think they can draw more water from the well they have
already sucked dry through over taxation.
Premier McGuinty, a self-proclaimed thoughtful and
reflective type, started out by saying the HST would be revenue-neutral, that
people wouldn’t notice its effect, the same way, I suppose, people don’t
immediately notice the effect of an accomplished pickpocket. Then, upon further reflection, he’s come to
the conclusion that it may draw as much as $800.00 a year out of each family’s
revenue pool. Well, that’s a bit of a
tough sell to people struggling through tough times. So now the official line is that, well, the
government needs the money. Which, of
course, flies in the face of the government’s intention to send cheques out in
the first place. Friends, it would
appear that they’re all over the place on this one, and are prepared to say and
do whatever it might take to take the sting out of any public reaction. And honestly, from what I’m hearing, they’re
not going to be too successful.
We have people struggling already with the way the economy’s
been, and now we’re going to have to listen to how losing $800 a year is
going to be good for us? By what manner
of logic does that fly? Or is it simply
another example of how the McGuinty Liberals, as thoughtful and reflective as
they’d have us believe, are just simply out of touch when it comes to the
realities we see on the ground here in Renfrew-Nipissing-Pembroke? I’ll bet Nero was pretty thoughtful and
reflective too, but when Rome
burning, you can be sure, the people were looking for a little more than the
sweet strains of his violin.
Sadly, the government puts people in a difficult position
with these rebate cheques. The people I
talk to would love to tell the McGuinty Liberals to stuff their cheques, right
along with the whole HST. But they’re in
tough circumstances, and most of them are in no position to turn down the
rebate, no matter how ineffective it may be against the full fury of the
HST. Because even though not enough, and
even though bribing people is an inappropriate thing for the government to do, most people have no
choice but to take the money and run.
In short, the HST is going to hurt. The rebate, given at the start, will make it
hurt somewhat less at first, but once the medicine wears off, then baby, you’re
on your own. Once these rebates pass,
we’ll be left to struggle with this tax on our own, from that point on.
And that’s going to hurt a lot of people out there. And that’s not right.
I, along with Tim Hudak and the PC Caucus will continue to
fight and oppose this tax, in every way available to us, and we will not stop,
in that effort until an appropriate measure of justice is achieved on behalf of
those who bear the burden of this HST. This tax is patently unfair to the
people of this area, and I’m duty-bound to my constituents to oppose it.