• CTF praises Ontario election officials for diligence in ensuring "voter awareness" of full tax positions - rates and costs - of PC and Liberal Platforms
   
• CEO's letters to Clerk of legislature shows Taxpayer Protection Act is working!

OTTAWA: The Canadian Taxpayers Federation (CTF) today commended the diligence of the Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) of Ontario, Mr. John Hollins, in addressing CTF inquiries as to the levels of compliance by both the PC and Liberal parties under the Taxpayer Protection and Balanced Budget Act, 1999.

"This is a bold new era in Ontario politics where political parties are bound by law to make voters aware of the total costs and relevant tax rate changes underlying their tax proposals in their respective political platforms," said CTF federal director Walter Robinson. "With voter awareness of the tax implications in both major party platforms, an informed ballot can now be truly cast on October 2nd."

"Mr. Hollins has confirmed that PC plans for new taxing power for cities and the Liberal plan to hike corporate taxes and scrap future personal income tax reductions - defined by provincial law as a tax increase - have both been adequately defined and costed so voters have a fuller sense of the tax revenues at stake … what they will keep and what they will lose," added Robinson.

"Yesterday we asked the CEO to further investigate with the Liberal Party of Ontario to better define and cost their intentions in their plans to freeze personal income taxes at today's rates," stated Robinson. "The original Liberal letter to the CEO on the issue of personal income taxes was not clear, concise and unambiguous as required by the Act. Now we have a greater degree of clarity with respect to Mr. McGuinty's proposals to hike personal income taxes if elected."

The CEO and his staff are to be commended for the immediacy with which they responded to our concerns. The processes inherent in the Act are working for Ontario taxpayers and the work of his office is testament to impartial public service.

The CTF is Canada's most effective taxpayer advocacy group with 65,000 supporters nationwide. It is a non-partisan organization, does not endorse political parties or candidates and does not receive funding from any level of government.