02.10.2011 02:32 PM

Former PC leader John Tory backs Dalton McGuinty

…on taxation policy.

And, as Dalton McGuinty points out in the linked Star story, so too do Jim Flaherty, John Baird and Tony Clement – all senior ministers within Stephen Harper’s government.  They said the HST was the way to go, too.  So did other PC giants, like Bob Runciman.

The story is below.  I can’t wait to see how Rocco Rossi is going to fix this little communications problem!  As he always liked to remind us, he could fix anything!

***

Former Progressive Conservative leader John Tory has jolted the upcoming provincial election by hailing Liberal Premier Dalton McGuinty’s “courage” in levying the 13 per cent Harmonized Sales Tax.

“I haven’t won too many friends by saying, for example, that the HST, which many people love to hate, is nonetheless good economic and tax policy if we want to create jobs in the province of Ontario,” Tory said Thursday.

“And you know what, it took some courage to do it,” he said.

Tory — who resigned as PC leader in March 2009, three weeks before the Liberals unveiled the HST — made his comments to an influential audience of 600 people at the Greater Toronto CivicAction Summit Alliance conference.

“I’m not going to stand up and endorse him, but if you listen to my radio program you’ll know I don’t hesitate to commend him and his government when they do things that are right,” the Newstalk 1010 host said as he introduced the premier to the blue-chip crowd.

19 Comments

  1. Dan F. says:

    Looks like Rocco Rossi was traded away for John Tory. Libs definitely got the better end of that deal.

  2. Blaster says:

    Wait, so does that make Dalton a Reform-a-Tory? Didn’t Flaherty and Clement work for Mike Harris? If the Liberals are just going to implement PC economic policy, why not just elect a PC government? One can only assume that Dalton would then support the CPC federally. God knows the federal Libs haven’t made his life any easier on this file.

    • james Smith says:

      Dude, what does that even mean?
      Please! If the people who broke Ontario (now in Ottawa breaking the federal government) were half the managers that we have at Queens Park I might partially agree with you. Prob is they’re cowardly and inept, & that is the opposite of what we have now at Queens Park.
      BTW, see any Ontario Cabinet Ministers with novelty cheques with party logos? No eh? How ’bout commercials on the TeeVee telling us that tax cuts are some how part of some magic voodoo kind of so called economic plan?
      Sheesh!

    • JenS says:

      Positively cracktastic logic.

      Sometimes, good policy is goodmpolicy and it transcends party.

      • Nick says:

        When is everyone going to realize that political parties are irrelevant and that all political ideologies are useless and outdated this day in age (if for no other reason than none of our political leaders seem to adhere to any of them). Hey, I proudly knocked on doors for Harris, but I’m not hating D. McG’s gov. If Tory can be objective and stoic , why can’t we?

  3. R says:

    http://www.vancouversun.com/news/Parties+trade+shots+over+Conservative+marijuana+bill/4260951/story.html


    Charles Momy, president of the association which represents 43,000 police members across the country, said the legislation would prevent instances when criminals re-offend very quickly after getting out of a short jail sentence

    We have 33,000,000 million Canadian and we have 43,000 police members I THINK this must be more with undercover police number rcmp and etc..

    NOW for sake of argument think number is almost correct it means for every 1000 Canadian we have one police to watch them out

    now may be more like 100 Canadian one camera hidden in street too

    is crime goes down NOT YET
    Is something wrong why big guy is not arrested and small easy arrested
    remind me of Iran only hang young drug traficking and leave big guy to ship it aboard

    Now all thos jail is extra bonus for job of police enforcment is or beat up youth and not prevent them to go to stage to later arreste them

    money must more need to use to prevention of gang for children youth and in sport center and public place who join together or school watch more

    if those big drug gang scared and beat up to face of youth and children and scared or harrass or asult them to do what they asked them to do for small money they got
    who is responsible for youth corruption is jail system or police who love this number go high to their job salary go high too
    If you drive in Brampton and Missisauga North York and down town Toronto you will see group of police

    while most police are doing lazy job out of GTA who may pass more behind this job and border and Quebec liner and West liner drug group

    people who suddenly gain one billion dollar and tourist trip money and so many other sources

    all job seeking for police not real solution to problems

    I sometimes believe harper exactly copy what Ahmadinjad does for drug traffiking in minority grop
    the only different still harper has not capital punishment to gain similar like Iranium film for Canadium for us

    If you search engine gang for children and teengers and youth and reason behind it and how they involve then you will balme to government more than children it means must jail the government people more than jail youth who involve with that corruption of why this is happend to them

  4. Eric says:

    I was always disappointed in Hudak’s abject objection to the HST. It is a good tax, but that flaw was that the provincial portion of the rate wasn’t lowered when it’s reach was broadened. Hudak would have had far more credibility with this approach instead of just saying NO to something we know he will not reverse.

    • Good points, Eric. Had McGuinty lowered the provincial portion of the HST by one or two percentage points, the HST would be more palatable. I will also agree that Hudak will have no credibility if he says that he will abolish the HST or something like that.

  5. Rick T. says:

    It’s a good tax. Are you delusuonal. There is no good tax! 13% is highway robbery.

    • Dan F. says:

      I’m sorry, but I have to disagree with you when you say that there are no good taxes.

      Taxes that pay for transit and roads, so we can get to work, are good taxes.
      Taxes that pay for health care (some of the best in the world) are good taxes.
      Taxes that pay for our children’s education are good taxes.
      Taxes that pay for our men and women in uniform are good taxes.
      Taxes that pay for the firefighters, police and EMS that put their lives on the line for us every single day, are good taxes.
      Taxes that pay for all the little things that make our lives better, that made Canada the best country in the world in which to live, from 1993 to 2004, are good taxes, and I am absolutely happy to pay them. If you would prefer to live in a country without taxes, I’m sure that there are a few, and they would be happy to have you.

      • Rick T. says:

        So you think 13% tax rate for good and service is a good idea?

        • Philip says:

          Hold on turbo. You have just changed your argument. You had originally posted that there was no such thing as a good tax. Dan rightly pointed out exactly why we pay taxes in a democracy. It is what grown ups do when they expect things from the people they elect to serve them. You may have a legitimate debate over the size of the tax and the services which a government should provide but your “there is no good tax” position is untenable.

    • JenS says:

      Show me a country where people don’t pay taxes, and I’ll show you a country where I don’t want to live.

  6. crf says:

    During the last B.C. election, Carol James’ biggest fight was against the B.C. carbon tax, and, later, after the election, her biggest policy was harping against the HST.
    She’s no longer the leader.

    It’s wise to have anti-everything in moderation.

  7. Martin says:

    @Rick T: “There is no good tax!”
    — so, you’d like to pay for police, health care, infrastructure with what– buttons? Grow up and be serious already. There are good and bad ways to tax, and this one happens to make sense. Harper obviously thinks so, too.

  8. AmandaM says:

    Mr. Tory knows that taxes are how we pay for civilization (thank you, Holmes). He also know from his business community ties that business in Ontario had been asking for HST for years, and was turned down until recession made it impossible to reason against any longer. If the current Tories were at all business-minded, they would know this. But they aren’t. They’re just irrationally oppositional to all ideas that are not their own, and that is not the way to run a government if you are over the age of 17.

    One of the many wonderful things about Mr. Tory is that he is infinitely reasonable on most matters when he is not hindered by having to put politics first. He is also a true class-act, calls the Premier by his honourific on his show (which I wish had less commercials) showing respect for the man and the office despite difference of opinion. Looking back, the 2007 campaign could’ve been a great debate between two learned and rational people and it would’ve been a sight to see. I don’t think we’re going to have that opportunity again for a true debate about the future of Ontario for a long time. Sad.

    Anyway, if you want government services and infrastructure, you and everyone else, and businesses, pay taxes. End of story. Don’t like it? Go and buy a desert island and live there.

  9. R says:

    http://m.torontosun.com/17201571.1
    ideas: review some history background and solution to not repeat the same mistake

    1) War in Muslim and enter Canada in war was Harris plan originally
    Sep 11. 2001 war in terror in New York and invasion of Iraq was supported by Harris:
    Mike Harris term was in June 25, 1995 to April 15, 2002
    During his time as Premier, Harris was frequently cited as someone who could “unite the right” in Canada, and lead a merged party of federal Progressive Conservatives and Reform/Canadian Alliance supporters. He made serious steps toward a career in federal politics after stepping down as Premier, weighing in on issues such as the 2003 invasion of Iraq (which he supported)
    He was master mind or helper to G W Bush in all war in terror to fight Muslim too. Chretien get influenced by Ontario to do this support too.
    Hated multi culture
    Solution: People with different religion color language personality region and ideas and different food are live together in all earth now link among them to cut bad culture and keep good culture to join so many bad culture will raised not because of religion to blame but also because history and tradition and some need to get up to dated it is like law up to dated so as some culture up to dated but not pull plug to one and blame to Muslim and say all UK tradition is okay and nonMuslim culture is not okay too and some is okay too is link among people not separated of people in share common ground to get communicate, War is not solution in different culture cut bad culture and learn good culture in each community is solution to join multiculture not blame to muslim here only
    2) Harris is father to Harper and MacKay- 3 in one shampoo Harris from Ontario as father and Uncle was Harper in Calgary and MacKay from Nova Scotia join all right wings together platform
    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Map_Canada_political-geo.png
    Natural resources background: during Mulroney as PM later Frank Miller was sworn in as Premier of Ontario on February 8, 1985, and appointed Harris as his Minister of Natural Resources(Peter Gordon MacKay, PC, QC, MP (born September 27, 1965) is a lawyer and politician from Nova Scotia, Canada. He is the Member of Parliament for Central Nova and currently serves as Minister of National Defense in the Cabinet of Canada.), Harris made a speech in Halifax which many believed was the unofficial launch of a campaign to lead the new Conservative Party of Canada. At the same time leadership incumbent McKay stepped aside in favor of Steven Harper supported by the connection to the Preston Manning Alliance in Alberta. In the end, Harris decided to stand aside; he later endorsed former Magna International President and CEO Belinda Stronach, in the 2004 Conservative Party of Canada leadership election.
    http://www.vancouversun.com/business/Mulroney+Harper+Stick+guns+continental+security+trade+negotiations/4268444/story.html
    Solution: to join liberal and work together in Canada and aboard the same way Harris won game
    3) Gun increased: anti multicultural and hate Indian origin
    Shortly after his first election win in 1995, Mike Harris faced his first crisis as Premier. Protesters fighting land claim issues took over a Provincial Park 150 km North West of Toronto. During a confrontation with the demonstrators, Ontario Provincial Police acting Sgt. Kenneth Deane fired on First Nations demonstrators who had occupied the park, killing a protester named Dudley George.
    Solution: work more in prevention cost to put cost of result of crime happened stop youth and children in crime program and disable criminal
    4) Natural resources background: during Mulroney as PM later Frank Miller was sworn in as Premier of Ontario on February 8, 1985, and appointed Harris as his Minister of Natural Resources.
    Ontario has above information with total of 1,076,395 sq km that land is 917,741 square kilometers and 14.8% water which is 158,654 square kilometers. With population of 13 million and density of 13.8/km2
    The initiative added 378 new parks and protected areas, bringing the total in Ontario to 650 and increasing Ontario’s protected areas to more than 95,000 square kilometers.
    In 1995, Provincial Park of 150 km North West of Toronto has originally lead to shooting Indian
    Then, in 1999, the Harris government was re-elected for a second term as a majority government, largely by its political base in the 905 area. 1999 Harris also announced a program called Ontario’s Living Legacy. The initiative added 378 new parks and protected areas, bringing the total in Ontario to 650 and increasing Ontario’s protected areas to more than 95,000 square kilometers.
    Controversy arose in 2000 when the town water supply of Walkerton became infected by E. coli. Seven people died and hundreds became ill. It was later discovered the local official responsible for water quality, Stan Koebel, had lied, falsified records, failed to test water quality regularly, and when the outbreak occurred had failed to promptly notify the local Medical Officer of Health. In late 2004, Koebel pled guilty to a minor charge in relation to the offence and was sentenced to one year in jail
    The Harris government cut funding of major urban infrastructure projects upon assuming office. Though construction had already begun on the Eglinton West subway in Toronto, a proposed rapid transit line to ultimately link the main north/south subway line of the city with the suburbs and airport, funding was cancelled shortly after Harris’ election
    One part of the Common Sense Revolution was to sell off various government-owned enterprises, the largest of which were to be Ontario Hydro
    Representing generation and distribution of power respectively) with the plan of eventually selling them off. Public opposition to the sale of these money-making government enterprises postponed the government’s plans. In 1999, Highway 407 was leased to a private consortium in the largest such scheme to privatize the management of a public asset in Canadian history
    Solution: environment EP protection will caused not land development it is balance need to do keep some land as nature and keep other to better business and residential or farm land use, work in mix private and government in fair not like Hydro put pressure in people electrical bills in citizen. Create competition and better cheaper hydro that each person made solar roof to reduce cost of hydro.
    Turn those entire 100,000 parks to building nearby that mean land is become free
    And ask Home depo to put $100,000 brand new house for all welfare people for 35 years they can have lease to own apartment and houses with payment of $350/month
    http://www.ratesupermarket.ca/mortgage/compare_mortgage_rates_results/?mortgage_amount=100000&rate_type=CLOSEDVARIABLE&province=5&rate_term=5&button_compare_mortgage=Submit+Query&city=3763&amortization_period=35
    Then in result not need to keep pay house for same family
    With 2.2% fixed rate for 35 years. It is winning for government and for poor people not turns to park and let people stay hungry
    made food and farm land and ask welfare people to work with addition of cash of $500/month to help farm land grow food in area again is labour cheap win win for government and rich farmer too.

  10. R says:

    (continue…)

    5) Cut health plan in Ontario
    In addition, a new Fair Share Health Levy was established and charged to high-income earners to help pay for mounting health care costs. Shortly after assuming office, the Harris government announced that several hundred nurses would be laid off to cut costs in the health sector. The government also implemented a series of hospital closures on the recommendations of a Health Services Restructuring Commission. Harris compared the laid off hospital workers to the people who lost their jobs after the hula hoop fad died down in the early 1960s, commenting “Just as Hula-Hoops went out and those workers had to have a factory and a company that would manufacture something else that’s in, it’s the same in government, and you know, governments have put off these decisions for so many years that restructuring sometimes is painful” (The Globe and Mail, 6 March 1997).
    Solution: so many companies involve with work with welfare and with student can cover health care insurance watch US insurance up to date too
    Some parents need child care money and child care nurse and helped to grow their children healthy as they do not know or not educated or not have money or some ignorant the children health must watch with all parents who have children up to age 18 to even hire baby sitter some clean their home when they have child. Rather than their kid taken from them and give to someone else.
    6) Cut education and osap grant to student and colleges and cut courses from high school students
    Because rich already sent their kid to private school and not wish they gain any better education in public school using their tax amount to other people.
    Solution: let student daily work when they come to school by put certain data enter or certain easy job as labour while they are in school to reduce their job especially university change to project of work done for government while they are working and studying to gather. Like coop program
    Give student loan guarantee with job guarantee to pay from government if not find job not need to pay loan
    7) Welfare system: for the “Common Sense Revolution”,
    in most revolution poor ask money from rich but in common sense revolution of Mike Harris he steal money back from poor to rich as rich revolutionary we should call him.
    Hillary Weston luitenent governor who is wife of owner of Loblaw companies Weston financial and CIBC bank was supporter of him, never ask or expect rich to help poor people.
    Harris was again able to retain his own seat. On May 3, 1994, Harris unveiled his “Common Sense Revolution” platform. An unusual document in the normally centrist Ontario political environment, it called for significant spending cuts and large tax cuts, as well as elimination of the province’s record $11 billion deficit
    The Harris government balanced the provincial budget, although its critics contend that cuts in taxes caused a drop in revenues, which in turn led to renewed budget deficits after Harris resigned. Harris supporters pointed to the fact that government revenues rose from $48 billion in 1995 to $64 billion by 2001, when the budget was balanced.[7] Harris’ government reduced Ontario welfare rolls by 500,000 people; critics contend these cuts led to a rise in homelessness and poverty. Supporters argued that high welfare rates had created disincentives to find entry-level jobs, and that poverty levels remained relatively unchanged between 1995 and 2005. Employment rates increased significantly during the late 1990s, although some Harris critics argued that many of the new jobs were part-time rather than full-time and offered fewer benefits to employees.
    Mike Harris One of its first major policy decisions was to cut social assistance rates by 22%.
    But in other hand he gave back as call him revolution in favor of rich people to get money from poor and pass it back to rich again to become richer! Then.
    Provincial income taxes were cut by 30% to pre-1990 levels.
    So many help can give to welfare if they give them job to do. Increase job and cut war jet buying and give every Canadian $2000/month to live at least and if extra job require give them to do they will work extra cash for you
    8) Harris was grow up in North Bay, Ontario and married 3 times his wife said he is crazy and keep divorce him he is now 65 years, and originally was born in Toronto and hate multi culture and left Toronto to leave far from Toronto in North Bay as fishery father business Harris was first elected to public office as a school board trustee in 1974. He entered provincial politics in the 1981 election, and defeated the incumbent Liberal Member of Provincial Parliament (MPP) in Nipissing, Mike Bolan. Harris later suggested that he was motivated to enter politics by an opposition to the policies of Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau.[4]
    In late May 2010, Nipissing University confirmed that Harris would receive an Honorary Doctorate.[16] In response, the Ontario Teachers’ Federation has threatened to discourage, or even prevent, their members from acting as associate teachers for students in Nipissing University’s Bachelor of Education program, which requires students to complete 12 weeks of practice teaching in a classroom
    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mike_Harris
    Solution: He does not deserve any respect are premier of Ontario. Never listen to crazy racist people.
    http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/politics/adam-radwanski/ontario-election-seen-as-referendum-on-accidental-premiers-governance/article1896644/

    maybe it is too late though

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