I am writing in response to your Feb. 8, 2011 story titled Struggling with HST.
The NDP is not telling the whole story when it comes to the HST. The NDP fails to talk about the investment that businesses are making in our province to create jobs and strengthen our economy. In fact, we have recovered 95 per cent of the jobs lost during the recession.
They also fail to talk about the changes that we are making to our energy system to get rid of dirty coal and ensure better air quality now and for future generations.
Also, they fail to talk about the credits and benefits that our government is providing to Ontario families.
Here are the facts:
We are providing cheques to Ontarians to help with the transition to the HST. This means up to $1,000 for families making $160,000 or less and up to $300 for individuals making $80,000 or less.
- Eligible Ontarians are also receiving up to $260 through our permanent Ontario Sales Tax Credit.
- As of Jan. 1, families, small businesses and farms in Ontario are getting 10 per cent off of their electricity bills to help as we transition to a cleaner, more reliable energy system.
- The new Ontario Energy and Property Tax Credit is providing up to $900 in tax relief for families and up to $1,025 for seniors.
- And the Northern Ontario Energy Credit is providing up to $130 per eligible person and $200 per eligible family to help with energy costs.
These are all putting more money into Ontarians’ pockets while we continue to build a strong economy that supports our valued public services, like health care and education.
Visit ontaro.ca/taxchange to find out more.
Hon. Sophia Aggelonitis
Minister of Revenue
