Ontario’s HST kicks in two months early

This is just another cash grab by the government! Sadly, if the extra taxes resulted in the elimination of the HUGE deficit and eventual tax cuts, I'd be okay with it, but we all know it just means more spending, less services, more privatization... Harris lining his pocket with the sale of the 407 cash cow was just the tip of the iceberg, wait until McGuinty sells the LCBO, the DVP and anything else he can think of. No wonder the underground economy is booming, we aren't all the suckers that politicians take for granted.

I say screw the Canadian Government. I will just keep what little money I have and don't care if companies suffer from lack of sales. I now will only buy what I absolutely have to and nothing more. Drop dead you thieves.

Land of the free my ass unless your the crooked criminals ruining Canada. I said Ruining Not Running. On the job training has no place for so called leaders. Crime must pay when you think of these dishonourable Governement officials robbing the citizens of the country that they are supposed to care about. Yeah like they really care about the citizens. Too bad Canadians are such whimps they must love bending over, maybe thats why the Governemtn made gay legal in this country. 1: bring down the morality of a decent society and also the citizens can't complain because taking it up the backside is legal.

here what i am going to do about hst and every canadian should do as of july 1 every one should stop buying anything but food . Don t go to sports games movies LCBO beer store restaurants for 60 days and see how long we have the HST fight back

I think we should stand up all across Canada and fight the hst as it is financal robbery. We as Canadians pay enough in Taxes, it is getting hard enough each month to pay our bills and now with property taxes, gas, hydro and everything else going up it is going to be harder to put food on the table. We should be like these other countries that protest as one to fight this robbery that the government is forcing on us. I agree with Ryan that we should buy only food and nothing else for 60 days and fight back. I know that this will be hard to do but in the long run we will be better off.

Yes Canada is going downhill fast, I don't vote, WHY, They are all crooks no matter who is elected. I have seen this for years. Our Health care sucks. I have a large piece of wood in my hand, which happened about 4 weeks ago. I have been in the emergency dept. for 5 1/2 hours, went for ultra sound, made it to the operating room to be told what they have to do to get it out. To date, I still have not been given a date to return to have it operated on. There was no reason the doctor could not have operated on it that day , because for as long as it took him to explain how he was going to get the wood out, he could have had it done... I am still waiting to be called to book a date for the procedure.....
Mean while my hand is infected and sore still.
Hope some M.P. reads this and takes it upon themselves to follow up on this one........sad sad sad

Cross border shopping here I come. So much for the "buy locally" adds!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Keep up the cross border shopping, travel to outside Canada to shop, fly to Europe (no HST), will the government listen? Sadly it's the "working class" who suffer with lack of employment. A vicious circle. Can we unite like in B.C? Is there a group to join to try so that we can be heard???

So many people like to complain when it is their own pocket being picked, but nobody cares what happens to anyone else. It is amazing to hear people from Ontario and BC protest so loudly and say the WHOLE country should stand up and take action against this NEW(!) HST tax!! Guess what!? The HST is NOT NEW! HST has existed in Nova Scotia, New Brunswick and Newfoundland since 1997!!!! Exactly the same tax under exactly the same legislation that is now about to be enforced elsewhere in the country....except back in 1997 it was 15%, not 13% like today. Even the national media are either ignorant of this fact or choose to ignore it in their reporting. Back in 1997 there were all the same worries, complaints and protests as we now hear from the larger provinces, but no one nationally would care to listen because it was just the poor Atlantic Canadians getting the shaft from the federal government and their own provincial legislatures. That is a major problem in OUR country...nobody cares if another region or province gets shafted, so long as they themselves are ok. Alberta for Alberans, Ontario for Ontarians, Quebec for Quebecois, Newfoundland for Newfoundlanders, etc. This is not the way for a united country to behave, but it is our reality in Canada. That said, it's been 13 years and Atlantic Canadians are still surviving, even with the higher sales taxes...the sky didn't fall. I would like to see taxes decrease all across the country, WITHOUT it negatively impacting our services. Unfortunately that is not going to happen, so in my opinion it's time all Canadians were treated equally and paid taxes at equal rates. From that perspective, what is happening in Ontario and BC is a step in the right direction. I'd like Canada to go even further and eliminate the differences between provincial income tax rates across the country...we all want and deserve the same health care, roadways, and government services...then we should all pay the same federal AND provincial tax rates! That would be taking a huge step towards natonal unity, and then we could all act together as citizens of Canada with one voice, instead of turning a blind eye to the financial misfortunes of our brothers and sisters in another province.

The comments shown on this website sound like this is happening to all of Canada when in fact it is B.Cs and Ontarion provincial governments that are dealing with this. You folk elected your officials that brought on this added tax burden. So instead of whining use your discontent and vote in the next election. The apathy of the people in each of our provinces allows our politicians to do what they want. As far as taxation levels...........each province is alowed to levy what is necessary to maintain the province and when Ontarion is bringing on green energy at a cost of several times what it now costs to generate electricity shouldn't be the burden of all Canadians.

Good points Doug. The problem in this country is the apathy for the plight of people in other provinces. AND as I said, each province for itself. We should act like a united country. I still feel there should be no provincial taxing discrepancies. That change should be accompanied by more federal oversight and less provincial control. But let me be clear, there should be overall less government administrative expenditures by eliminating overlap between the federal and provincial levels. Less provincial control in many areas of common interest to all Canadians like healthcare, social services, etc. And the removal of provincial boundaries as far as trade is concerned. This is a major change, but worthy of consideration. As an example, why should Ontario spend so much to produce green energy? There is untapped green hydroelectric power in Labrador that would go a long way to satisfying those needs in Ontario. However, the Nfld government cannot transmit the power across Quebec. Quebec feathers its nest with existing hydroelectric power from Labrador that was developed in the 1960's under a deal that shafted Nfld...who had to sell the power to Quebec at bargain-basement prices in order to have any market at all because Quebec blocked transmission rights. Nfld has a similar problem with huge reserves of natural gas that it cannot transmit across provincial borders to markets. Wouldn't we be better off as a country if such barriers inter-provincially were removed and if we looked things such as taxes and the power grid nationally.

I wasn't going to come back here...but I read BRIAN's comment. Yes, our health care system is actually quite bad. Way too much red tape. That being said...if you have a sliver, get a needle, and get someone with small hands (after disinfecting it), to take the sliver out. If you need to, look the other way. This same thing happened to me, years ago, and my Dad took the sliver out...ALOT faster than our stupid health care system. OH...by the way, we disinfected the needle by lighting a match and burning the end of the needle for a few seconds. (There are probably other ways.)
Good luck...and please let me know if it worked.

McGuinty wouldn't have to sit around for days waiting for a med appointment! McGuinty doesn't care that I can't afford a new car, and now have to pay an additional 8% on a klunker. McGuinty doesn't care that gas is going up 8, maybe 10 cents a litre on July 1st because he can afford it! The only thing McGuinty cares about is getting elected, and he'll bend over for every minority group in the province to do it. History shows it's the minority groups who are actually electing these guys because the majority can't be bothered to vote for some reason or another! The same people will complain though when a new tax or higher tax is introduced (medical for example) but next election comes and nothing changes...that's because the only people voting are the ones who got to wear ceremonial knives to school, or turbans on motorcycles, etc.
McGuinty knows this and He preys on it!
Get out and vote people!

We are too passive as Canadians, we complain about our government officals but the bottom line here is we always accept what is be driven up our butts. Yes, we elected these people but what are our choices -- politicians are all alike, they promise this, that and something else and more than likely fully know that if and when they are elected can not deliver the goods.

In my opinion, government officials of all parties need to start working together rather than against each other. A rich -- poor society is just around the corner and then I guess it will only be the rich who have enough income to pay for services, goods and taxes. I wish all the businesses good luck on survival as it should be interesting to see how the next generation deals with this mess -- my guess is a revolution!

OH Canada, the land of honey and taxes. The sherif of Nothingham is well and living at Queens park. Ontario deserves what they elected, not once, but twice. People in Ontario and the rest of Canada believes what the polititians dish out to be elected, they lie through their teeth and tells you what you want to hear, after the election the truth comes out. When is Ontario going to wake up and say I'm mad as hell and not going to take it any more, but that's too much to ask from Chicken Little. Remember election day when you vote, because we are not so lucky like the United States if you lie to the FBI, you go to jail or impeached. Remember no new taxes HUH.

NOT an extra 8% to 13% rather than just 5%. It is 13% HST total rather than 8% PST plus 5% GST for a current total of 13%!

YES it kicks in now for travel etc to be used after June 30th but you pay either HST OR
GST plus PST on current use purchase.

The only extra would be a purchase not currently subject to PST but is now to be used after June 30, 2010!!!

United we stand. Divided we fall? Old sayings usually make sense. And seem to hold a lot of weight over time. Do you or I have an actual voice? Oh right we are responsible for voting the people who represent us. That's a joke. They are all the same. Make promises they don't intend to keep and then implement their own political agenda and who ever is backing them who has money. Don't think money doesn't talk. People with money, big time business runs this country. The government reps got the job they have because it pays big. Bottom line. My problem with all of the problems at hand is more the fact that we have no say. They pass things through and as one guy elated to we are very passive. What right will they take away that we won't be okay with? We are being conditioned don't think we are not. We do need to start a petition in which all citizens sign and there is our voice. Hit them hard and don't back down. By the way where is the Canadian Gov. getting a half of a billion dollars to lend to the U.S. for the bridge? If there is that money sitting around, why isn't it being put back into health care? What part of we have no idea what they are doing aren't we getting? Why aren't we in an absolute up roar about that? We have the internet and many resources to start a forum in which we can be heard. If everyone would stick together and actually commit to the cause, maybe, just maybe we will do something. If I knew how to start something, I would. Unfortunately I do not have enough knowledge on how to get it going. If someone started something though, I would definetly support it by spreading the word. Anyone out there have any ideas? I have 5 children and struggle now to pay all of the essentials. Implementing this tax which will increase all of my utilities is going to affect my buying power. I haven't been able to shop for any extras in ages. Head just above water. I would be considered middle class financial status. Yet honestly, I feel I belong in the poverty class. It is not a case of not working hard enough. My husband works 24/7 and I also work 40 hours a week. My problem is we are maxed. There are no more hours left in which to work to make more money so that we are not living pay cheque to pay cheque. This extra tax is just simply what it implies. Taxing.

I listen to all your complaints, worries, hardships, and in general whining and think I sure love being in ALBERTA. Enjoy your new TAX succkas!!!!!!

Hi Folks,

As true and painful as it is, crying does no good. Of course the government will do whatever they please, the question is what are we going to do , can we stop them. In other countries ofcourse, the people have a a lot of say and the govt listens. So we as canadians, are we just gonna talk about it or are you ready for some action... Comeone people now or never and today it is 13% tomorrow it will be 20% who;s stopping them, lets do it for our future generation, and not live like canadian beggars in our country, Lord help us., if not the government.

We as Canadians are far too complacent. We basically accept everything the government throws at us. We need to be more like the Europeans. They're out on the streets in droves and making a lot of noise when they are unhappy with their government. With the tax increase and now an increase of four to eight percent (which is a repeat of an increase last year) for my daughter's tuition, I've had it. The increases are quickly shrinking our disposable income. To TAMARA, I feel your pain. My husband and I worked very hard to get where we are, but I feel like we are going backwards instead of getting ahead. I'm sure there are a lot of people in similar situations. So come on FELLOW CANADIANS, IT'S TIME TO TAKE A STAND, MAKE SOME NOISE AND BE HEARD!!!