NDP conditions on Ontario budget include tax hike for highest earners

Machjo

Machjo

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Oct 19, 2004
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mentalfloss said:
NDP conditions on Ontario budget include tax hike for highest earners

New Democratic Party Leader Andrea Horwath laid out her conditions for supporting the minority Liberal government on Tuesday, including having the 1 per cent in Ontario pay higher income taxes.

Ms. Horwath is calling on the government to use the additional revenues of $570-million a year from higher taxes to help struggling families with everything from home-heating costs to child-care spaces.

“Ontario’s not going to prosper if households are falling further behind,” Ms. Horwath said. “If we have to choose between a working mom who needs help with the kids or a CEO who needs help with a seven-figure paycheque, let’s help that mom.”

Ms. Horwath, the leader who holds the political cards in Ontario at the moment, made it clear that Tuesday’s announcement is just the first in a series of budget proposals designed to save the government.

The proposals follow a series of behind-the-scenes talks between the chiefs of staff for Ms. Horwath and Premier Dalton McGuinty, house leaders for both parties, and Liberal MPP Greg Sorbara and NDP MPP Rosario Marchese.

Mr. McGuinty has said repeatedly that he is open to hearing what Ms. Horwath has to say but that he won’t consider any proposals that involve spending more money.

Ms. Horwath has come up with a proposal designed to get around the fact that the Premier has “drawn a line in the sand.”

Having Ontarians in the highest income brackets – those who earn more than $500,000 a year – pay higher taxes would raise more than enough money to pay for the three demands she outlined on Tuesday:


  • Removing the provincial portion of the harmonized sales tax from home-heating bills, a measure that would cost $350-million a year.
  • Providing $50-million in funding to support more than 4,000 child-care spaces.
  • Provide those living on disability with additional annual funding of $40-million.
Increasing the tax rate for high-income earners by 2 percentage points to 13.16 per cent would raise $570-million a year, according to the New Democrats’ calculations.

Ms. Horwath reiterated her criticism that the budget tabled by the Liberals last Tuesday contains no measures to address the challenges facing many low-income Ontarians. Her measures, she said, bring “a dose of fairness to a budget that badly needs some.”

Ms. Horwath was coy when asked by reporters if her party will vote against the budget if these proposals are rejected.

"We'll cross that bridge when we get there," she said.

But she added that the Liberals should not outright reject a tax hike for high income earners.

"We don't want the government to pull a Tim Hudak and say, 'my way or the highway'," she said.

Her proposals, she said, are the product of her party’s consultations with Ontarians. The NDP invited Ontarians to respond to the budget through a website and toll-free phone number, and received more than 30,000 responses.

“They’re not happy with the budget,” Ms. Horwath told reporters earlier this week. “It puts a big burden on everyday folks.”

Ms. Horwath has made it clear that she won’t support the budget unless changes are made. The fate of the nearly six-month-old minority government landed in her lap after Progressive Conservative Leader Tim Hudak outright rejected the budget just hours after it was unveiled.

NDP conditions on Ontario budget include tax hike for highest earners - The Globe and Mail
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Fine, raise taxes on the highest earners, but remember to remove the minimum wage too to make sure unskilled labour can negotiate their wages down to compensate otherwise their jobs go.
 
damngrumpy

damngrumpy

Executive Branch Member
Mar 16, 2005
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The problem we have in North America is we have been sold on the idea of low taxes.
Low taxes means the infrastructure and other programs get put off until a later date.
the infrastructure eventually has to be upgraded. The problem is if we fixed things a
few years before it would be cheaper than waiting until they completely fall apart.
Face it, the very wealthy and the corporations have not been paying their fair share for
years and its time to belly up to the bar. These people enjoy the services of society
they just don't want to share the burden of paying for them.
Why is it that if union workers withheld services they are ordered back to work at some
point for the good of the public. Contrast that with, major companies that either don't
pay their share of taxes or they simply don't invest in the society they are given a break
or a stimulus package as an incentive to invest. I think they should pay their share
no more no less. In addition I think some of the other freeloaders should start paying for
the benefits of society. who you might ask? Televangelists, churches and charities that
hire others to solicit their funding.
Of course they could apply for deductions for work actually performed for providing food
clothing and so on. However the money spent to make more money should be taxed.
 
taxslave

taxslave

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Nov 25, 2008
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mentalfloss said:
:lol:
We've been over this. Maximum satisfaction ends at $74,000.00 net/year. :)
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In your opinion perhaps. I see that as kind of a minimum to shoot for. Gotta try and keep up with the government employees.

damngrumpy said:
The problem we have in North America is we have been sold on the idea of low taxes.
Low taxes means the infrastructure and other programs get put off until a later date.
the infrastructure eventually has to be upgraded. The problem is if we fixed things a
few years before it would be cheaper than waiting until they completely fall apart.
Face it, the very wealthy and the corporations have not been paying their fair share for
years and its time to belly up to the bar. These people enjoy the services of society
they just don't want to share the burden of paying for them.
Why is it that if union workers withheld services they are ordered back to work at some
point for the good of the public. Contrast that with, major companies that either don't
pay their share of taxes or they simply don't invest in the society they are given a break
or a stimulus package as an incentive to invest. I think they should pay their share
no more no less. In addition I think some of the other freeloaders should start paying for
the benefits of society. who you might ask? Televangelists, churches and charities that
hire others to solicit their funding.
Of course they could apply for deductions for work actually performed for providing food
clothing and so on. However the money spent to make more money should be taxed.
Click to expand...
We don't really have low taxes in Canada. Yes income taxes have dropped in most provinces but at the same time Municipal taxes and fees for all kinds of government services have risen dramatically. SO the end result is that we are still highly taxed.
Now there are a few at the high end that have managed to play the system to cut their income taxes but that is hardly their fault. More government's fault for creating so many loopholes that those that can afford an accountant can slip through.
 
Goober

Goober

Hall of Fame Member
Jan 23, 2009
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taxslave said:
In your opinion perhaps. I see that as kind of a minimum to shoot for. Gotta try and keep up with the government employees.
We don't really have low taxes in Canada. Yes income taxes have dropped in most provinces but at the same time Municipal taxes and fees for all kinds of government services have risen dramatically. SO the end result is that we are still highly taxed.
Now there are a few at the high end that have managed to play the system to cut their income taxes but that is hardly their fault. More government's fault for creating so many loopholes that those that can afford an accountant can slip through.
Click to expand...

The largest and small cities only have the option of property taxes. They depend upon the largess - AKA - what will gather votes - to their local prov Govt.

But your post is 100 % on the money.
Transferring tax points would be one option.
 
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