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No matter how bad the economy gets, Premier Dalton McGuinty is promising that taxes won’t go up.
McGuinty said yesterday the “worst thing that you can do in times of an economic slowdown” would be to raise taxes.
“Instead of looking for ways to further slow down the economy, you’ve got to look for ways to accelerate growth,” the premier said.
McGuinty admitted things are far bleaker than when he took power in 2003 and discovered a hidden $5.6-billion deficit that forced him to foist the health tax on Ontarians.
But raising taxes, which the Liberals did in their first budget in 2004 despite an election pledge not to do so, isn’t on the agenda.
Among McGuinty’s concerns has been the fact that Ontario taxpayers put $20 billion more into federal coffers than they get back in transfer payments and services. A recent TD Bank report said Ontario could make a case that $11.8 billion of that $20 billion should be coming back to the province.
Progressive Conservative Leader John Tory noted that McGuinty has burned Ontario voters before so they should watch their wallets.
“This is the man who got elected to office the first time promising not to raise taxes,” said Tory. “I don’t know why anybody would believe a word he says.”
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