NEWS:

QUEEN'S PARK - December 15^th, 2010 marks the one year anniversary since Dalton McGuinty forced his greedy $3 billion HST tax grab into law. Despite all of the Liberal promises the HST tax grab has been a dismal failure, says Ontario PC Revenue and Government Accountability Critic Lisa MacLeod, MPP Nepean-Carleton.

The McGuinty Liberals promised the HST would not amount to increases in taxes. In May, Dalton McGuinty himself admitted that the tax burden for Ontario families would go up, but families should "step it up" and "do whatever it takes" to pay for his new tax.

The McGuinty Liberals said retailers would pass HST savings on to consumers. Then the LCBO - a government-run retailer - jacked up prices in anticipation of the HST. Dalton McGuinty also promised the HST would create 591,000 new jobs. Instead Ontario has lost 26,900 private-sector jobs since the HST came in July 1^st, 2010.

QUOTES:

"Dalton McGuinty has no problem backtracking on everything from his full-day kindergarten program to his bizarre priorities like allowing cell phones in classrooms.  He should backtrack on his HST too and give families a break."

-- Lisa MacLeod, MPP Nepean-Carleton

"While the McGuinty government struggles to find the imaginary jobs they said the HST would create, the private sector has lost nearly 27,000 real jobs since the HST took effect."

-- Lisa MacLeod, MPP Nepean-Carleton

QUICK FACTS:

• "The vast majority of jobs that our children are going to have today haven't even been invented."
  --John Wilkinson, Minister of Revenue, Estimates Committee hearings, Tuesday, June 1st, 2010.
• There have been 26,900 private-sector jobs lost since the HST was implemented, according to Statistics Canada data.
• Dalton McGuinty's HST applies to a range of everyday goods and services families need, such as gasoline, hydro, home heating fuel and even haircuts.