Ford Government fall economic statements fails to lift workers

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TORONTO – The Progressive Conservative’s fall economic update is a clear signal that austerity measures are coming to Ontario.

“Doug Ford’s economic plan won’t lift Ontario working families out of poverty, it will take them back to the days of Mike Harris,” said Unifor National President Jerry Dias. “Like Harris, Doug Ford is hiding austerity measures under the guise of efficiencies.”

Today’s economic statement introduced the Low-income Families and Individuals Tax Credit which gives  minimum wage workers a maximum tax benefit of $850 per year, which is far less than the scrapped $15 minimum wage increase.

“Workers would have earned an additional $2000 yearly if the minimum wage had increased to $15 an hour,” said Unifor Ontario Regional Director Naureen Rizvi.  “This tax credit short-changes workers by $1150 yearly and gives relief to big business in Ontario.”

Conservative Finance Minister Vic Fedeli boasted about his government’s decision to cancel the cap-and-trade program but Unifor believes that will cost the province billions in tax revenue and worsen Ontario’s budgetary deficit.

“The Conservative Government, on the one hand, plans to save the people of Ontario money but on the other hand forgoes tax revenue,” said Rizvi. “Doug Ford and his Government are ideologues, wanting to make Ontario home for business and business only.”

Minister Fedeli claims the Government inherited a $15 billion deficit, which is contrary to the $11.7 billion deficit reported by the Auditor General last April. In today’s update, Ford’s Government asked Ontarians to make sacrifices to help reduce the deficit left by the previous Government.

“Ford may call his government’s announcement a plan for the people, but the people of Ontario know it’s a plan for the rich,” said Dias.

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