"Doug Ford demands tax reductions from the Prime Minister due to ongoing trade conflicts, asserting, 'We are being overtaxed'"
Doug Ford, the Premier of Ontario, has announced a series of tax relief measures aimed at strengthening the economy in the face of challenges posed by U.S. President Donald Trump's tariffs.
In a recent meeting, Ford reiterated his calls for a strong response to Trump's trade war escalation, and emphasized the need to create an environment where companies can invest by lowering taxes. One of the proposed tax relief measures is a two-year Harmonized Sales Tax (HST) holiday on new homes.
Ford also suggested a six-month deferral of certain provincial taxes such as the Employer Health Tax and the Insurance Premium Tax, providing roughly $9 billion in relief for affected businesses. Additionally, the Workplace Safety and Insurance Board (WSIB) is issuing a $2-billion rebate to safe employers on top of a previous $2-billion rebate earlier in the year.
The Premier has expressed a desire to beat Trump at his own game by making Ontario the most competitive place in the world. To achieve this, he has called for "dollar-for-dollar" retaliatory tariffs on U.S. goods in response to these increased tariffs.
Ford has also announced a $1.6 billion infrastructure top-up to support housing construction, while groups like TRREB call for cuts to development charges, land transfer taxes, and modernization of the GST/HST home rebate to reduce costs for homebuyers and improve housing affordability.
Doug Ford has scheduled a one-on-one meeting with Prime Minister Mark Carney in Ottawa next week. The meeting, which Ford referred to as a "heart-to-heart," will focus on discussing changes that could better position Canada to navigate the ongoing trade war.
Ford has expressed frustration with Trump, stating that he drives him crazy "down south." However, he remains focused on making Ontario more competitive, while still monitoring Trump's actions. Ford believes that high taxes are a significant issue for economic growth in Ontario and has suggested reducing overall tax burdens, citing his belief that current tax levels—like the highest tax bracket at 54%—are too high and hurt spending and growth.
[1] Ontario government news release
[2] CBC News
[3] The Globe and Mail
[4] Toronto Real Estate Board
[5] The Canadian Press
- Doug Ford, the Premier of Ontario, expressed his intentions to make Ontario the most competitive place in the world, as he calls for "dollar-for-dollar" retaliatory tariffs on U.S. goods in response to increased tariffs imposed by President Donald Trump. (general-news)
- Fordannounced a series of tax relief measures aimed at lowering the tax burden on businesses, including a two-year Harmonized Sales Tax (HST) holiday on new homes and a six-month deferral of certain provincial taxes such as the Employer Health Tax and the Insurance Premium Tax. (economy, business, policy-and-legislation)
- The Ontario government is issueing a $2-billion rebate to safe employers from the Workplace Safety and Insurance Board (WSIB), on top of a previous $2-billion rebate earlier in the year, as part of the tax relief measures aimed at strengthening the Ontario economy. (finance, business, economy)
- In the face of challenges posed by Trump's tariffs, Ford has scheduled a one-on-one meeting with Prime Minister Mark Carney in Ottawa next week to discuss changes that could better position Canada to navigate the ongoing trade war. (politics, general-news)
- Groups like the Toronto Real Estate Board (TRREB) have called for cuts to development charges, land transfer taxes, and modernization of the GST/HST home rebate to reduce costs for homebuyers and improve housing affordability. (industry, travel, environment)
