- Matt Gurney: Ontario asks ... Do you want fries with that nanny state?
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Breaking (and bizarre) news out of Toronto: as part of the continuing campaign to make the upcoming Harmonized Sales Tax more palatable to Ontarians, the government has announced that fast food items under $4 will be exempt from the HST. A Big Mac or a Tim Hortons coffee will still get dinged for the existing 5% GST, but won't be charged the extra 8% provincial share of the HST.
What Premier Dalton McGuinty hopes to accomplish with this is unclear. The HST will still be a financial hardship for a lot of Ontario families, and the pennies saved on a cup of coffee will be insignificant next to the added costs on buying a home, powering it, and filling up the car with gas. Why the Liberals would bother making this announcement is therefore beyond me — why draw attention back to an enormous political liability with an announcement that isn't likely to win many votes? And even more to the point, how did this one ever slip past Ontario's fiercely protective leader, Premier Dad?
An Internet Fisherman who uses barbless hooks and this one dimensional world as a way of releasing the frustrations of daily life. This is my pond. You are welcome only if you are civil and contribute something to the ambiance. I reserve the right to ignore/publish/reject anon comments.
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