Lee Greenberg, Canwest News Service: Thursday, November 19, 2009
Three Tories were ejected from the assembly for using unparliamentary language, a deliberate tactic to draw attention to their anti-HST crusade.
Bob Bailey was tossed after saying Premier Dalton McGuinty is "nothing but a coward and a liar."
Ted Chudleigh was ejected for a similar remark.
The third forced departure came when Peter Shurman turned his attention to Finance Minister Dwight Duncan, and said: "You, sir, are a contemptible liar and you don't deserve to be in here."
All three men were applauded and hailed as "tax fighters" by caucus colleagues as they were escorted out of the chamber by the legislature's sergeant-at-arms.
"I don't like getting ejected," Shurman said outside the chamber. "Nobody wants to be thrown out of the House. But if that's the only way you can get attention when you know that your constituents are demanding public hearings, then that's what you do.
These people (the Liberal government) are not listening. They cannot be dictatorial."
The antics are part of an effort by Conservatives to register their displeasure with the HST, which, ironically, was initiated by their federal Conservative cousins.
The HST, which is scheduled to come into effect July 1, 2010, will blend the current eight per cent provincial sales tax with the five per cent GST. It is designed to shift the burden of taxation away from business and on to consumers to make Ontario more attractive for business investment.
Shurman and his colleagues are upset the Liberals have time-limited debate on the HST. They also complain the unpopular tax will be pushed through parliament without public hearings.
Premier Dalton McGuinty was absent from the legislature on Thursday.
Duncan was unapologetic about the government's legislative tactics. He reminded Conservatives they had done many of the same things - time allocating bills, limiting debate and refusing public consultations.
The business community has largely welcomed the measure.
Many consumers, however, are upset they will have to pay an additional eight per cent on a range of items previously exempt from PST - including gasoline, home heating, funerals and hair cuts.
The government plans to send families with net incomes of $160,000 or less three cheques totaling $1,000. Eligible singles with incomes under $80,000 would receive three cheques totaling $300.
"Politically it is not an easy sell but . . . we believe this package will create jobs," Duncan told reporters outside the legislature. "We have the backing of many of the best economists in the country."