Reaction to leaked Treasury Board report

(Update)

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

Hudak says the Liberals are bringing in more than 50 new taxes, fees or increases to tackle a $12 billion deficit. He says his party obtained the document that covered a range of fees that could raise $270-million. Hudak says he wants to know who ordered the government wide increase in user fees. Meanwhile, Premier Kathleen Wynne says the document in question was just an early draft.

Hudak: “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 cellphone 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.”

Premier Wynne responded: “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.”

Meanwhile, Andrea Horwath says the government needs to get serious about corporate tax loopholes to ensure those who’ve been getting all the breaks actually start coughing up a little bit to contribute to Ontario.

“Who knows what they’re going to do and I think it’s unfortunate that their first instinct, the Liberals first instinct is always to go to the pockets of everyday families when they look for money and that’s something I think is a big problem. People just aren’t in a position to pay more.”