In our last newsletter, CARP ActionOnline we asked readers to weigh in on the decision by the provincial governments of B.C and Ontario to implement a Harmonized Sales Tax (HST) in 2010. The results are in and most polls respondents don’t believe that the tax credits will be sufficient to offset the tax increase created by the HST and 85.4% of them don’t believe that businesses will pass through their savings to consumers. We gave politicians and by-election candidates in B.C. and Ontario the opportunity to comment on the results of our poll. Here are the responses we received by press time:

Ontario’s seniors will be hard hit when Dalton McGuinty blends the GST with the provincial sales tax. This combined Dalton Sales Tax (DST) could cost Ontarians anywhere from $1,000 to $2,000 more annually, with an estimated $2.5 Billion extra in revenue for the Liberal government.

Seniors in Ontario will see a wide-range of their purchases and utilities increase come July 1, 2010 when the DST is implemented. For example, items that will face an increase include shelter (like condo fees and rent), home heating, gas, newspapers, landscaping, snow removal, MERS on mutual funds, massage therapy, vitamins and even the morning coffee. Retirement homes and unbelievably funerals (including service, monuments and flowers) are also not immune to the DST. The extra costs will really add up.

Ontario’s seniors will be among the most negatively affected if the DST goes through.

The PC Caucus understands that the Dalton Sales Tax will hit Ontario’s seniors, especially those who are living on a fixed income, hard. That’s why we’re mobilizing Ontarians on our website www.daltonsalestax.com so we can work together to fight this tax. We’re offering a public petition and we’re also encouraging Ontarians to use our online tax calculator that easily shows what the DST will mean to weekly, monthly and annual bills.

If you’d like to join me, PC Leader Tim Hudak and the PC Caucus in the fight against the DST, please email me at [email protected] or call my office 416-325-6351. If we are to stop this tax in its tracks, we need to work together.

Lisa MacLeod, MPP
Nepean – Carleton
Revenue and Government Accountability Critic

Keywords: seniors, HST