Ontario Hansard - 09-December2009

Ms. Lisa MacLeod: I'm honoured to lead the debate today on behalf of Tim Hudak and the official opposition. I will be sharing my time with our finance critic, the MPP from Parry Sound-Muskoka, Norm Miller.

It has been clear since the Liberals announced their intention to harmonize our sales tax with the federal GST and implement a $3-billion tax grab that the PC caucus would oppose it every step of the way. We promised Ontarians that we would fight the $3-billion Liberal tax grab on the middle class and seniors tooth and nail. We promised Ontarians that we would use every legislative tool at our disposal to fight their 8% tax hike. And we promised Ontarians that we would be their voice in the HST debate, because the official opposition knows they can't afford another McGuinty tax grab-not this time and not ever again.

I admit this fight with the Liberal majority was an uphill battle. The odds were stacked against us. The Liberals, of course, later today, will use their majority to ram this $3-billion tax grab through.

But I'm proud that every promise Tim Hudak and the PC caucus made, we were able to keep. The other side can't claim that victory. It's a moral one, and it's an important one. The PC caucus is proud to be the team who sided with soccer moms in Barrie, the retired police officers in Hamilton and those trying to make a living as hairstylists, massage therapists, and the tourism industry everywhere from Nepean to Niagara, Kingston to Kenora, and every village, city and town in between.

Benjamin Disraeli once said, "that all power is a trust; that we are accountable for its exercise; that from the people and for the people all springs, and all must exist." Sadly, this Liberal government has forgotten that, if they ever knew it.

Some may talk about antics, they may disparage stunts, and they may even dismiss this fight against the HST. For them I feel regret. In the years to come, our province is going to look back at this HST debate as more than just another law and as more than just another McGuinty tax grab. In fact, these were the moments that defined the Liberal government as out of touch. As much as they may claim victory on legislation today, it is they who will ultimately lose. In fact, I believe they have already lost. Not only did they consistently shut down debate on the HST, but they limited public hearings for the people who wanted answers from their government-consistently. Over three dozen Ontarians who wanted to come to participate in committee were shut down. Almost 200 Ontarians who made written submissions in the very short period of time they were able to, were told that their voice didn't matter by the Liberal chair. Ultimately, it was the Liberal government who walked out and cancelled the one meeting where the opposition could make a difference in clause-by-clause. We could have legitimately improved the bill and softened the harsh impact that the $3-billion McGuinty tax grab will have on Ontarians.

Interjections.

The Deputy Speaker (Mr. Bruce Crozier): Order. Thank you.

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Ms. Lisa MacLeod: When the Liberals walked out of committee hearings, they hammered home their contempt of those in this chamber and of the public who dared to get in the way of their rush to whatever's left in our wallets.

But these moments also showcase the unity, the resolve and the determination of Tim Hudak and the PC caucus. We used every tool at our disposal, and as my colleague from Parry Sound-Muskoka points out, that even included a forklift, which was used to carry over 500,000 amendments that would have saved Ontario taxpayers from paying billions more. Everyone in the PC caucus can be proud leaving this chamber today knowing that they defended Ontario taxpayers by doing everything possible to stop this tax grab.

But above all, these moments brought forward the emotions of Ontarians, the likes of which I have not seen since being elected to this place just short of four years ago. How else can you explain the hundreds of thousands of Ontarians who signed petitions to oppose the 8% tax grab on home heating, haircuts, snow removal and Christmas trees? How else can you describe the hundreds of Ontarians who showed up at this chamber at Queen's Park to protest the $3-billion tax grab on families and the middle class?

And how else do you explain these comments from Barrie? "The biggest insult of all to we citizens has to be the additional 8% tax increase the provincial government is going to add on the debt retirement payments we now pay because of the former Ontario Hydro's $38-billion debt. This is tax on tax on tax.... Oh, boy!" That's from Jack Garner of Barrie.

From Brant: "It's going to be a negative impact on the majority of us. It's another thing that will make it difficult for seniors to stay independent in their homes." That's from Doris Post.

Doug Priest from Haliburton-Kawartha Lakes-Brock says: "This province will be crippled if this unprecedented tax grab, cleverly disguised as the harmonized sales tax, comes into effect. It will mostly hurt retired people and people on ... fixed incomes."

Interjection.

The Deputy Speaker (Mr. Bruce Crozier): The member for Huron-Bruce, come to order.

Ms. Lisa MacLeod: William Sinclair of Oakville says, "The HST, by attacking the basic necessities of living, is unfair to students, working families and especially seniors. It should be amended to substantially lower the rate or be scrapped altogether."

From Peterborough: "I am so insulted and unforgiving of the HST proposal. Based on his comments in the article, it is my opinion that Mr. Leal needs to find a better day job and learn some accounting if he wants to know how a box is taxed. Or work on getting a conscience."

Clark and Jo-Ann Thompson of Timiskaming-Cochrane: "The new HST increases in items never taxed before will cause hardships on those on fixed incomes. Knowing northern Ontario problems, I would have hoped the northern members in the Liberal Party would have had more influence with the Premier."

When the Liberal government decided to shut down the voices that opposed them at committee, I received a letter from Mississauga. I'm going to read the whole thing:

"I watched with great interest, and with a growing sense of revulsion and disgust, at the way you were treated in committee on Thursday, December 3.... I viewed, via the Ontario Parliament network, the committee hearings, and I was particularly impressed with your no-nonsense, straight-to-business attitude.

"However, I found myself being actually embarrassed, when Bob Delaney (Acting Chair) deliberately spoke over you, a most discourteous action and one that Mrs. Albanese repeated later on in the committee's deliberations.

"I will be perfectly honest with you: I am not a supporter of the Conservative Party. However, the right of freedom of speech and conscience is fundamental to democracy, and any infringement, no matter how transient or minor, denigrates our society as a whole.

"I feel duty bound to offer my apologies to you for the rather rude treatment at the hands of Mr. Delaney. At this point, you are probably wondering why a complete stranger would take the time and trouble to compose and dispatch a letter apologizing for the ill-mannered conduct of somebody else.

"Well, in response, I have to admit that Bob Delaney is my MPP ... and quite frankly, I am ashamed of his conduct in committee. Not only did he demean you with his actions, he also demeaned himself and the political process as a whole.

"I took great interest in your attempts to extend the committee [sitting] time past the 6 p.m. cut-off, and was disappointed but not very surprised when the majority Liberals on the committee objected.

Interjection.

Ms. Lisa MacLeod: That's from Mr. Wulf Hallifax.

The time for debate put forward by the Liberals today is too draconian to speak in more depth on the HST bill, but I'll leave you with one simple, yet profound, thought on liberty. John Stuart Mill, a British Liberal in 1859, said, "`The tyranny of the majority' is now generally included among the evils against which society requires to be on its guard."

I want to thank Ontarians-Mr. Wulf Hallifax and so many others who contacted official opposition offices-for joining us in the fight against the HST. I want to assure Ontarians that we in the opposition are going to continue to be on guard for them in the next two years, to hold this Liberal government accountable for the new $3 billion in revenues they will be taking in off the backs of seniors and the working middle class. You should be ashamed of yourselves, Liberal Party.