News   GLOBAL  |  Apr 02, 2020
A Message to Our Readers
 8.9K     0 
News   GLOBAL  |  Apr 01, 2020
EarthCam Time-Lapse Documents Rafael Viñoly-Designed New Stanford Hospital Construction
 40K     0 
News   GLOBAL  |  Apr 01, 2020
Resort Town
 5.1K     0 

Grimace said:
So Flaherty is trying to tie the province's hands on the HST. If I may suggest some talking points:

1. Conservatives have campaigned on provincial rights and against strong federal government. So much for that.
2. Flaherty was part of Harris government that filled in Eglinton subway, and is still not willing to pay for transit.
3. Conservatives have encouraged sales tax harmonization for tax efficiency purposes, but Flaherty has just made it impossible for any province going forward to agree to a HST.
4. The Conservatives are now actively against a region paying for public goods accruing to that region, instead making everyone in the province pay for it.
5. Flaherty is purportedly part of a "subways subways subways" political group that has thrown up nothing but obstruction to the actual construction of subways.

I think some effective political messaging could be built up around this.
Click to expand...

Heres the thing: Flaherty has to go to hell. He's stepping on our toes here, he can just back off. It is that easy -- the jurisdictional war is getting tired. The federal government's mindset is too small for Toronto.
 
Flaherty has essentially just said no to a HST hike in the region of Toronto alone. if the Province wants a HST hike, they need to do it province wide.
 
innsertnamehere said:
Flaherty has essentially just said no to a HST hike in the region of Toronto alone. if the Province wants a HST hike, they need to do it province wide.
Click to expand...
The Metrolinx presentation noted that they might have to do it province-wide, and then provide it back as funding to non-GTA regions So not a big shocker. Sounds like the province already knew this. Hmm, so perhaps points to Wynne. Make the Conservatives look like the bad guys! I have to say there are some excellent strategists in the Ontario Liberal party ... how does Hudak not have this kind of support?
 
nfitz said:
The Metrolinx presentation noted that they might have to do it province-wide, and then provide it back as funding to non-GTA regions So not a big shocker. Sounds like the province already knew this. Hmm, so perhaps points to Wynne. Make the Conservatives look like the bad guys! I have to say there are some excellent strategists in the Ontario Liberal party ... how does Hudak not have this kind of support?
Click to expand...

You think that Wynne will score points outside of the GTA for raising the HST for transit??? After E-Health, Orange and the gas plant and the green act???

There's a reason why even the NDP is staying far away from that one...

If she does this, she will lose and will have gave up her power to the Cons or NDP

What makes you think that the province will gladly take a tax hike for us???
 
Well, just slap on a 1% transit sales tax on top of HST in the Golden Horseshoe. I am fairly certain the province have THAT right.

AoD
 
Solid Snake said:
You think that Wynne will score points outside of the GTA for raising the HST for transit??? After E-Health, Orange and the gas plant and the green act???

There's a reason why even the NDP is staying far away from that one...

If she does this, she will lose and will have gave up her power to the Cons or NDP

What makes you think that the province will gladly take a tax hike for us???
Click to expand...

Do it within the GTA then. Let's hop metrolinx gets enough money to change its mind about the scarborough subway.
 
denfromoakville:

I am not a fan of drawing the revenue from one source - everyone benefits, so it's better to spread the pain IMO.

AoD
 
Solid Snake said:
You think that Wynne will score points outside of the GTA for raising the HST for transit???
Click to expand...
Why do you say for transit? Metrolinx was quite clear that it would be directed to local priorities outside the GTA. That might well be Transit in Ottawa or KW. But presumably not in the north.

Solid Snake said:
After E-Health, Orange and the gas plant and the green act???
Click to expand...
None of which seems to be touching them. The latest polling puts the Liberals better than the finished in the last election (statistically no change since the election). I don't think most people really care about E-Health, Orange (sic) or the green act. And I fail to see how the gas plant has much impact given that the Tories were promising to cancel the plants as well.

There's a reason why even the NDP is staying far away from that one...

If she does this, she will lose and will have gave up her power to the Cons or NDP

What makes you think that the province will gladly take a tax hike for us???[/QUOTE]
 
nfitz said:
Why do you say for transit? Metrolinx was quite clear that it would be directed to local priorities outside the GTA. That might well be Transit in Ottawa or KW. But presumably not in the north.
Click to expand...

I've listened to numerous complaints about lack of bridge and roadway maintenance in rural Ontario (Bruce and Grey county). Prior to stimulus, some bridges were decades behind on their repair schedule because the local municipality was having difficulties coming up with hundreds of thousands of dollars for the repairs.

Nothing quite like driving an extra 20 miles between fields because you're afraid the bridge won't hold your equipment (combine, etc.) any more.

It's entirely possible rural Ontarians would be in favour of a sales tax if they saw a visible difference in local roadways (pave a few gravel roads, rebuild bridges, raise roadbeds that flood in spring, etc.). They'll scream until construction starts though.
 
Last edited:
From what I've read so far, it doesn't seem to be the case.

Jim Flaherty:

" as you're well aware, the comprehensive integrated tax coordination agreement signed by the Government of Ontario does not allow for the provincial component of the HST to vary between regions within the province. Any proposal to raise the rate of the provincial component of the HST within municipal or regional boundaries would contravene that agreement"

No HST tax hike.
 
Solid Snake:

That's assuming the transit tax is implemented as a component of the HST. Besides, what good Federal case can be made for restricting provincial freedom to set their portion of the HST?

AoD
 
AlvinofDiaspar said:
Solid Snake:

That's assuming the transit tax is implemented as a component of the HST. Besides, what good Federal case can be made for restricting provincial freedom to set their portion of the HST?

AoD
Click to expand...

the province is not denying what Flaherty said. He's most likely correct.

The only case the province have is to raise the HST for the while province...

Good luck winning an election doing that
 
Solid Snake said:
From what I've read so far, it doesn't seem to be the case.

Jim Flaherty:

" as you're well aware, the comprehensive integrated tax coordination agreement signed by the Government of Ontario does not allow for the provincial component of the HST to vary between regions within the province. Any proposal to raise the rate of the provincial component of the HST within municipal or regional boundaries would contravene that agreement"

No HST tax hike.
Click to expand...

No regional HST hike. Ontario may adjust their rate on a province wide basis and do whatever it wants with the revenue, including giving it back to consumers on a regional basis.


Ontario also has the option of creating a new sales tax which the province administers directly (like PST) on a regional basis.

HST was a federal initiative to reduce paperwork for businesses. If the province re-created a PST and borrowed heavily against the revenue (bonds, tendered contracts, PPP's, etc.) then businesses would put pressure on the feds to integrate the collection of it.


Power in Canada is largely held by the province. The federal government controls the province through strings tied to funds.


Translink (Vancouver) is also looking at new revenue tools including a regional sales tax. It's not a unique to Ontario situation and despite BC abandoning HST the federal government would like them back under it.
 
Last edited:
You must log in or register to post here.

Back
Top