Ontario Liberals have axed gas-tax fairness, says Huron-Bruce MPP

Huron-Bruce MPP Lisa Thompson was in the Legislature Thursday (March 23), standing up for the municipalities in her riding, and supporting the Bill proposed by her colleague, Progressive Conservative (PC) MPP John Yakabuski (Renfrew-Nipissing-Pembroke), that would have seen gas tax revenues shared with all municipalities, not just municipalities with transit systems.

In her debate, she highlighted that the provincial Liberal government needs to start standing up for rural Ontario.

"Residents of Huron-Bruce are paying the provincial gas tax," said Thompson, "but the Liberals and NDP (New Democrats) signalled today that they have no desire to share any of that revenue with rural Ontario for infrastructure projects, and this is unacceptable."

Even worse, the government is doubling-down and increasing the gas tax, which will suck another $300-million out of rural communities by 2020, said Thompson.

"I have listened to municipalities throughout Huron-Bruce," she said. "People are frustrated that this government refuses to share the gas tax rebate with rural municipalities in the province. The Liberals take with provincial gas tax, they take with Cap-and-Trade, they take with eco-fees, they take with the health tax, and yet, they give nothing back. It's wrong, and it's time for change."