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Ontario Hansard - 30-November2009
Ms. Lisa MacLeod: My question is for the Deputy Premier as well. What do you have to say to the condo owners, health care and home care workers, financial advisers, sports and recreation organizations and seniors who are here with us today who you are blocking from taking part in public consultations and hearings across Ontario while you ram your HST $3-billion tax grab through this Legislature this week?
Hon. Dwight Duncan: Later today I'm meeting with the head of the mutual funds industry. I've met with them on three occasions. On Friday I spoke to the chamber of commerce and took questions, as have a number of my colleagues right across the province. We've had more than 33 hours of debate on this issue. I think it's well understood.
Let me reinforce that taxes are being cut overall. First of all, the new HST is not being applied on the condo fee. This is about 600,000 new jobs, more capital investment, more jobs. It's about all of us working together for a better future for Ontario and tax cuts that will come into effect on January 1. I'm not going to let her and her party block that.
The Speaker (Hon. Steve Peters): Supplementary?
Ms. Lisa MacLeod: But he continues to block public consultation. In fact, he's giving Quebec separatists more say on his $3-billion tax grab than he's giving people in this province. I think he should look some of the seniors in the eye around here-
Interjections.
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The Speaker (Hon. Steve Peters): I'm finding it difficult to hear, and my biggest challenge is from the government side.
Please continue.
Ms. Lisa MacLeod: I'm going to ask that the Deputy Premier look Ontario's seniors in the eye and tell those living on a fixed income of $40,000 a year how they'll be better off paying $2,100 more in taxes each year. You should answer Doreen Kelly of Orillia, who says the HST "is particularly galling when government agencies (eHealth for one) spend our money like there was no tomorrow and we are expected to increase our tax burden to make up the shortfall."
Deputy Premier, will you show some guts and hold public hearings on your HST, $3-billion tax grab?
Hon. Dwight Duncan: We're holding public hearings, as I understand it, later this week. There will be representatives of those groups speaking.
I will look Ontario seniors in the eye and say that, in fact, on January 1 your income taxes will be cut, unless that member and her party block it this week. So we're not going to let them do that. The property tax credit for Ontario seniors will be doubled, unless that member and her party try to block it in the House today.
It is a difficult issue. We are doing our best to help people see all sides of it, to see the entire package. We will continue to do that. We are having public-
Interjections.
The Speaker (Hon. Steve Peters): Stop the clock. The member from Eglinton-Lawrence and the member from Hamilton East-Stoney Creek can take their cross-chamber debate outside, please.
Minister.
Hon. Dwight Duncan: We're proceeding this week. This is the right package, which, according to the Conservatives' own expert, will create jobs, lower taxes overall and improve this economy for our children and our grandchildren. That is the single most important thing all of us can do.
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