Mr. Speaker, it is rather dishonest to pay for election promises by sticking the provinces with the bill.
The spokesperson for the Ontario Ministry of Finance stated that “If the federal government wants to reduce taxes in its own budget, it should ensure that there is not a fiscal cost as a byproduct to provinces”. Ontario stands to lose over a billion dollars as a result of this measure.
This is not the first time that the provinces have had to deal with the negative impact of Conservative decisions. Take for example the health transfers and the employment insurance reform.
Does the Conservative government intend to provide financial compensation to the provinces if it moves forward with its promise to institute income splitting?