Ford pledge for tax cut has leaders reacting

Progressive Conservative Leader Doug Ford has announced that he would cut taxes for the middle class if he’s elected premier in the June 7 election.

Ford said that the plan would only kick in during the third year of a Tory government — would save those earning between $42,960 and $85,923 annually a maximum of $786 per person. Those on the higher end of the tax bracket would see the largest savings, while those on the lower end would see savings of under $200 a year.The measure, which would reduce the tax rate for those in that bracket by 20 per cent, would result in a nearly $2.3 billion drop in provincial revenue, Ford said, noting that his government would implement the plan “responsibly.”

“We have a very simple theory,” he said. “Put money back into the taxpayers’ pocket instead of the government’s pocket, because we believe that the taxpayers are a lot smarter at spending their money than any government.” However the Liberals called the pledge Ford’s pledge a “Trojan Horse tax cut.” “I call it that because he claims it’s a gift to the middle class. But then you open it up and discover there’s an ugly surprise: The benefits overwhelmingly flow to the richest among us,” Kathryn McGarry, the Liberal candidate for Cambridge is reported to have said.

NDP leader Andrea Horwath said she was concerned Ford would cut vital public services to cover the financial shortfall resulting from his tax pledge. “He’s going to give with one hand and take away with the other,” Horwath said at a campaign stop. “What Ford needs to do is be honest about what those cuts are going to look like. His plan is one that’s not up front and it’s worrisome to me that he’s not prepared to talk about exactly what is going to happen to everyday families.”