25 November 2009
Miller: Seniors Understand True Impact of HST
Increase to heating costs, electricity and gasoline among concerns

QUEEN'S PARK—Today in Question Period, MPP Paul Miller, the NDP Critic for Seniors’ Issues questioned the Minister Responsible for Seniors’ Issues about when she and her Government will listen to seniors’ concerns about the HST. The Minister once again deflected Miller’s question “Why won’t this minister and the government listen to Phil, Ruth and all other seniors?” to the HST Minister.

Ruth and Phil from Hamilton East – Stoney Creek wrote to Miller to let him “know how strongly we are opposed to this so-called harmonization tax…… This is much, much more than a melding together of two taxes, it is a huge addition of tax on a vast array of services which are not currently taxed. Phil and I, who are on fixed incomes and trying to hold on to homes we’ve lived in for years (and) to make ends meet.”

Miller pressed the Minister Responsible for Seniors’ Issues again, “Ruth and Phil also said, ‘Now they want to put taxes on our home heating costs, electricity, etc. and the very idea of even more of a tax on car gasoline would be almost funny if it weren’t so sad. Most of what we currently pay for gas is in taxes and now they want to add more to it. A much better name for this tax would be ‘discordant tax.’ There’s much more discord than harmony to be found in this tax.”

Again Miller asked the Minister Responsible for Seniors’ Issues, “why is it that Ruth, Phil and other seniors get what this tax is really going to do to them but this minister and the McGuinty Liberals don’t get it?” And again the Minister refused to answer the seniors she’s responsible for serving.

“The refusal of the Minister to provide even a basic response is typical of the dodging and weaving that this government is doing on this very serious issue,” said Miller. “The McGuinty Liberals won’t meet with the public in open consultations on this ill-conceived tax and the Minister won’t respond to questions asked on behalf of seniors. Yet another sad day for democracy in Ontario, brought to you by the weave and bob, smoke and mirrors McGuinty Liberals,” said Miller in disgust.

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Media Contact: Paul Miller (416) 325-0707

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