Jim Flaherty, Tony Clement and John Baird, chopping taxes, nightmares

Don't just complain Dalton--do something

By Arthur Weinreb

Tuesday, October 31, 2006

Ontario Premier Dalton McGuinty helped wind up the meeting of the Ontario Liberal Party last weekend by railing against the federal Conservative government. The premier focused on cabinet ministers Jim Flaherty, Tony Clement and John Baird, all of whom served in the cabinet of the previous PC Ontario government; a government that McGuinty still blames for most of his woes. According to Dalton, not only do these guys not know what century we're in (it's the 21st in case any of them happen to be reading this) but they think that all of the country's problems can be solved by cutting taxes. According to the Ontario premier, the thought of these three guys sitting up there in Ottawa chopping taxes gives him "recurring nightmares".

Whine, whine, whine.

Now Dalton McGuinty obviously doesn't like tax cuts and from having watched him perform for the past three years, he didn't have to spend part of last weekend telling us that. He loves to tax and spend. Dalton McGuinty either doesn't understand where provincial revenues come from or he doesn't care. With few exceptions (ie. when Ontarians buy booze and gamble), the revenue that the government has comes from the money that is confiscated from the hard working taxpayers of the province. It's not the government's money; it's our money. We are the ones that are paying to keep the natives in Caledonia warm and snug in their occupied beds and we are the ones that are handing over money to drop a letter from a Crown corporation and to come up with a new and less improved logo for the province of Ontario. But just the thought of us being given some of our money back apparently causes Dalton to wake up in a sweat.

In a perfect world, Dalton McGuinty would be just anybody; but he isn't just anybody. Not only is he the premier of a Canadian have-province but he has a majority government. If he doesn't like tax cuts, then he should increase taxes to compensate for the wickedness coming out of Ottawa from those evil Harrisites.

No doubt the federal government had Dalton screaming for mommy when they cut the GST by one per cent with a promise to slash it by a further one per cent. We can certainly understand how someone who saves a buck on a $100 purchase would have the premier waking up in a cold sweat. Well, Dalton, you can't do anything about the GST but if you are really upset about the cut, raise the provincial sales tax by one per cent. Hell, outdo those guys; make it two per cent. Expand the base of the sales tax to include those items that are currently exempt from the provincial tax.

Okay, we know; during the election campaign you looked straight into the camera and told us that we wouldn't pay one penny more in taxes under a McGuinty government than we were already paying. That really doesn't matter; you already broke that promise when you introduced the health tax. We know what you are--let's not haggle over the price.

And if increasing the provincial sales tax isn't quite enough to prevent your "reoccurring nightmares" about Stephen Harper's tax cuts, there are also personal income taxes, corporate taxes and a whole host of other taxes just waiting to be increased. Don't complain about taxes being too low; increase them. As the saying goes, "just do it".

And then, have a good sleep Dalton.

Arthur Weinreb is an author, columnist and Associate Editor of Toronto Free Press. His work has appeared on Newsmax.com, Men's News Daily, Drudge Report, Foxnews.com, Glenn Beck and The Rant. Arthur can be reached at: Columns 2006 '05 '04 '03 '02 '01 '00 1999 Media 2006 '05 '04 '03 '02 Toronto 2006 '05 '04