McGuinty's new activity credit won't bring relief from HST: Horwath

QUEEN'S PARK, ON, Sept. 6 /CNW/ - If the McGuinty Liberals were serious about helping children be active and healthy, they wouldn't have forced families to pay a new 8 per cent tax on everything from ballet lessons to hockey ice time, says NDP Leader Andrea Horwath.

"Parents paying hundreds more under the HST won't be fooled," said Horwath. "Dalton McGuinty's unfair sales tax made ballet, hockey, karate, and soccer lessons 8 per cent more expensive. The McGuinty Liberals' tax credit won't make up for this government's new taxes on children's activity."

The McGuinty Liberals announced that families would be eligible for a credit of up to $50 if they spend $500. Horwath noted that families who spend $500 a year would already be spending an additional $40 in HST alone. The HST on a family membership to the YMCA (Toronto), for example, is nearly $100 a year.

"As a mom I know keeping kids healthy and active can be expensive," said Horwath. "This credit won't begin to undo the damage the HST has done to family budgets."

Horwath wondered why the McGuinty Liberals chose to provide relief in the form of a credit rather than an HST exemption.

"Apparently the McGuinty government thinks it's reasonable to tax children's activity and then make families jump through hoops to recover some of their money," said Horwath. "Maybe the government's secretly hoping people just won't apply for the credit."

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