Making the Ontario budget fairer

I am pleased that Andrea Horwath and the Ontario NDP in their negotiations with the McGuinty Government have been able to make the Ontario budget better and fairer for everyday Ontarians. There is now more funding to save child care spaces, more support for Ontario Works and ODSP recipients, more funding for small, rural, and northern health care centres, and help for the horseracing sector. There is a new 2% surtax on incomes over $500,000. Andrea Horwath has drawn attention to the fact that the wealthiest one per cent and the large, profitable corporations do not pay their fair share of taxes.

PHOTO CREDIT - Jason Setnyk, OurHometown.ca

Cornwall - April 24, 2012 - I am pleased that Andrea Horwath and the Ontario NDP in their negotiations with the McGuinty Government have been able to make the Ontario budget better and fairer for everyday Ontarians. There is now more funding to save child care spaces, more support for Ontario Works and ODSP recipients, more funding for small, rural, and northern health care centres, and help for the horseracing sector. There is a new 2% surtax on incomes over $500,000. Andrea Horwath has drawn attention to the fact that the wealthiest one per cent and the large, profitable corporations do not pay their fair share of taxes.

The NDP still has concerns with the budget. This is not a New Democrat budget. I had hoped that the additional $470 million raised by the 2% surtax on the wealthiest one per cent would be earmarked for a job creation plan that would provide tax credits for businesses that create new jobs and for improvements to healthcare and home care. The budget still leaves families paying the unfair HST on their home heating bills. Instead of working with employees in the public sector, the McGuinty Government has decided to resort to the Mike Harris tactics of confrontation.

However, the NDP serves people better by working to make the minority Government work rather than having a second election in seven months. It is unfortunate that the Ontario Conservatives have made no constructive proposals in the Ontario legislature to make the minority Government work. The Hudak Conservatives have marginalized themselves and have made Andrea Horwath and the NDP the real opposition at Queen's Park.

The NDP will continue to put people first and to fight for a fair and prosperous Ontario rather than chase votes in an early election.