Queen’s Park – Erie-Lincoln MPP Tim Hudak said the priorities of Niagara taxpayers are nowhere to be found in Dalton McGuinty’s fourth budget tabled today in the Legislature. Despite record government spending of over $91 billion, taxpayers in Niagara will see no tax relief. “Since taking office, Dalton McGuinty has raked in $22 billion more in revenue and he still goes to taxpayers begging for more money,” said Hudak. “With all this extra money, Niagara taxpayers are paying more and getting less in services. This Budget is another indication that Premier McGuinty couldn’t find the Niagara Region on a map.”

Niagara priorities that did not make today’s budget announcement include:

* Banishing the Mid-Peninsula Corridor to a vague “plans for the future” category with no deadline for construction

* No property assessment caps to bring real protection to home owners from skyrocketing property assessments and resultant tax increases. Home owners will now be hit every 4 years with a quadruple whammy of assessment increases giving seniors and working families 4 years to pack up their bags

* No support for Greenbelt municipalities, tourism operators and greenbelt farmers

* Agriculture budget cut by $100 million

* No funding for the Grape Replant Program

* No funding to spray gypsy moths that have devastated trees in the area

* No new Justices of the Peace announcements named

* No funding for the 406 Highway extension to Port Colborne or GO service to Niagara

“It took from Confederation to 2003 for government spending to reach $67.8 billion annually. Premier McGuinty has managed to increase spending to some $91 billion in one mandate,” said Hudak continued. “That rate of spending with no results is simply breathtaking.”

Contact:

Tim Hudak, MPP