War on taxpayers
The Canadian Taxpayers Federation (CTF)
condemns the McGuinty government's budget as a complete breach
of trust with the taxpayers of Ontario.
"They have totally broken faith with the
voters of this province. The Liberals campaigned on a platform
of fiscal responsibility, balanced budgets, and no tax hikes,"
said Tasha Kheiriddin, CTF Ontario director. "At no time did
they talk of health taxes or any other multi-billion dollar tax
increases.
"They promised a balanced budget, yet they
won't deliver one for another three years. Ontario has returned
to the days of rampant tax-and-spend liberalism."
Kheiridden added, "The McGuinty promise not
to raise taxes was a lie. Their deficit numbers were a lie.
Their pledge to eliminate waste was a lie. This government is
completely unworthy of the people's trust.
"This budget can be summed up in three words:
less for more. Taxpayers will get the same services (such as
vehicle licences) or fewer services (such as delisted
health-care services) while paying higher fees and
taxes."
Environmentalists
pleased
Earthroots applauds the Ontario government's
decision to invest $53 million in the Ministry of the
Environment, beginning the rebuilding process of this
ministry after several years of neglect and
ruin. Between 1991 and 2001, the ministry's budget was slashed
from $824 million to $231 million.
"Ontarians want Queen's Park to protect clean
air and water, and green spaces and forests", said Earthroots
campaign director Josh Matlow.
"The environment has been left out in the
wilderness for too many years. In this budget, the government
has begun the process of reinvesting into Ontario's
future."
Mayor hears good news
The budget was good news to the ears of
Greater Sudbury Mayor David Courtemanche. "The Northern
Prosperity Plan, the Northern Ontario Grow
Bonds Program and the GO North Investor
Program hold the promise of tremendous potential," he
said.
"Providing municipalities with a two cent
share of the provincial gas tax for public transit over three
years is a positive first step," said Courtemanche.
"We look forward to seeing the details of the
gas tax funding formula and we certainly hope that the impact
will be significant."
In addition, the budget provides funding for
public infrastructure priorities, including tools to secure
affordable financing. "The infrastructure needs in
Greater Sudbury, like all municipalities in
Ontario, are immense," said Courtemanche.
Greens see grey
It's not a bad budget. It's not a good budget
either, said Green Party of Ontario leader Frank de Jong.
"It's a grey budget that fails to address the
root causes of many of Ontario's ills, including the root
causes of ill health, climate change, post-secondary student
debt, and projected energy shortages."
While the Ontario government plans to
transfer pennies per litre in gas taxes to municipalities for
transportation infrastructure, they should have given
municipalities the right to introduce their own transportation
taxes, added de Jong.
"They should have given taxation autonomy to
allow municipalities to levy their own taxes. Instead, they are
still giving them crumbs," said de Jong.
The Green Party criticizes the Liberals for
adding the new health premium. They say this new tax takes the
province in the wrong direction because it fails to address the
root cause of health care costs. The GPO would reduce the
health budget through disease prevention, addressing the root
causes of ill heath (stress, unemployment, addiction, poverty,
lifestyle factors).
Health promotion needed
The Ontario Public Health Association (OPHA)
applauds the commitment made by the Minister of Finance in the
budget to "shift the focus to healthy living, illness
prevention and health promotion."
The government's commitment to enhance the
public health system's capacity for infectious disease control,
increase provincial coverage of public health costs to 75 per
cent, and improve home care, mental health and community health
services is a step in the right direction.
However, the association cautions that
greater emphasis on health promotion is needed.
"Keeping Ontario healthy includes not only
infectious disease control, but strong health promotion
programming in nutrition, school health, physical activity and
other areas. This is necessary to address critical problems
such as rising rates of obesity and other chronic diseases,"
says Larry Stinson, OPHA board member.
Important first step
Ontario's Catholic school trustees view the
budget as an important step toward providing the funding needed
to improve student learning opportunities and outcomes.
"We welcome the increased focus on education
in this tough economic climate," said Paul Whitehead, president
of the Ontario Catholic School Trustees' Association (OCSTA).
"Adequacy of education funding, however, remains an issue.
School boards must apply the funding increase to many competing
local needs as well as to the government's new priorities.
"
The government's plan for achieving smaller
class sizes requires adequate funding for success. Ontario's
Catholic school trustees believe school board involvement in
the planning of this initiative is also vital, as is
flexibility in implementation. The OCSTA says it look forward
to the opportunity to
provide information and perspective on this
issue to the government.