By MPP Toby Barrett June 1st marked the start to Seniors Month in Ontario and ironically it also marked the one-month countdown to the implementation of Mr. McGuinty’s HST tax grab that will punish everyone, including vulnerable seniors already struggling to make ends meet. The HST is a tax on seniors and every other Ontarian. … Continue reading “HST is one in a long line of taxes”
Category: Column Articles
By MPP Toby Barrett This past week I had an opportunity to address the abysmal failure of the Ontario government’s waste electronics and electrical equipment program – the latest evidence of unmet expectations with respect to waste diversion in the province. Back in 2002, the former government passed the Waste Diversion Act, “to promote the … Continue reading “Recycled electronics are ending up in dumps”
By MPP Toby Barrett This past month, instead of looking at ways we can kick-start the provincial economy we were forced to discuss McGuinty plans for sex-education, cuts to front line health care and pharmacies, and this government’s favourite headline diverter – climate change. Specifically, we waded into debate when Liberal MPP Phil McNeely reintroduced … Continue reading “All talk, little action on climate change”
By MPP Toby Barrett In spite of what many perceive as a massive intervention by government into the private sector, Mr. McGuinty in a Toronto Star article states, “Our principle responsibility in government is not really to ensure there is any particular kind of pharmacy industry in place…” However, the draconian elimination of rebates – … Continue reading “Will pharmacies go the way of the corner store?”
By MPP Toby Barrett Now that we have discovered the current government will double Ontario’s debt by fiscal year 2012-13, we must seriously consider a number of remedies. We must make government smaller, end deficit spending and balance the budget and, when we are done, produce a government that is effective in performing its key … Continue reading “It is worrisome what is not addressed in budget”
By MPP Toby Barrett This year’s budget indicates the McGuinty government has increased spending 70 per cent since taking office. Expenditures for fiscal year 2010-11 will come in at a whopping $125.9 billion. Those numbers tell a tale – a tale of a government that has maxed out its credit card and is forwarding the … Continue reading “Can Government spend its way out of a recession?”
By MPP Toby Barrett Instead of a throne speech to set a change of course, and a plan for job creation, we seem to be left with more of the “same old same old”. What I witnessed was a bit of a rambling report to the Ontario Legislature with little mention of issues of concern … Continue reading “Throne speech bereft of ideas for our area”
By MPP Toby Barrett With respect to Ontario’s Finances, we don’t have a revenue problem, we have a spending problem. Deficits have risen to levels that are going to be very difficult to turn around because of the cumulative impact on the debt. Ontario must stop the deficit growth and ensure sustainable revenue generation. By … Continue reading “We don’t have a revenue problem – it’s spending”
By MPP Toby Barrett Winter is the time for farm meetings and whether it be pork, beef, hort or cash crop I have been hearing a common theme – the need for a Risk Management Program. Farmers have been facing negative margins and are being forced to shut down after concluding the current suite of … Continue reading “Our farmers require a Risk Management Program”