Mr. Speaker, I rise today to support the call by the Ottawa-Carleton District School Board for tax fairness.
In a letter to the Minister of Finance, our school trustees are calling for a full rebate of the HST payable by school boards. As members know, the HST has increased the costs in Ontario. Money that should be going to our students' education is being clawed back through the HST. Our school board in Ottawa estimates that a full rebate of the HST will mean $2.3 million in savings. That is a 25% increase in the funds available for upgrading our schools. It means new textbooks, new educational assistants and new learning staff for students. It means new ESL teachers and multi-cultural liaison officers to support Ottawa's growing new-Canadian population.
This is a simple solution to ensure we leave more money in the hands of our school boards to address our students' educational needs. I urge the government to listen to this school board's plea for immediate action.