HST should be removed―from everything. It is one tax we need a break from. While McGuinty Liberals gambled a billion dollar of taxpayers’ money on the famous e-Health scandal in 2008 (which included hefty paycheques to the Liberals favoured consultants at the rate of $2,750.00 per day, and hundreds of thousands in bonuses for the work that never took place), we are being fooled that the government needs money in form of our tax dollars. HST is just another tax we cannot afford to pay anymore.
Do you know that HST is a tax on tax at the pumps? Here is the breakdown of taxes included in the $1.38 per litre price of gas:
Ontario Sales Tax: 14.7 cents per litre
Federal Excise Tax: 10 cents per litre
Toronto Retail Margin: 7 cents per litre
Then 13% HST on the above is added to the total price of gas we pay. HST is a tax on taxes. This illegal tax must be axed.
HST is eating up the money people don’t have to begin with. People with fixed incomes and low income families have to give up on little luxuries that make life a little more bearable after tough eight or twelve hour shifts just to be able to afford heating up their homes, just to have the electricity running in their homes, and just to keep them going from home to work and vice versa. HST is a killer for majority of Ontarians.
Fuming Gas Prices―Working class is not only struggling with high taxes but also sky-rocketing gas prices. While corporate oil giants make billions in profits, an ordinary person tries to balance the budget between food items and gas money. Shame on these corporations that make profits out of people’s sufferings and shame on our government to let it happen!
A lot of unemployed cannot look for jobs because there is no money to put in the gas tank. A job offered a little farther from home would take at least $8.00 an hour towards gas. The gas prices are shattering people’s lives and our government has its lips sealed, ears plugged, and eyes shut.
There is always an excuse, always a reason given to us for high gasoline prices. Enough of this game playing now! We need solutions. We cannot continue to pay these killer gas prices quietly. It’s time that we question our political candidates about their party’s action plan to tackle this very serious issue.
High Tuition Fees―University tuition fees rise to 4.3% this year in Ontario, up to $6,640.00 a year. We hear the political candidates making promises that their party would put a freeze the tuition fees for the next four years. Maybe, the candidates need to listen to people for once. We are not asking for tuition freeze. We are asking to lower the tuition fees not just by a few hundred but a few thousand.
Investing in our education system is far more important than some bogus provincial programs that only corporations and politically appointed consultants end up making millions from. No child that is capable of receiving post-secondary education should be deprived of the opportunity due to financial reasons. The universities only go up to the highest limit possible but the tuition fee limits are set by the government.
Nova Scotia that had the highest tuition fees are now the lowest. Why not Ontario? Because we are not speaking loud enough! Whatever little noise we are making, is falling on deaf years. For all the time we don’t speak up, hundreds of thousands of students remain deprived of higher education and even higher number of students continue to be crippled with debt.
Health Care on the Edge of Privatization
The province first made sure our health care system is so doomed that it can justify the reform by giving private contracts to rich corporate bidders but the government is forgetting that we, the people are alert on the issues revolving around them. Ontario’s Health Minister is leading the project towards P3 corporations. P3 corporations are for-profit organizations that have little public interest and all corporate interests in mind, with of course hefty under the table donations to our political parties. We need to speak up to demand that instead of privatizing, our tax dollars be put into our health care system. Read the Ontario Health Coalition’s Report at
Sky Rocketing Auto Insurance Rates―In Ontario, the auto insurance regulations are set by the Financial Services Commission of Ontario (FSCO)―a 100% taxpayer funded agency. In reality, it is the government, not the private sector that sets the insurance rates. According to FSCO, as of March 31, 2011, FSCO has regulated 361 insurance companies, 44, 203 insurance agents, 4,420 corporate insurance agencies, and 1,499 insurance adjusters. Whose interests FSCO is watching out for? Taxpayers or the insurance companies? Why can’t Ontario have government funded auto insurance and offer people affordable premiums?
Do you know that Mr. McGuinty has sanctioned another 22.5% increase in auto insurance premiums in January 2012?
Exploitation of Workers by Unregulated Employment Agencies in Ontario―And we must speak up on behalf of thousands of workers being exploited by employment agencies. Until these employment agencies are eliminated and HRDC take the role of employment services back, workers including students desperate for jobs to pay off the tuition debt will continue to be exploited under dangerous job conditions, less pay, no paid holidays or sick days and absolutely no benefits or job security. Don’t forget that the government loses a lot of tax dollars due to these employment agencies and the loss is made up from our tax dollars.
October 6th is not all about their campaigns but it’s about the next four years of our lives. Don’t just hand your vote over to a political candidate. Question them about their party’s agenda and action plan to tackle these issues. Hold them accountable for the promises they make to get your vote. Because, you vote matters!!!
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