- Breaks 2003 Promise to Cut Taxes
Spreading isn't limited to farming any more. When harvest time is winding down and shadows grow longer, you can detect the smell of manure in the air. It is not the only smell in Ontario this Fall. You can smell an election in the air in Ontario as politicians spread their promises in an effort to reap a harvest of votes come October 10th. The challenge for voters will be to get a shovel full of tax relief instead of a shovel full of the smelly stuff.
Voters deserve relief from the new health tax, from high property taxes, and income tax. Businesses deserve relief from the capital tax and one of the highest corporate income tax rates in Canada at 14%. There is surplus money in government accounts and it is time taxpayers got it back. Election time is the perfect time for voters to demand the tax relief they reserve.
No one really expects politicians to keep all their promises. We do, however, expect them to keep most of them. They definitely should keep the big ones. Moreover, not keeping a promise is different than blatantly breaking one. Before looking at the next batch of promises being made, Mr. McGuinty should first be assessed on the promises he made last time. A few he has made good on, but on the major ones, he has failed miserably.
In 2003, the Liberal 20/20 Plan: A Clear Vision for Ontario's Future, Mr. McGuinty promised on page 1 to make Ontario work for all of us with a "responsible fiscal plan: immediate investment in health care and education, a balanced budget, and then tax cuts as the economy grows." Yes, spending on health and education is up, although there is no appreciable improvement in the quality of either.
On the issue of tax cuts he has broken his promise. His 2003 election platform stated that once the budget was balanced, the fiscal dividend would be split three ways; 55% on new spending; 25% for tax cuts, and 20% for debt reduction. Despite now running a surplus of $2.3 billion, Mr. McGuinty refers to tax cuts as 'trinkets and baubles' and dismisses all talk of tax relief.
Even worse, Dalton McGuinty broke his biggest promise of all in 2003; the Canadian Taxpayers Federation's Taxpayer Protection Promise not to raise taxes without the explicit consent of voters. Instead of keeping his promise, in his first budget he introduced a health tax. This new tax is the single largest tax hike in the history of Ontario. This isn't some small broken promise. It is the Granddaddy of broken promises. Last year the health tax drained $2.6 billion out of taxpayer pockets. Funny enough, he has made the same promise again not to raise taxes. Imagine what it will cost us Ontario voters this time!
Interestingly, the surplus for last years is $2.3 billion is almost the same amount that is collected by the new health tax. Yet, Mr. McGuinty stubbornly refuses to give any of it back as tax relief. Mr. McGuinty stubbornly refuses to keep his word.
Ontario has had four years of broken promises and raised taxes. What Ontario needs now is a premier who will promise to cut taxes not a premier who promises not to raise them.