Instead of the usual ironic attack from the right on Dalton McGuinty, or “Premier Dad, I will be attacking him from a political/effective/governmental standpoint.
There is no denying that under the Dalton Liberals in Ontario, there has been some positive progress and proposals. Some conservative ideas, as well as some liberal ideas. I will be looking at why a couple of these ideas weren’t bad or wrong, per say, just deal with stupidly.
I begin with the 30% Tuition rebate, a much needed reform. This granted low-income students (their family income), residents and new post-secondary students a 30% rebate what they pay into the tuition. So, you pay the price, and at the end of the year (if you sign up) you get the money.
This is a mess contrasted to what it could be. The more efficient and smart method would be to simply invest more into post-secondary, subsidize it more, and viola: cheaper tuition. Indeed rich students would be paying less, but that’s fine, considering how social programs in Ontario are already paid for.
A plurality of it comes from those on top. Those with the most money pay the most taxes (duh). So, simply, we could have just raised income tax on the richest people in order to finance cheaper tuition for all. It would also help offset the high-ish Ontario deficit induced by the 30 percent Mike Harris tax cuts.
Next, doctors pay in Ontario is crazy high. So, the Dalton Liberals were right to want to lower their fees. But, again, this is superfluous. Through raising income tax on the highest earners, that’s an effective wage decrease – as they have less money, more is going to the government. To avoid the whole fiasco of having to personally battle the doctors, they could of taken the more egalitarian approached and raised some taxes on the wealthy. Doctors for Fair Taxation would agree.
Canada, and Ontario especially, have rising income inequality. Where those on the top have a rising wage, while most everyone else is stagnating and declining.
If the Liberals had a grasp (and cared at all, perhaps) of this, they wouldn’t be making these amateur moves. Their motives are swell, but they need to adjust their methods.
