Ontario premier Dalton McGuinty and his lackeys are kicking us when we’re down.
During the worst recession in our province’s history and poised to increase taxes in July, McGuinty is giving tax collectors $45,000 apiece and he’s making us pay for it.
Outraged now?
You should be.
Ontario Finance Minister Dwight Duncan recently announced that the province is releasing 1,251 tax collectors to the federal government, because the province’s sales tax department will be obsolete, as of July 1, 2010.
The move comes as a direct result of the harmonization of the Provincial Sales Tax (PST) with the Goods and Services Tax (GST). With the Harmonized Sales Tax (HST)replacing both in Ontario, it will be redundant to keep 1,251 tax collectors on the provincial payroll.
Of course, the HST is reason enough to launch a tax revolt. With unemployment sky high and the economy still reeling from the financial meltdown, increasing taxes will be the kiss of death.
Ontarians will be paying an extra 8% for items on which they have never had to pay a tax before – things like groceries, utility bills, cars and real estate.
What makes this situation so outrageous is that the tax collectors are not even losing their job. McGuinty is giving them $45,000 each just for changing agencies.
They won’t lose a day's work and in most cases they will continue to work from the same offices they are in right now.
They will wind up with the same job security as before, as well as the same pay rate and the same benefits.
It is simply a title change. Call it a technicality—a result of the harmonization of the two taxes.
And for that, Ontarians will have to fork out another $25 million in severance pay.
“We’re simply honouring the terms of the provinces' collective agreement with its public sector workers,” said Duncan.
Come again!?!?!
British Columbia is in the same position but their finance minister won’t budge. “These employees are not entitled to severance because their jobs are not being terminated,” said Minister Colin Hansen.
Why the double standard?
One word.
Payback.
McGuinty’s cozy relationship with union bosses virtually ensures that whenever he has to, he sticks it to the electorate to pay back the guys that put him in office.
Outraged?
Time for a tax revolt!
Tristan Emmanuel is president of Freedom Press Canada Inc.
http://www.freedompress.ca/
Time for a tax revolt? C'mon, this is Canada. I like to coin the phrase, "Tax me, I'm Canadian!" We've needed a tax revolt years ago. I believe it has come to a point where we are no longer legitimately being taxed. We are being robbed by our governments. It's time we stand up to our provincial and federal governments and say, "NO MORE!"
I stayed in ontario last month with my girlfriend after visiting niagara falls for the weekend, i can't wait to go back up to Toronto with her next month.