McGuinty's Decision to Promote HST Minister to Environment Portfolio All But Guarantees New Eco-Tax is on the Way

August 19, 2010

News

Yesterday’s cabinet shuffle provided a window into the tax-and-spend priorities of the McGuinty Liberals. While the biggest demotion of the day was former Environment Minister John Gerretsen, who was punished for botching an attempt to sneak in Dalton McGuinty’s eco-tax, the biggest promotion went to John Wilkinson who was rewarded for his role in ploughing through the HST tax grab against the wishes of Ontario families.

Today, Ontario PC Leader Tim Hudak pointed out that Dalton McGuinty’s decision to appoint Wilkinson as the new Environment Minister makes it all but certain the McGuinty Liberals are scheming to sneak in the eco-tax at a later date.

Given that hard-hit Ontario families are already looking for relief from Dalton McGuinty’s $3 billion HST tax grab, and latest hydro rate increase, Hudak challenged Wilkinson and McGuinty to confirm whether they will once again try to impose an eco-tax and, if so, guarantee that they will not try to sneak this new tax in by burying it in the sticker price of consumer products.

Quotes

“John Wilkinson was rewarded for ramming through the HST tax grab by being given the opportunity to ram through the eco-tax. There can be no doubt that, with Dalton McGuinty’s chief HST salesman now serving as Environment Minister, the eco-tax will soon be coming back.”

– Ontario PC Leader Tim Hudak

“It is clear that Dalton McGuinty’s government is out-of-gas, out-of-touch and in complete disarray. Ontario family budgets are already stretched to the limit. Families just cannot afford Dalton McGuinty any more.”

– Ontario PC Leader Tim Hudak

Quick Facts

John Wilkinson once tried to sell Dalton McGuinty’s HST tax grab by claiming the tax would create 600,000 jobs that “haven’t even been invented”. Yet, in the first month of the HST’s implementation, Ontario would, in fact, lose more than 30,000 full-time jobs.
“…an eco fee program will charge the consumer of the product rather than the taxpaying public, Wilkinson said, describing the program as the right way to go.”

– John Wilkinson defending the eco-tax last week (Flamborough Review, August 12th, 2010).