HST: What will go up by 8%?

[Mencken]

What a fucking crock of bullshit white washing.

They made a billion dollars. Whoop-dee-fucking-doo. They got $1B for something they could have milked for DECADES!!! But they get taxes from the private owners?!?! Are you kidding me???? That's like saying they sold the cow but they get to collect taxes on the milk.

The Highway 407 sale was a fucking fiasco. The Conservative government wanted a quick billion to balance its books and earn some quick and cheap political points. And now a private company gets the bulk of the benefit and joe consumer merely pays. The 407 sale was one of the DUMBEST moves ever. Just like now with the Liberals looking at selling off electricity generation assets, or the LCBO, or the Lottery Corp. It's all to make a quick buck to balance the books today by giving up GUARANTEED REVENUE for decades.

Dumb, Dumb, Dumb.

I don't know about the 407...but selling the LCBO would be a great move. Compare the cost of wages for employees in the LCBO to the private sector and you will get the picture. Alberta did it and made a lot of money on it, and now have that many less civil serants to feed. Win win.

 

[Rufus Doofus]

Domestic transportation. There may be no PST charged on the following;

The HST will not be charged on the following items that are currently not subject to PST:
* Basic groceries
* Prescription drugs
* Certain medical devices
* Child care
* Residential rents
* Municipal public transit
* Most health and education services
* Legal aid
* Most financial services
* Tutoring
* Music lessons

Consumers will not have to pay the provincial portion of the HST for:

* Qualifying prepared food and beverages sold for $4.00 or less
* Print newspapers
* Children's clothing and footwear
* Children's car seats and car booster seats
* Diapers
* Feminine hygiene products
* Books (including audio books)

. . . if it is consumed in Ontario and moves by truck, rail, ship, plane or pipeline, it will be taxed. If the freight originates in Ontario and is exported across an international border (no Quebec doesn't count) there will be no HST applicable.

What about gasoline, natural gas, oil, bunker C, electricity? After Mulroney brought down the GST in '89?, the conservative government led by Kim Campbell held its first caucus meeting in a telephone booth. When the reality sets in for the consumer come July 1st, McGuinty has a little over a year before he gets a good federal posting in California.

 

[svtcobra]

I'm not looking forward to this with my business but then again I have to work through it with the clients. All business will still be effected in a way, Nothing I can do about it as I feel most politician's are crooks anyway.

 

[flubadub]

I don't know about the 407...but selling the LCBO would be a great move. Compare the cost of wages for employees in the LCBO to the private sector and you will get the picture. Alberta did it and made a lot of money on it, and now have that many less civil serants to feed. Win win.

No.
The LCBO generates revenue for Ontario, provides pretty good jobs, but makes money for the province.
On top of that, our booze prices are better than Alberta's (the LCBO being the world's largest purchaser of alcohol means it gets a good price).

If you sell the LCBO for a quick influx of cash, you lose a steady and good stream of profit for ever.

And what's with the fascination in removing well paid jobs to replace them with poorly paid mcjobs? That's not going to either give Ontario more money or cheaper booze.

 

[fuji]

yeah right....businesses will pass these savings onto us...how niave. Just like they have the exchange rate savings.

If they don't then blame the business and shop somewhere that does.

 

[mac]

If they don't then blame the business and shop somewhere that does.

how about I just blame the spineless provincial government that created the massive money grab in the first place. I don't recall something this significant ever being part of thier election platform which just goes to show the problems inherent to majority governments in a parlinmentary system....no frggin checks and balances.

ps. fugi.....fo you honestly thing prices have come down in the past 13 months as our dollar has strengthened? Last week Metro announced improved profit results in thier first quarter and cited the strong canadain dollar as the reason. Thiese are the same people that are suppose to pass the HST savings on to us. Our dollar already buys way less than it does in the US and this HST crap will just execerbaye the issue.

 

[Cycleguy007]

Or, you could lose the paranoia and give factual information. Many of the items you listed will continue to exempt from the PST portion of the HST. Let's see what reality has to say:

http://www.rev.gov.on.ca/en/taxchange/consumers.html
The HST will not be charged on the following items that are currently not subject to PST:

* Basic groceries
* Prescription drugs
* Certain medical devices
* Child care
* Residential rents
* Municipal public transit
* Most health and education services
* Legal aid
* Most financial services
* Tutoring
* Music lessons

Consumers will not have to pay the provincial portion of the HST for:

* Qualifying prepared food and beverages sold for $4.00 or less
* Print newspapers
* Children's clothing and footwear
* Children's car seats and car booster seats
* Diapers
* Feminine hygiene products
* Books (including audio books)

Well if that is the case... then I stand corrected (with apologies to the board...)

(But we're still being ass-fucked by Dalton...)