ONTARIO'S $1B PLAN TO REMOVE PROVINCIAL PORTION OF H-S-T FROM HYDRO BILLS
Sep 12, 2016
By Bob Komsic
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Relief from hydro bills means a sizable subsidy for taxpayers.
The Wynne government announced in its throne speech that the province’s 8% slice of the H-S-T will come off bills beginning in January.
While the Liberals estimate this will save the typical household about $130-a-year and additional relief for rural customers, the move will mean taxpayers are on the hook for $1-billion-a-year.
The Canadian Taxpayers Federation accuses the premier of trying to bribe Ontarians – with their own money.
Another initiative in the throne speech includes a commitment to create an additional 100,000 licensed child care spaces over five years, starting in 2017.
The government’s also promising to place more emphasis on math skills after half of all Grade 6 students failed to meet the provincial math standard this year, continuing a drop in test scores over the last five years.