EDITOR’S NOTE: This article originally appeared on Parliament Report, a Village Media newsletter devoted exclusively to covering provincial politics on Parliament Hill.
NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh is urging premiers to match his pledge of providing tax relief on “daily essentials,” the latest election-style promise amid an increasingly uncertain minority parliament.
Singh has promised that an NDP government would “immediately” remove the federal portion of the HST on "grab-and-go" grocery products, diapers, all home heating, internet and mobile bills, and clothing for kids under 15.
On Wednesday, he penned a letter to provinces and territories, asking them to match his promise to nix their portion of the sales tax on those items.
Joint action to lower taxes would “go a long way” in offering people relief, he said.
However, Singh's Ontario counterpart would not commit to his request to remove the provincial portion of the HST on such products if she wins the next election.
Ontario NDP Leader Marit Stiles said she's “looking at” Singh’s proposal and where there are "opportunities to ensure more affordability." She noted that some items on the list are already free from the provincial portion of the HST. Provincial sales tax is not applied to kids' clothing and diapers, for instance.
Ottawa, under Singh's watch, would finance the cut with an excess profits tax aimed at large corporations “gouging” Canadians.
