People in Ontario did not vote for a health tax
Do all Fairytales begin with, “Once upon a time”?

No. In McGuinty’s Ontario they begin with, “I, Dalton McGuinty, leader of the Liberal Party of Ontario, promise, if my party is elected, as the next government, that I will not raise taxes or implement new taxes without the explicit consent of Ontario voters, and not run deficits. I promise to abide by the Taxpayer Protection and Balanced Budget Act.” – signed September 11, 2003.

Despite this promise, Premier McGuinty is fraudulently raising taxes and imposing new ones; all without any mention of getting the consent of Ontario voters through a referendum. As though increased electricity bills and gas prices aren’t enough for taxpayers, the Ontario Liberals have introduced a budget that will ensure you and I have little money left after paying bills, putting food on the table and lining government coffers. Quite simply, Dalton McGuinty is breaking faith with the people of Ontario by hiking taxes when he promised he wouldn’t.

It’s a hard fast fact that the best way to lose good character is to not keep one’s word. This is not the government the people of our province believed they were electing last October 2nd -- today, it seems that the Liberals promised change and then changed their minds.

One of the most contentious taxes contained in the budget was the one on health care. The hardest pill for Ontarians to swallow is the introduction of the health care tax, which will see some families pay as much as $1,800 a year. Individuals will pay between $300 and $900 a year, depending on income. The tax for those earning between $20,000 and $36,000 will ring in at $300, representing 1.5 per cent of a person’s income.

Half the Ontario budget is used to fund health services in the province; therefore, half of all taxes one pays to the Ontario government are already health taxes. Back in October, I don’t think the people of Ontario understood they were voting for this increase in the income tax – the so-called health tax.

Ontario residents will soon pay out-of-pocket for physiotherapy and chiropractic visits as well as most routine eye exams. The Liberals believe that this will help create a stronger, more accessible health care system. Don’t be fooled, when it comes to health care, you’ll now pay more but get less. The truth of the matter is that those who cannot afford to pay for such services will experience a reduced quality of life, or they will simply make more frequent visits to their family physician or emergency room.

While health care taxes and other increased taxes have many of us sick to our stomach, the real issue according to my constituents is trust. Since the budget came down on May 18th, Premier McGuinty has attempted to steer the debate away from promise-breaking. The fact is the provincial Liberals said one thing during the election campaign and did another thing when elected.

I guess the Liberals feel it is better to win, than to speak the truth and lose.

So, as you can see, the Liberal fairytale is already taking the shape of a Shakespearean tragedy -- full of lies and deceit – that will conclude with you and I being taxed to the hilt.

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