MPP Ted Arnott tells Provincial Liberals to stop discriminating
against rural Ontario and share the gas tax

Waterloo-Wellington MPP Ted Arnott told the Ontario Legislature on October 13th that the Provincial Liberal Government is discriminating against rural Ontario by diverting a portion of the gas tax to cities for their transit systems, while they ignore rural transportation needs.

“We who live in rural and small town Ontario pay the full 14.7 cents per litre of gas tax to the province, just like Ontario’s urban residents do. How then can the Government possibly justify a tax rebate that benefits only people who live in the city?” he asked in the House.

Mr. Arnott also raised the issue of the inconsistency between the provincial Liberals’ position and what has been said by federal Liberals about how they may share revenues from federal gas taxes with municipalities.

“Even the federal Liberal Government, in promising to share a portion of the federal gas tax with municipalities, has said the money must be available to municipalities large and small,” he informed the House. “This commitment was made by the Hon. John Godfrey in a speech to the Toronto Board of Trade on October 1st. In light of the federal commitment, how is it that the provincial Liberals can be so fixated on our cities, to the complete exclusion of rural Ontario?”

Mr. Arnott spoke about the resolutions that were passed by the Councils of the Town of Minto and Township of Wellesley calling on the Province to share the gas tax with all municipalities. He also reminded the House that municipalities in Waterloo- Wellington have put forward their transportation priorities by supporting the Waterloo-Wellington Transportation Action Plan.

“There are over 40 projects in the Plan, and transit is among them, but the majority of them demonstrate the need to include rural Ontario – its roads and bridges – in any dedicated distribution of gas tax revenue,” he added.

“Regrettably, the Provincial Government is excluding people who live and work in rural Ontario. The Ontario Government must take a provincial view and make sure that if this gas tax flows this month, it benefits all municipalities in an equal and fair manner,” Mr. Arnott added later.