Mike Schreiner outlines Green’s plan to cut payroll tax

Ontario Green Party Leader and Guelph MPP candidate Mike Schreiner is calling for a cut in payroll taxes for small businesses and non-profits.

Schreiner reiterated the party’s small business plan during an event at The Bookshelf in Downtown Guelph on Friday morning.

READ MORE: Mike Schreiner explains how Green Party’s vision for Ontario differs from other parties

Schreiner’s plan would increase the exemption level for the Employer Health Tax from $450,000 to $1 million for businesses with payrolls under $5 million and it will be paid for by reversing the corporate tax cut for big businesses by one percentage point.

He said it would save small businesses about $1 billion a year.

“Even by raising Ontario’s corporate tax rate on the largest [and] most profitable corporations by one per cent to free up money to support our local economies will ultimately support those larger businesses as well because they need vibrant local economies in order to succeed,” Schreiner said.

READ MORE: Doug Ford promises to cut the small business tax

Schreiner took aim at PC Party Leader Doug Ford and his plan to cut corporate taxes on small businesses and he said it would not provide payroll relief.

“If you want maximize your benefit from Doug Ford, you as a business owner might be thinking of cutting jobs,” he said. “If you want to maximize your benefit that we’re proposing it’s about creating more jobs, and we want small businesses to create more jobs, better-paying jobs and grow their business.”