Little Hope for Majority as Corporations Excused from Paying Their Share

TORONTO, ONTARIO--(Marketwire - April 23, 2012) - Today, the McGuinty government has been forced to acknowledge the labour movement's warning that wealthy Ontarians are not paying their fair share and that tax fairness is essential. As important as this is though, corporations have been allowed, once again, to avoid their tax responsibilities.

"The public is sickened at the spectacle of watching the provincial government shovel tax breaks at the wealthiest corporations and ignore strategies for putting Ontarians back to work. While today's 2% surtax on the richest people stems the tide a little bit, there are no plans here to recover the missing corporate revenues that are triggering these huge cuts," says OFL President Sid Ryan.

"We started getting into problems as soon as this government engaged in a race to the bottom by letting the corporate sector off the hook. We have foregone billions of dollars that are now urgently needed. We are going to redouble our efforts to ensure they are not lost," says Ryan.

The lack of protection for the health care system and public services, the pittance allocated to Ontario Works and Ontario Disability Support Program, the continued threat to the right to collectively bargain, and absence of any new job creation strategies is provoking anger from those that are being asked to shoulder the burden of the cuts.

Not even childcare received what was needed -- only enough to keep it from falling apart altogether.

The Tories and leader Tim Hudak will do everything possible to protect the wealthiest corporations and the elite 1%, but the OFL and community allies across the province will be gearing up to ensure that real tax fairness prevails.