Taxpayers and farmers lose out in Ontario Budget, says MPP Arnott
On the bright side, MPP’s Private Member’s Bill adopted as policy

Once again in this year’s provincial budget, the Ontario Liberals have been less than forthcoming about the Province’s finances, says Waterloo-Wellington MPP Ted Arnott.

“In the last election, the Liberals said they would not raise taxes. They broke that promise in their first budget when they introduced a brand new tax on income which they claimed would go to health care,” said Mr. Arnott. “This year, the Finance Minister tries to claim that his budget holds the line on taxes. In reality, the health tax that we pay will double this year, for everyone who pays it.”

In the same way, the Liberals have said one thing and done another when it comes to the deficit.

“In the election, they promised to balance the budget, but instead they recorded a deficit. Now the Government says the budget most likely will not be balanced by 2007, which breaks yet another promise they’ve made,” Mr. Arnott observed.

Mr. Arnott also expressed serious concerns about the 23 percent cut to the Ministry of Agriculture and Food budget. Speaking in the Ontario Legislature on Thursday May 12th, he said: “I think most farm families in my constituency of Waterloo-Wellington will feel like they've been kicked in the teeth when they read the papers today about the lack of support for the Ministry of Agriculture and Food.”

On a positive note, Mr. Arnott was pleased that his Private Member’s Bill 77 to exempt children’s booster seats from Provincial Sales Tax was adopted as policy by the Government in the budget.

“Now that the Government is compelling parents to keep older children in booster seats, I’m pleased they are finally agreeing to exempt these booster seats from the provincial sales tax,” he concluded.