Yesterday following Question Period, Energy Minister Brad Duguid told reporters the McGuinty Liberals “will not be applying” the $53 million hidden hydro tax or a proposed $100 million-or-more hidden natural gas tax. But why would families believe him given he already snuck in the hidden hydro tax and documents show he wants to put it on gas bills, too.
As late as August, Duguid and the McGuinty Liberals were fighting consumers and natural gas companies at the Ontario Energy Board in order to apply the tax to natural gas. The OEB even agreed there’s a serious question about whether the hidden tax is constitutional.
Brad Duguid has yet to introduce legislation that would scrap the McGuinty Government’s secret taxing authority in the Green Energy Act. Struggling Ontario families deserve to know if the McGuinty Government’s hidden and possibly unconstitutional energy taxes are gone for good, or if Dalton McGuinty will try to sneak his hidden taxes back in after the next election.
QUOTES
“If the Minister of Energy wants Ontario families to take what he said about not applying the hidden taxes seriously, he would scrap the secret taxing authority in the Green Energy Act.” -- Ontario PC Deputy Leader Christine Elliott, MPP (Whitby Oshawa)
“The C.D. Howe Institute published a report that said the hidden hydro tax was ‘an unconstitutional tax.’ Dalton McGuinty collected the $53 million tax anyway. Ontario families deserve to know if the hidden taxes are gone for good.” -- Ontario PC Deputy Leader Christine Elliott, MPP (Whitby Oshawa)
QUICK FACTS
In a scrum following Question Period yesterday, Energy Minister Brad Duguid said: “we will not be applying those fees to the gas industry nor will we be applying those fees to the electricity industry.”
The McGuinty Liberals have yet to scrap Schedule D of the Green Energy Act, which gives them a secret taxing authority.
The Ontario Energy Board decided there is a “serious question” about whether hidden hydro taxes are unconstitutional. The OEB agreed with:
