Ontario budget fails to deliver for working families
March 26, 2009 - Much like the federal budget announced in February, the latest Ontario budget will do little to assist working families in this time of economic crisis.“The harmonized sales tax and myriad of other tax hikes won’t help Ontario families keep their jobs and feed their families,” says UFCW Canada President Wayne Hanley. “Anyone who drives to work will pay more tax for their gas. Families will pay more to heat their homes. Even a take-out hamburger will cost more.“Harmonizing also means Ontario consumers will see newly-announced federal tax credits swept up by the new Ontario tax system,” the National President says. “Many of the home renovation tax cuts announced in the federal budget will now be taxed at the provincial level. For example, if you have home renovations done, you will be eligible for a federal tax cut. But with the new harmonized federal provincial sales tax, you will now be paying 8% more in tax on those renovations.“As for addressing the job crisis, while the budget provides targeted support for the industrial sector, there is nothing to provide support for the thousands of workers in the province who have lost their jobs,” says President Hanley.“While the government has announced $1.7-billion in provincial infrastructure spending, there is no ‘Buy Ontario’ or ‘Buy Canadian’ provision that would ensure maximum benefit from Ontario tax dollars spent through this program at the local level, and not on offshore suppliers. There is no guarantee.“Clearly the government missed a golden opportunity to provide Ontario taxpayers with value for their tax dollars. How many more Ontarians will lose their jobs, and how many more children will end up living in poverty as a result of this budget?” |