Well it’s official Dalton McGuinty has now become the highest taxing premier in the history of our great province. It wasn’t enough that he just implemented Ontario’s largest tax grab, the HST on July 1st, he had to add a secretive hidden tax too!!

On July 1st the Ontario Liberals increased the cost of living for consumers and businesses by allowing a so-called “Eco fee” to be charged to over 10,000 items, in reality it’s really just another tax. The new tax, which ranges from $0.02 to $7.00, was secretively put into place by the Liberal government’s agency, Stewardship Ontario.

Here are some of the items being taxed by the eco tax:

Smoke alarms, fire extinguishers

Toothbrushes, swifter, flashlights

Air Fresheners, Sun block, hand sanitizers

Medical inhales and much, much more.

The interesting thing about this so-called Eco fee is that it looks like it is being taxed by the HST. In an interview I watched with the Minister of the Environment, John Gerretsen, he flip flopped back and forth on the issue of whether or not this eco tax is being taxed too. He couldn’t answer yes or no.

But then after talking about it for a bit, the Minister said “if it is taxed it’s miniscule, it’s miniscule”. And that’s the problem right there, the Liberal government does not see that a penny here, a dollar there hurts Ontario families. The fact that a minister would justify a tax on top of a tax and be clueless on the issue shows that this Liberal government has gotten fat and lazy and has no idea what their doing and how their running this province. It’s a disgrace.

Here’s a link to the interview from the Toronto Sun, July 9, 2010.

http://www.torontosun.com/news/torontoandgta/2010/07/09/14666951.html

The eco tax was implemented with no debate in the legislature; no public hearings; and no vote in the legislature or by the people of Ontario. Once again, Dalton has shown there’s NO DEMOCRACY in the McGuinty Liberals Ontario and that his word and promises mean absolutely nothing. 

The fact that the McGuinty Liberals allow an unelected, unaccountable government agency to implement a tax grab on so many different items shows how out of touch the Ontario government is with our province, the businesses and the people.

Yesterday, some good news came to Ontarians from the Leader of the PC Party, Tim Hudak. Mr. Hudak vowed to scrap the “Eco Tax”, if the Liberals would not. Hudak and the PC Party of Ontario have been standing up for the rights of Ontarians and holding McGuinty accountable for his poor decisions, mismanagement and over taxation since becoming the leader of the party just over a year ago. 

Quotes from Mr Hudak taken from the Ontario PC website show that Hudak and his party are committed to Ontario families and are making good with their actions on the slogan “Ontario can lead again”

“The only ‘green’ Dalton McGuinty is truly worried about, is the green in your wallet. From his hidden hydro tax to his so-called ’smart metre’ energy tax grab, to his new secret eco tax, it is clear that Dalton McGuinty will hide his tax grabs behind hollow environment excuses every chance he gets.”

–Ontario PC Leader Tim Hudak

“I am calling on Dalton McGuinty to scrap his eco tax grab before another St. Catharines parent is forced to pay it on bath toys or sunblock for their kids and before another Welland senior pays it on laundry detergent or batteries for their TV remote. And if the McGuinty Liberals won’t scrap this tax, then a PC Government will.”

–Ontario PC Leader Tim Hudak