As inflation rates soar to levels not seen in decades, Steven Del Duca wants to give Ontario families a tax break on their prepared meals.
The Liberal leader is promising to eliminate the 8 per cent provincial portion of the harmonized sales tax on fast food costing up to $20 if he topples Premier Doug Ford’s Progressive Conservatives in the June 2 election.
“Families are being hit hard by the skyrocketing cost of food, all while the richest in our province are getting richer,” Del Duca said Friday at Cataldi Fresh Market in Vaughan.
“Our Liberal plan will provide families with immediate relief within the first 100 days of being elected, by lowering the cost of prepared food,” he said of a pledge that would cost the provincial treasury $500 million annually.
“We will pay for it with fairer taxes for the richest people and corporations.”
Del Duca’s pledge came the day after Ford’s Tories released a record $198.6 billion pre-election budget at Queen’s Park and against the backdrop of Statistics Canada reporting inflation was at 6.7 per cent last month.
That’s the highest level in the country since 1991.
Ford and Finance Minister Peter Bethlenfalvy were on the campaign trail in Scarborough thanking construction workers building the subway extension there.
The Liberal tax change would be paid for by a 1 per cent surtax on Ontario companies whose profits are greater than $1 billion a year and a 2 per cent surtax on people making more than $500,000 annually.
Del Duca said the provincial portion of the overall 13 per cent HST would be removed from prepared meals in grocery stores, such as rotisserie chickens, and food items under $20 in restaurants.
He is also promising to “eliminate corporate taxes for small businesses deeply hurt by the pandemic for two years.”
More to eat.
JOIN THE CONVERSATION
Anyone can read Conversations, but to contribute, you should be a registered Torstar account holder. If you do not yet have a Torstar account, you can create one now (it is free)