Harper backs Ontario basher

[Hailey]

Prime Minister Stephen Harper said in London yesterday he won't muzzle his Ontario-bashing finance minister.

Jim Flaherty has claimed Ontario is "the last place" new businesses would want to locate because of high provincial business taxes.

Harper was asked how Flaherty's continued attacks could benefit places such as London, which has the second-highest unemployment rate among Ontario cities, and whether Flaherty should be curbed.

"I don't think the issue is Mr. Flaherty," Harper told reporters. "The issue is the investment climate. The government of Canada wants a better investment climate in Ontario."

The federal government has lowered taxes, cut red tape and invested in infrastructure to stimulate private investment, Harper said.




"That's everything Minister Flaherty and the government have been doing," he said. "It's in the interest of the country, we have a strong Ontario that's a good place to invest. So I think it's important we . . . move things in the right direction."

At Queen's Park, Premier Dalton McGuinty and Finance Minister Dwight Duncan said Flaherty is wrong with his latest claim Ontario will soon become "a have-not" province.

"It's kind of sad," Duncan said. "It's demeaning to Ontario and Ontarians, not to me and not Dalton McGuinty."

He has not said if he will include a reduction of business taxes in the provincial budget to be tabled Tuesday.

McGuinty has said his government would have to cut spending on schools and hospitals if business taxes were reduced.

McGuinty said he has still not received a response to a letter he sent Harper complaining about Flaherty's constant attacks as "inappropriate and potentially harmful."

The federal Conservative government has been "betraying its responsibility to champion the Canadian economy," McGuinty said.

Harper, in his second visit to London since becoming prime minister, stopped at Cleardale public school where he discussed the federal government's support for a program to provide free MedicAlert bracelets to pupils.

He also toured the Electro-Motive Diesel plant on Oxford Street where he met many of the firm's 900 employees.

Harper said his visit to the rail locomotive plant was intended to highlight tax measures from his government aimed at keeping manufacturers competitive.

Ontario must reduce its taxes further in the national interest, Harper said.

"Ontario is the heart, it is still the engine of the Canadian economy," he said. "There's no reason the Ontario economy can't be as strong as the economy in any other part of this country."
http://lfpress.ca/newsstand/News/Local/ ... 6-sun.html

[northerndude]

well what is he suppose to do and by the way he is bashing the mcguinty liberals government and not " ontario " in the sense .

there is a difference . even though the ontario liberals got re-elected there not exactly massivly popular here anyways

[Harry]

I think Flaherty is right. Ontario is about to become a ''Have-Not'' province the way their government is going.

[WestViking]

Ontario want federal subsidies for manufacturers Ontario is taxing to the max. What could possible be wrong with that?

[hunterofvoters]

Someone should explain the "Laffer" curve to Dolthead. Reduce tax rates, increase tax revenues.

Dalton had a surplus what did he do with it?

[kytem2]

Hailey + google = attempt to bash Harper ad nauseam

[muncher]

He would not dare bash Quebec.

[RedDog]

Frankly, once east of about Yorkton, SK, this country needs a little tough love and boot to the fanny.

[bluecon]

Flaherty is only stating the obvious. McGuinty is going to prove to be the latest and greatest version of Bob Rae.

"Sales at home on downward slope

Toronto housing market on a downward trend.

Canada's Finance Minister Jim Flaherty may be right. Ontario's economy is sinking like a stone.

A sure-fire sign of how our economy is doing is our all-important real estate sector, and here we go with sales continuing their slump into the first half of March.

You can blame the worst winter since 1939. You can blame Toronto Mayor David Miller's idiotic municipal land-transfer tax, that kicked in Feb. 1. Or you can blame nervousness over the subprime mortgage meltdown south of the border, which has sent a deadly tidal wave over world markets.

But bottom line is housing sales are falling.

Yesterday, the Toronto Real Estate Board revealed that sales in the City of Toronto, fell by 18% in the first half of March, following a 14% plunge in February. For the GTA, after sales fell by 9% in February, they slid by another 14% in the first half of March. "

http://torontosun.canoe.ca/Money/Column ... 55946.html

[Heartofsong83]

Flaherty is only stating the obvious. McGuinty is going to prove to be the latest and greatest version of Bob Rae.

"Sales at home on downward slope

Toronto housing market on a downward trend.

Canada's Finance Minister Jim Flaherty may be right. Ontario's economy is sinking like a stone.

A sure-fire sign of how our economy is doing is our all-important real estate sector, and here we go with sales continuing their slump into the first half of March.

You can blame the worst winter since 1939. You can blame Toronto Mayor David Miller's idiotic municipal land-transfer tax, that kicked in Feb. 1. Or you can blame nervousness over the subprime mortgage meltdown south of the border, which has sent a deadly tidal wave over world markets.

But bottom line is housing sales are falling.

Yesterday, the Toronto Real Estate Board revealed that sales in the City of Toronto, fell by 18% in the first half of March, following a 14% plunge in February. For the GTA, after sales fell by 9% in February, they slid by another 14% in the first half of March. "

http://torontosun.canoe.ca/Money/Column ... 55946.html

Too bad an election is 3 1/2 years away and there stands to STILL be no real alternative...things won't be better until at least 2015 at the current rate unless a new party can get going.

[WestViking]

He would not dare bash Quebec.

You are trolling.
Who has shown that Flaherty bashed Ontario? Because Chip Martin elects to call Jim Flaherty an "Ontario basher" does not make that so.

Jim Flaherty has claimed Ontario is "the last place" new businesses would want to locate because of high provincial business taxes.

So what? Either Ontario has a comparatively high rate of business taxes or not. Attacking Flaherty, and in turn Harper does not address the comment. If Flaherty is wrong show us how he is wrong. If he is not wrong, calling him names in place of dealing with the problem is childish.

[carfix2000ca]

The truth is considered mean

I just had 2 brothers in law laid off in Ontario

[shiva]

He would not dare bash Quebec.

You are trolling.
Who has shown that Flaherty bashed Ontario? Because Chip Martin elects to call Jim Flaherty an "Ontario basher" does not make that so.

Jim Flaherty has claimed Ontario is "the last place" new businesses would want to locate because of high provincial business taxes.

So what? Either Ontario has a comparatively high rate of business taxes or not. Attacking Flaherty, and in turn Harper does not address the comment. If Flaherty is wrong show us how he is wrong. If he is not wrong, calling him names in place of dealing with the problem is childish.

Exactly. Here's my letter to the editor in response to the article:

Re: Harper Backs Ontario Basher – Mar 20/08 –

Minister Flaherty is not demeaning Ontarians as McGuinty and his Finance Minister Duncan claim but rather, he is aiming his concerns squarely at the Liberal government lest they cause Ontario to become a have not province.

Why must McGuinty and Duncan insult the intelligence of Ontarians? Do they really think anyone is fooled by their immature response to Flaherty’s well founded concerns? Does anyone think that Flaherty’s comments are directed towards them personally or does everyone understand that Flaherty is calling on the Ontario GOVERNMENT to do their job and use common sense in order to deal with the economic uncertainties that are surely coming?

For them to further suggest that if business taxes were reduced they would be forced to reduce spending on schools and hospitals is another deflection and an appeal to emotionalism. Fact: Annual program spending is up from $64.3 billion to $84.3 billion in five years and the Ontario government is 31% larger than it was 5 years ago. Given this, I suspect that savings can be found outside of cutting funding from schools and hospitals, especially when one considers examples of imprudent spending by this Liberal government such as a $1,000,000 grant given to a cricket club last year. If McGuinty and Duncan put their thinking caps on they could find a way to reduce spending that wouldn’t affect essential services and Minister Flaherty’s strong suggestion that they do so, is wise counsel directed towards the Liberals who are responsible for making these decisions and not just gratuitous criticism of Ontarians.

[WestViking]

He would not dare bash Quebec.

You are trolling.
Who has shown that Flaherty bashed Ontario? Because Chip Martin elects to call Jim Flaherty an "Ontario basher" does not make that so.

Jim Flaherty has claimed Ontario is "the last place" new businesses would want to locate because of high provincial business taxes.

So what? Either Ontario has a comparatively high rate of business taxes or not. Attacking Flaherty, and in turn Harper does not address the comment. If Flaherty is wrong show us how he is wrong. If he is not wrong, calling him names in place of dealing with the problem is childish.

Exactly. Here's my letter to the editor in response to the article:

Re: Harper Backs Ontario Basher – Mar 20/08 –

Minister Flaherty is not demeaning Ontarians as McGuinty and his Finance Minister Duncan claim but rather, he is aiming his concerns squarely at the Liberal government lest they cause Ontario to become a have not province.

Why must McGuinty and Duncan insult the intelligence of Ontarians? Do they really think anyone is fooled by their immature response to Flaherty’s well founded concerns? Does anyone think that Flaherty’s comments are directed towards them personally or does everyone understand that Flaherty is calling on the Ontario GOVERNMENT to do their job and use common sense in order to deal with the economic uncertainties that are surely coming?

For them to further suggest that if business taxes were reduced they would be forced to reduce spending on schools and hospitals is another deflection and an appeal to emotionalism. Fact: Annual program spending is up from $64.3 billion to $84.3 billion in five years and the Ontario government is 31% larger than it was 5 years ago. Given this, I suspect that savings can be found outside of cutting funding from schools and hospitals, especially when one considers examples of imprudent spending by this Liberal government such as a $1,000,000 grant given to a cricket club last year. If McGuinty and Duncan put their thinking caps on they could find a way to reduce spending that wouldn’t affect essential services and Minister Flaherty’s strong suggestion that they do so, is wise counsel directed towards the Liberals who are responsible for making these decisions and not just gratuitous criticism of Ontarians.

[Heartofsong83]

I think this is all partisan politics more than anything.

If John Tory was elected, I doubt they would be criticizing them at all, even though their platform was just as costly (if not more costly) than the Liberal platform, and primarily in the same areas. They promised NO tax cuts, except for a slow phase-out of the health tax.