Ontario Boosts Transit Funding Across Province Doubles Municipal Share Gas Tax

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3 responses to “Ontario Boosts Transit Funding Across Province Doubles Municipal Share Gas Tax”

1. 

   Liberal Caucus Research Group

   November 8, 2017

   Who Won the Fight? – Facts Still Matter in Ontario – November 8, 2017

   Patrick Brown was at it again after a short hiatus from spreading misinformation to the public and media. However, yesterday he couldn’t resist while giving a speech at the Macdonald-Cartier Club in London. Neither John A. Macdonald nor George- Étienne Cartier would be proud listening to this speech, because Brown clearly forgot that Facts Still Matter in Ontario.

   He claimed: “Troy Crowder [PC candidate for Sudbury] is a retired NHLer, he actually as a rookie beat up Bob Probert in a fight”

   Fact: Troy Crowder did not fight Bob Probert in his rookie year. It’s also debatable who won when they actually did fight.

   (Source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y0adHyGfyik)

   He claimed: “Ontario is falling behind”

   Fact: Ontario has created 800,000 net new jobs since the recession, has led the G7 in growth for the past 3 years and our unemployment rate is near a 16 year low.

   (Source: Stats Canada, https://www.fin.gov.on.ca/en/economy/ecaccts/)

   He claimed: “We have become a have not province”

   Fact: In 2017-18, it is estimated that Ontarians will contribute approximately $7.1 billion to the Equalization program while Ontario will only receive roughly $1.4 billion in return — representing a net contribution of $5.7 billion — the highest of all provinces. According to the Mowat Centre, “Ontarians have consistently contributed more to the federal government in total tax revenue than they have received in federal spending in return.”

   (Source: https://mowatcentre.ca/mind-the-gap/)

   He claimed: “99 percent of job creation was tied to Toronto and Ottawa”

   Fact: This isn’t even close to being true. Patrick Brown should go to Kingston, Peterborough, Oshawa, Hamilton, Niagara, Brantford, Guelph, Windsor, or even his own riding of Barrie sometime.

   

   (Source: Statistics Canada)

   He claimed: “London experienced negative job creation”

   Fact: In August and September of this year London’s unemployment rate was at its lowest level in 10 years.

   (Source: http://www.statcan.gc.ca/eng/start)

   He claimed: “Government had no sense of urgency students were missing out”

   Fact: We have been strongly urging both parties to get back to the table since day one.

   (Source: http://www.metronews.ca/news/ottawa/2017/10/30/premier-warns-colleges-union-to-return-to-bargaining-table.html)

   He claimed: “Lisa MacLeod in queens park shouted Kathleen Wynne is making America great, it’s true!”

   Fact: It’s not surprising that the PC Leader is using this kind of rhetoric.

   (Source: http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/toronto/ontario-liberals-accuse-pc-leader-patrick-brown-of-trump-style-politics-1.4343497)

   He claimed: “Only the Progressive Conservatives would be a different direction”

   Fact: Patrick Brown has refused to say where he stands on anything. His so called policy proposals are a bunch of general nothings

   (Source: http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/toronto/patrick-brown-policy-convention-abortion-1.4356319)

   He claimed: “The Toronto scandal is the premiers deputy chief of staff”

   Fact: This individual was found to be innocent, the case was so thin it was dismissed before the defendants even had to present evidence.

   (Source: https://www.thestar.com/news/queenspark/2017/10/24/charges-dismissed-by-judge-in-sudbury-byelection-trial.html)

   He claimed: “They took away AG ability to stop partisan ads”

   Fact: The AG can still prevent partisan ads, here’s the law in case Patrick Brown decides he wants to read it.

   (Source: https://www.ontario.ca/laws/statute/04g20)

   He claimed: “Care for children with autism”

   Fact: For 14 years it was a Ontario Liberal government that has invested billions of dollars more in autism services. The PC party voted against this funding every step of the way.

   (Source: http://www.ontla.on.ca/web/house-proceedings/house_detail.do?locale=en&Date=2016-12-08&detailPage=/house-proceedings/votes-and-proceedings/files_html/042_December_08_2016_Votes.htm#tidyout)

   He claimed: “We need to end liberal cash for access loopholes, lobbying loopholes, etc.”

   Fact: We’re closing all the cash for access loopholes Patrick Brown was exploiting.

   (Source: http://www.ontla.on.ca/web/bills/bills_detail.do?locale=en&Intranet=&BillID=4113)

   He claimed: “they chose a company for the Toronto casino that’s being investigated for money laundering”

   Fact: Great Canadian Gaming is not under investigation, in fact they’ve been cooperating with the B.C. Authorities

   (Source: http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/casino-money-laundering-1.4368403)

   For more information: 416-325-9138 Please mention The Silo when contacting.

2. 

   Toby Barrett

   April 7, 2017

   We need our fair share of the gas tax back

   Ontario needs a law that will ensure every municipality will get a fair share of the gas tax every driver in the province pays at the pumps.

   Currently, the Gasoline Tax Act permits only those municipalities that have a rapid transit or public transportation system to get a tax rebate. As a result, only 99 out of 444 municipalities receive money from the gas tax even though every resident in the province pays into it.

   In Ontario, the provincial excise tax on gasoline at the pump is 14.7 cents/ litre. The federal rate is 10 cents/litre. After the 13 per cent HST tax is added – the famous tax on a tax – we pay a combined 27.9 cents per litre. And, now we also must add the January 1, 2017, cap and trade tax oil refineries are passing down to their customers at the pumps – an increase of 4.3 cents a litre.

   Canada has instituted rules ensuring the federal gas tax is shared across the country —on a per capita basis. If the federal government realizes communities need to be treated fairly, why does the Ontario government not see it the same way?

   Furthermore, earlier this year Premier Wynne announced the government will be increasing the rebate by two cents a litre to those select municipalities with public transit, resulting in an additional $300 million going to urban ridings, to the detriment of rural ridings.

   Last week government members voted down, yet again, my colleague MPP John Yakabuski’s Private Member’s Bill which would have brought equality to Ontario’s rural municipalities by ensuring they all share in a portion of the gas tax their residents pay.

   Here’s MPP Yakabuski during debate: “I say to my colleagues on the other side, who may not live in rural Ontario, that our roads and streets, back roads, side roads, county roads, and main streets in our villages and towns are our public transportation system.”

   Toronto subways are important, but so too are bridges, culverts, airports, railway lines, shipping docks and pipelines – all important infrastructure requiring new build and maintenance crucial to the efficient and cost-effective movement of goods and services in Ontario.

   One of the long-standing infrastructure challenges in rural Ontario has been the need for the many bridges and culverts that cross ditches, streams and creeks.

   All told, [in my constituency] Haldimand County maintains 1,500 kilometres of roads, and 266 bridges with a span over three meters, in addition to hundreds of culverts.

   Norfolk has 2,400 kilometres of road, 115 bridges and another 123 structures spanning more than three metres, plus hundreds of culverts.

   For instance, at one time not that long ago, there were bridges on every concession that crossed Norfolk’s Big Creek. Concession Road 7 has been closed at the bridge for years. More recently, the Concession A bridge was shut down, as well as the Marburg bridge on Black Creek.

   In the past, municipalities had the option of using Bailey bridges – pre-engineered structures that could be dropped into place. Now, new regulations require separate engineering, design and building of a bridge for each situation.

   Such bureaucratic regulatory creep, coupled with long distances, challenging terrain and sparse populations present an argument for the return of fuel taxes paid by our northern and rural municipalities.
   MPP Toby Barrett.

3. 

   Matthew Kofsky

   February 2, 2017

   A dollar of gas tax does not equal a dollar of road toll Provincial announcement a major setback

   The following is a statement from Jan De Silva, President & CEO, Toronto Region Board of Trade, on the Province of Ontario’s decision to deny Toronto’s Gardiner Expressway and Don Valley Parkway tolls:

   “Cities across Canada face growing demand for infrastructure investment. Late last year, Toronto City Council overwhelmingly endorsed a plan to use its existing legal authority to access an own-source revenue source to pay for highways and transit—an important first step to sustainably fund and finance the infrastructure our residents, visitors and businesses require.
   Regardless of whether you like tolls or not, Toronto’s municipal government must be able to reliably plan for its future—a key reason the Board was a strong supporter of the introduction of the City of Toronto Act. The Province’s decision last week undermines Toronto’s ability to fund and finance its essential infrastructure. Its actions also highlight the growing and unsustainable gap facing Toronto—municipal revenues are insufficient to meet its provincially designated service and infrastructure responsibilities. For Toronto, this includes the unusual burden of operating and maintaining two regional highways which would normally fall under a province’s jurisdiction.
   While on the surface, the contribution of an additional two cents of gas tax revenue to the City may appear to replace toll revenue, the reality is much different. Cities can only finance big infrastructure projects from own-source revenue and not provincial transfers such as a gas tax; therefore, a dollar of gas tax revenue does not equal a dollar of toll revenue.
   For the City of Toronto, toll revenue of $200-300 million per year would have enabled it to raise debt of $3-5 billion—making significant inroads into its infrastructure funding gap. In this case, unfortunately, $170 million of gas tax diverted from the Province to the City is just $170 million per year; a sum that pales in comparison to the $33 billion infrastructure funding gap facing Toronto. More concerning, the City could also lose the gas tax revenue entirely if a future provincial government chooses to reduce these transfers down the road.
   Our members remain concerned the long-term problem not being addressed is ensuring Toronto has the financial control it requires to manage the infrastructure and services for which it is being held accountable.”

   Founded in 1845, the Toronto Region Board of Trade (the Board) is the Chamber of Commerce and World Trade Centre for Canada’s largest urban centre. Its mission is to act as a catalyst for, and with, the business community. With 12,000 members, the Board plays an important role in elevating the quality of life and economic competitiveness of the region. The Board’s 2020 vision is to make Toronto one of the most competitive and sought after business regions in the world. Learn more at bot.com and follow us at @TorontoRBOT

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