Member's Statement by Bob Delaney: March 27, 2007
Goodbye GTA Pooling!

Goodbye GTA pooling, Mississauga won’t miss you.

Greater Toronto Area Pooling was a Mike Harris Tory creation to offset the costs of amalgamating the City of Toronto. By 2006, Peel Region had paid approximately $544 million into GTA pooling, and got nothing!

In the 2006 fiscal year alone, Peel Region sent $62 million to the pooling fund – some $40 million of that from the pockets of Mississauga taxpayers! To cover some of this lost revenue, and maintain Mississauga’s historically-balanced budget, Mississauga taxpayers had to raise their residential property tax rates higher than Toronto’s whose property taxes are subsidized from our GTA pooling money.

The 2007-08 Ontario Budget put an end to this regressive tax, and will enable revenues generated in the 905 region to address 905 region needs.

For 2007, GTA pooling contributions will be rolled back to 2004 levels. For each of the next six years, pooling costs will be reduced by one-sixth of the 2004 levels, until the program is fully eliminated in 2013

Speaker, Mississauga’s labour shortage results in some 60,000 more people per day commuting into our city than commute out. The $40 million recovered annually from a Mike Harris Tory legacy tax will address our big-city issues, and build the City of Mississauga! Let’s pass this budget!