Second_in_pie
Senior Member
I wouldn't quite do that, but I'd give the GGH it's own government to oversee sustainable development and transportation, with a medium-sized provincial and municipal tax cuts, then a big new GGH tax (if I had it my way, it'd be higher than before, but what can I say; I'm a commie.) GGH tax would go towards making sure the GGH is the best place to live in the world, with infrastructure improvements including transit. Also, GGH ridings will be amalgamated so they don't have as big an impact on the province like it does now, though it'd still have an impact, especially since the Province would still be overseeing healthcare and other such sectors.I'll go one better & advocate that the GTA (Halton, Peel, Toronto, York, Durham) band together and separate from Ontario and be given Provincial status.
A GTA with Provincial Status would be able to collect income taxes, Liquor Taxes, Gas Taxes, Sales Taxes, get rid of property taxes (or keep them), set-up lotteries & casinos. Instead of going begging to Queen's Park for funds, funds which more leave the GTA than are ever returned in the way services or funding. We'd be able to eliminate 1 level of Government & bureaucracy and receive the benefit of the savings that entails.
Let's stop screwing around begging Queen's Park & Parliament Hill for handouts (handouts which are rightfully the GTA's) and start a Toronto Party much like the Bloc Quebecois. A party that is interested in the interests of Greater Torontonians. sending boatloads of Liberal MPP's & MP's to both Queens Park & Ottawa well on 40 years have done nothing of any great value for this region.
But I think the bigger winners out of that are the entire rest of Ontario. Right now, things are pretty solely centered in the GGH, and having the GGH manage itself would give a lot more time for the Province to grow other cities and manage those economies. The perfect division would probably come with a separation of Northern Ontario (to where, I'm not sure. Maybe some sort of Canadian Shield province along bits of Manitoba and Quebec.) But when it comes to who gets the shorter end of the stick in the South, it's definitely the rest of Southern Ontario, not the GGH.