Wynne rejects hike in gas tax, HST or income tax on middle class to fund transit

TORONTO – Premier Kathleen Wynne says her Liberal government will not raise the tax on gasoline, increase the HST or hike income taxes on the middle class to pay for public transit expansion.

Wynne says she’s announcing what the government is not doing because the Progressive Conservatives have been trying to score points by claiming the Liberals would hike taxes to fund transit.

She says the government is not going to ask the people of North Bay to fund public transit in the Greater Toronto Area.

The premier says the government will announce how it intends to raise the billions of dollars needed to update and expand public transit in the upcoming budget.

Wynne dismissed suggestions she was trying to secure NDP support for the budget by saying she won’t hike taxes on the middle class.

NDP house leader Gilles Bisson quickly responded to Wynne’s announcement by tweeting: “one can never believe a Liberal promising to not raise your taxes. Remember (Dalton) McGuinty and his HST.”