Oh crap! They're charging HST on fireworks!

NEWS RELEASE

NEW DEMOCRATIC PARTY OF CANADA

************************* Harper/ McGuinty HST begins with a bang this Canada Day

Even fireworks celebrations are now covered by the HST

OTTAWA – Canada Day celebrations this year will have a little less bang for the buck as the Harper/McGuinty HST will make it more expensive to buy even fireworks. It’s a fitting start to how this unfair tax shift will affect daily life in Ontario.

“Prime Minister Harper and Premier McGuinty have conspired to shift the tax burden from big business to the hard working families of Ontario,” said New Democrat Leader Jack Layton. “For people already struggling to make ends meet, the increase they see at the pumps and in their utility bills will be an unwelcome reminder of Harper’s shameful tax grab.”

In November, the Conservative government, with the support of Liberal MPs, rushed through the HST legislation before a full public debate could be held.

Input from elected representatives was further stifled by the Harper’s unilateral prorogation of Parliament in January.

The HST has been opposed strongly by both federal and Ontario New Democrats.

“From the initial attempt to ram through the legislation without consulting citizens to their shameful treatment of Ontario’s first nations, Stephen Harper has attempted to ignore the anger of ordinary people across the province,” said Hamilton-Mountain New Democrat Chris Charlton.

Charlton also noted that Premier McGuinty should have stood up for Ontarians and not simply rolled over for the Harper Conservatives.

“The people of Ontario deserve more respect from their governments.”

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