TORONTO — A Progressive Conservative is refusing to leave the legislature after calling Premier Dalton McGuinty a liar for not holding provincewide public consultations on tax harmonization.
The Conservative caucus surrounded Bill Murdoch in order to block any attempt to remove him and are drowning out debate in the legislature by pounding their desks and shouting.
Speaker Steve Peters has suspended Bill Murdoch and says he will suspend the other Tories who are blocking his path and disrupting the proceedings.
The Tories have pulled similar acts of protest in the legislature over the last few weeks to show their opposition to the HST.
The move came after Finance Minister Dwight Duncan said the public would have an opportunity on Thursday to comment on the province’s controversial plan to harmonize the eight per cent provincial sales tax with the five per cent federal GST.
He says it’s something the Liberals have always done with budget-related legislation, and isn’t a sop to the opposition parties who have been demanding public hearings on the HST plan for weeks.
[Source]
Its a fact that Canada’s worse ever Premier does lie. Remember during McGuinty’s first election campaign when he said “I wont raise your taxes” and then bang, brought in the $50 per month Health tax and where did that go?
The man has no credibility having wasted millions of our tax dollars at eHealth, Cancer Care Ontario, OLG etc.
I’m laughing. Reminds me of something.
Democracy — you have to love it.
There are certain conventions regarding behaviour in our parliamentary system. Those conventions have evolved over centuries and play a crucial role in ensuring that our system works. If a member violates those conventions, he should be punished.
The Conservative MPP behaved like an a-hole by not respecting the rules regarding the convention not to use what is generally regarded as unparliamentary language. He was not forbidden from saying the Premier is a liar. But, in doing so he knew beforehand what he would be required to do — and he refused. Somebody who truly respected the parliamentary system found in Canada would have obeyed the Speaker’s ruling.
The sad part is their point is all but moot. As soon as they can do so, the Liberals will use their majority to push through the legislation. By the time the next election rolls around, the public will have forgotten this ever happened.
What sad-sack losers these guys are. They know damn well harmonization is the right thing to do, and also that they won’t reverse it once in power. They have nothing left but showboating. Pathetic. I lose faith in democracy when I see things like this. Reminds me of the Reform Party waving their silly flags in the House. (Though I do admit the 15 or so MPs who piled into that Malibou painted with the maple leaf on Canada Day was pretty funny.)
Well, the american leader of the federal liberal party will support the Conservative governments bill to allow provinces to harmonize their PST with the GST so its a done deal.
Iffy also said that this will NOT BE A FREE VOTE. So much for MP’s standing up for their constituents, once again.
The National Citizens Coalition estimates that the HST (hated sales tax) will cost the average taxpayer an addiional $800 to $1000 annually.
Thats the problem when Ontarians have a provincial liberal government and a federal ‘wannabee’ Liberal/Tory government in Ottawa who both love raising our taxes.
Hopefully, if Tim Hudack becomes our next Premier, he will either cancel this bill or at least lower the PST to the GST level. But dont hold your breath.
http://www.cbc.ca/politics/story/2009/12/01/ignatieff-hst.html
Does anyone know what Tim Hudak’s HST official policy is? I cant find it. Its great to oppose it but one must have a plan to replace it.