Oh where oh where is all that extra tax revenue? OPSEU's Thomas asks

TORONTO, July 29, 2019 /CNW/ - The Ford government's boasts of new job creation don't square with its sky is falling rhetoric about Ontario's finances, says OPSEU President Warren (Smokey) Thomas.

In a tweet on Friday Treasury Board President Peter Bethlenfalvy claimed 202,900 new jobs have been created in the past year, most of which he said are full-time, private sector jobs.

Thomas says if that's so then where has the government put all the additional tax revenue that should be coming in.

"They certainly aren't putting the money into public services and the deficit isn't falling," said Thomas.  "They couldn't have spent that money on appointing Dean French's friends so where is it?"

OPSEU First Vice-President/Treasurer Eduardo (Eddy) Almeida says if there is all this extra revenue then it doesn't make sense that it resorted to gutting various social assistance programs.

"If the revenue base has grown then this government didn't need to pick on children with autism and others who need support," said Almeida. 

"As Treasurer I understand the importance of discipline when it comes to spending and question every penny spent, but I've never tightened the purse strings when it makes no sense to do so."

Thomas is calling on the government to reverse plans to gut Ontario social assistance programs.

"We've been saying all along Ontario doesn't have a spending problem, it has a revenue problem," said Thomas. "The government's job figures prove us right."

Thomas also pointed out that the government labour market report noted that the average hourly wage increased by three per cent between the second quarter of 2018 and the second quarter of this year. The Premier took to Twitter Sunday to boast of the three per cent wage increases.

"It's grossly unfair that Ontario public sector workers are being told their pay increases will be legislatively capped at one per cent, when most other folks are getting increases in the three per cent range" said Thomas. "The Premier boasts of three while legislating one. How does that make any sense? Why should public sector workers be the only ones singled out just because a few Ford government gas bags with an inflated view of their self-worth want to act tough to impress their corporate cronies."

SOURCE Ontario Public Service Employees Union (OPSEU)