Tim Hudak against Liberal draft document proposing tax hike

Ontario PC leader Tim Hudak is continuing his crusade against a draft Treasury Board document obtained by his party that reportedly reveals a major hike in taxes and fees.

Hudak says the Liberals are bringing on more than 50 new taxes, fees or increases to tackle a 12-billion dollar deficit. He says his party obtained a draft treasury report that covered a range of fees that could raise 270-million dollars for Ontario.

Hudak wants to know who ordered the government- wide increase in user fees and says, “to be very clear about it, if you drive a car your costs are going up… If you like to hunt or fish or camp your costs will go up… If you have a telephone or cell phone your costs are going up. This is an all-out attack on the pocketbook of Ontario men and women that they simply can’t afford.”

Meanwhile, Wynne insists that the document in question was just an early draft and says, “this government looks at a range of options, civil servants bring forward information, they bring forward possibilities and then that discussion happens and the politicians make decisions about how they’re going to go forward.”

Finance minister Charles Sousa says the proposed increases are just recommendations being brought forward.