In her endless thirst to confiscate more money from taxpayers, Ontario premier Kathleen Wynne is planning on a tax increase for air travelers in her province:
The fuel tax, currently at 2.7 cents per litre, will jump to 6.7 cents by 2017, under Ontario’s budget proposal — an “unbelievably punitive” hike according to Ben Smith, Air Canada’s chief commercial officer. Smith isn’t wrong. Airlines, which continue as barely profitable in 2014, operate on the tightest of margins. The hike is expected to cost Air Canada alone more than $50-million next year. To put this figure into context, the airline generated just $50-million in net profit in 2012.
Sadly, Leftists like Wynne, have never understood the Law of Unintended Consequences:
So news of Ontario’s fuel tax hike is sure to set hearts aflutter at U.S. border airports. The tax increase is expected to direct an additional 300,000 to 400,000 Canadian passengers to U.S. airports, according to Canada’s National Airlines Council. This will do serious damage to Canada’s airports, critical generators of job growth, and thus the Canadian economy overall.
h/t Peter J.
Losing…yes we in Ontario are losing.
Perhaps if she started a new infrastructure project, say like building a wall between over taxed citizens and the cheaper airfare locales just over the border like Buffalo she could meet her revenue targets.
More NY border airports are expanding their facilities to accommodate the increase in Canadian travelers, including cheap or free parking and free hotel shuttles, the complete opposite of the Canadian traveling experience.
Ontario….circling the bowl
Reap it and weep.
Ah, she’s pulling a “Stelmach”.
This looks like an amazing opportunity for the smuggling of tobacco, moonshining, bootlegging and the wholesale production of weed.
Ontario, with the help of LGBT commies may be able to defy the Queen’s Government and make millions in unreported income.
It could be a boon to free enterprise.
Why cry! We Americans need “North to South” commerce. The AGW fools buy EU windmills & cuddle up to “has been” stars like Neal Young. The backup power, not mentioned, will be provided by known American Capitalists, AKA Cronyism. Big fish eat little idiots.
Note the Saskatchewan love fest in October with Suzuki & the clown troop. The total takeover of Canada is in the final stage.
Why do you think America is demonizing & pushing the EU to commit resources and advance self crippling policies over the Ukraine. The competitive advantage becomes obvious.
Fu*K the EU
Well, I never needed to fly to Ontario, anyway. Now I have even less reason. Maybe Westjet could start service to Buffalo?
Can someone tell the Ontario Liberals that Alberta’s economy can come close but it can’t carry the whole economy. How we manage to grow by 100,000 people per year is by staying out of the way of business. As Joel said Wynne is Stelmaching the Ontario economy. Special Ed Stelmach put through big increases in oil royalties. The oil companies stopped drilling and essentially created the Wildrose Party by donations leading to the reversal of the royalties and Special Ed’s resignation. Unfortunately voters in Ontario think that wealth comes from government, not hard work.
“…Leftists like Wynne, have never understood the Law of Unintended Consequences…”
It’s not that they don’t understand – they just don’t care. They are sociopaths with one obsession: attaining and retaining power. To suggest that they have any interest at all in the future of their riding/province/country displays the same appalling naivety and ignorance that puts these parasites on their thrones and keeps them there.
Slightly related:
The silence of the unions is deafening…on this issue, as well as the problem of Health Care Front Line employees being layed off, or hours cut…many in my hospital.
And Hudak lost the election …promising to NOT lay off front line employees.
I will avoid landing in Toronto at all cost. It is one of the most expensive airports in North America already. Ontario’s stupidity will be a boon to Delta and United.
So far there has not been any comment on the amount of extra costs being piled on Ontario businesses in the name of Social Justice with the latest Ontario Budget plans.
Ignoring the administrative burden on small business owners, the basic cost increases will make survival even more difficult for small manufacturing concerns trying to sell to the global market economy. Remember manufacturing firms in Ontario used to be a major contributor to Ontario’s and Canada’s revenue flow…. Now! the unreasonable expectations of the Ontario government/bureaucracy makes the siren call from Buffalo increasingly difficult to ignore.
Some day there will be a recognition that the job creators have become very tired of being “indentured servants”.
Dear Kathleen you hot hunk of well we are not sure. Alberta and Saskatchewan say thanks.
As a conservative I no longer care. Wynne won, Ontario lost. All the Liberals I spoke to didn’t give a hoot about Ontario’s economy, their only concern was what is in it for me.
Air Canada have set up their flights so that it is difficult to avoid Toronto (Trrrrnna). Travel to Europe from St. John’s
is a case in point. One flies over three hours from YYT to YYZ, waits a couple of hours or more, and then heads east
again. After another three hours one is over St. John’s. So after six hours of air travel, and at least two hours experiencing
the delights of Pearson International, one is right back where one started. Sometimes the lights of St. John’s are actually
visible.
When Air Canada is flying St. John’s to Heathrow, which is not all the time, then, well, one experiences the delights of
Heathrow. British Rail proved that the British couldn’t run a railroad. Heathrow proves that they can’t run air travel either.
Air Canada used to emphasize Montreal as a connection hub, and it is better than Pearson. They can and probably will
switch their emphasis back.
The Wynne will, of course, damage smaller airports more than Pearson – I can see the rather agreeable Hamilton airport
taking some real knocks.
The adverse consequences are a foregone conclusion. As Aaron Clarey (Captain Capitalism) notes, “capital flight is
a feature, not a bug, of socialism.” As an economist he knows what may not be evident to everyone – that capital flight
means flight of every sort of business activity.
The policies followed by the Ontario government are adverse to other provinces. BNA 1867 has a provision by which the
central government can deal with this – it lies within the power of the central government to disallow any provincial act
of provincial parliament. That sensible and indeed essential provision has never been used and is deemed to have
lapsed. In times of need, however, it bears reexamination.
It definitely was a “what’s in it for me” election in Ontario and those who think they’re going to cash in on Wynne’s promises, including the brainless union heads and their toads are going to wake up to a grim reality of less work, higher taxes and a lot of boarded up small and medium businesses.
The residents of Ontario, particularly the ones who didn’t bother to show up to vote are getting the government that they deserve – good and hard. The productive sector should simply go Galt for a few months and maybe the parasites will be get a little concerned. Perhaps the “have” provinces who subsidize Ontario’s folly should get to vote in their elections. He who pays the piper……
On the other hand, at the rate of Ontario’s decline, perhaps the “Liberal” brand will be damaged enough to influence the next federal election. Conservatives could flaunt the image of the Spawn of Satan with Wynne celebrating the gaiety of the Pride parade while flashing up data on Ontario,s fiscal suicide.
Whoop de fricken doo. I’ve been flying out of Buffalo for the last several years. Family of 4 from YYZ to MIA or MCO on Air Canada = $2500. Flying out of BUF $1000. It’s worth the extra hour drive. Thanks Comrade Wynne…maybe the additional demand at BUF will result in a greater abundance of direct flights!
Because of the preponderance of liberal held seats around Toronto that granted Wynne a stay of electoral execution, they will experience the brunt of her parties bad economic policy….karmas a bitch that way.
So much for water under the bridge eh Hazel?
Everytime I opened youtube this week I saw an ad for the new Ontario Pension Plan. It won’t apply to employees who already have a pension plan aready since Wynne is shrewd enough not to penalize the unions. It’s another tax on employment that will harm job creation.
Stick a fork in Ontariowe, it’s done.
John Lewis “it lies within the power of the central government to disallow any provincial act of provincial parliament. That sensible and indeed essential provision has never been used and is deemed to have lapsed. In times of need, however, it bears reexamination.”
At one time it was used lots. Here’s a summary.
http://faculty.marianopolis.edu/c.belanger/quebechistory/federal/disallow.htm
I never fly out of Toronto. It is easier to drive to Buffalo, and like you said its about a grand cheaper for four people.
But mostly it’s because Toronto Airport is like Purgatory. It’s impossible to park, so you have to take a limo. Just walking around in there is a pain in the butt, and it’s huge. It’s about a mile between where you go for customs and where the actual plane is. The US customs people in Toronto are the worst a-holes ever, much worse than at the border. Plus if you get refused at the US border, you’re in your own car. You can drive home.
Get refused at Toronto airport, now what are you going to do? Take a cab all the way home, is what. Because limo. If I still lived in Hogtown I’d still be driving to Buffalo.
Kathleen Wynne is beating a dead horse. It is not going to get up and pull her little red tax wagon.
scar;
You seem to think that Alberta is safe? I think not. Western Canada is well on its way to the same progressive state. Sure Ontario and Quebec will continue to suck until some one out west pulls the tit away. By then it will be way to late. AB had Redford and BC has Clark. Vancouver has a dedicated nutbar running the city into bankruptcy and Calgary has Nenshi(?). I take no comfort. Wildrose is the only real hope and now the PC’s have taken their plate away. It is late in the game and we are losing.
as per usual McBarfbag was unavailable for comment.
El Wyndbag was inside when the Barfster was waving his creepy green wand and so should reap the whirlwind of DiltonMcHomo.
Kathleen is in the rock/rock place.
That’s wonderful news.
Now they can rename Toronto airport the Justin Turdeau Airport (you know they really want to), it will soon be as busy as Pierre Turdeau airport (formerly Dorval) in Quebec. ie not busy at all and a suitable monument to Socialist stupidity.
With any luck this will also be the death knell for Air Canada, CBC will be dead in five years, most head offices will surely relocate after every airline avoids Toronto, quite a days work.
Wynne will soon have Ontario looking like Cuba.
I haven’t flown out of canadian Airport in years. Fortunately I live about 1 1/2 from Syracuse NY and that is generally where I go to catch a flight. The cost is more than 1/2 of what it costs at a canadian airport.
I only fly West Jet, and then only in Sask/AB/BC/ and the northwest US. If I have to go anywhere east of Saskatchewan,I bus the 3 hours to YYC from YEG, and grab Delta or United.As others have noted,it is worth the extra time and at least half the cost of anything Air Canuckistan offers. Plus West Jet allows service dogs to stay with their masters IN the passenger compartment,not cargo,and no extra charge. In April,my ex-fiancee and I were flying YVR to YEG. During boarding,she took a bad fall.Deep soft tissue injuries and a screwed up left knee.I called YVR and West Jet’s coperate office to complain about the condition of the rampway.We both now have credits for 6 flights a year within NA,for life,plus complimentary hotel.(now if I could only get a rental car/sarc).No lawsuit,no court fight,just exceptional customer service. And no,I do not work for any airline in the world.
I was just down in Houston for a week(not the time of year I’d prefer to make the trip) and took a non-stop United flight from YEG to George Bush Intercontinental, both ways. Does United not generally fly out of YEG? I assumed they did.
That is good on Westjet. For personal flights I will always look for them when booking.
Ontario , the Wynne Lose province.
Joel in AB….yes they do…but their flights into like YVR or Sea-Tac are not quite up to snuff. For west to east,or down to central US(which I consider Houston to be),they are very good. As for Westjet,I am a cheerleader for them.Haven’t flown Air Canuckistan in 23 years. Westjet is the best local airlines this country has ever had. 4 direct flights from YEG to YVR 7 days a week,starting at 6:20 local.And return starting at around 7:pm local YVR. They also have what I call the milk-runs,YEG to YYC to Abbosfort,to Kelowna,to Penticton,to YVR,and return.Of course they don’t use 737’s on those runs 🙂
Although folks in Hogtown will be complaining about higher fares to Cuban vacations, the real crime is the north where air is the only viable means of supply and transportation. Many reserves and communities are only accessible by air and to add another 5% to the cost will ripple all over the province. Remember, those folks fly to regional centres like Thunder Bay, Sudbury and North Bay for medical care along with government services that take care of the remote regions. Do you honestly think that the air carrier will not pass on the costs to the folks paying for these services (i.e. the taxpayer).
Good point. And I’m sure the Ontario provincial government won’t be searching very hard for reasons to restrict unnecessary travel for themselves either; not that they have any real reason to leave the province anyhow other than trying to whine for welfare.
Perhaps the Marxists are just trying to punish Porter Airlines
and Bombardier for creating productive jobs in the city.
Wynnibag: old Huron word for “ya gets what ya danced for”.
The natural chain of events is unfolding as ordained – the same process we have witnessed in every other jurisdiction where where clapped-out boomer socialist-kleptos have destroyed the economies and societies they try to “change” has descended on morOntario.
Klepto-socialism is a vacuum. The only government/society that exist in an economic vacuum is parasitic and predatory. That parasitic -predator roll has already by Wynn ad the natural reaction to it is large sums of revenue evacuating the vacuum, followed by economic refugees and investment capital going west.
As Klepto-socialism advances and they rob anything in plain sight first , then they will go after legitimizing and taxing the black/grey market, then they will come for your savings and pensions.
It’s about them – it was never about you. Klepto-socialism is all about the continuity of lush government sinecure and enriching corny insiders – that is what their redistribution of wealth is about – from those who can’t afford it to those who don’t deserve it. It is an utter perversity of the Marxist ethic and those who vote for this type of dytopian banditry, should be made to feel its full force – perhaps that is what it will take to make the LIV zombies in GTA stop damaging their province with malefic government. The LIV scum who oppress us with these predatory political juntas need to be damaged by them.
if westjet starts a flight to Buffalo I am on it! only 20 minutes from my bro in Ontario and probably $300 cheaper than air canada!
I fly out of Montana or Idaho now. Go ahead with the tax Wynne.
Nothing good can be wrought from the re-election of the same crew that wrecked the province of Ontario, we’re in for many rude awakenings each time we pay a bill, or purchase anything, including things we need to survive like energy, food, water. Every facet of the economy is suffering, including the tourist industry, staycations are it for most ordinary Ontario residents.
We did it to ourselves, whether we stayed home on election day or voted for the scandal ridden pack of corrupt liars, we all pay the same price.