Dalton McGuinty proposes a tax credit for businesses that hire new immigrants (because apparently they don’t speak English)

Dalton McGuinty wants to offer a $10,000 tax credit to businesses that hire new immigrants, a move the Progressive Conservative Party of Ontario quickly dubbed a “foreign worker subsidy.” Putting the merits of McGuinty’s plan aside, we can’t help but notice that the retort from the Conservatives sounds a little like the kind of fear-mongering about immigration that’s more common in American political races (or American cartoons). More disappointing than that, however, is the Toronto Sun piling on with a commentary that suggests if McGuinty is re-elected, all employers will be faced with two applicants for every job: a non-English-speaking immigrant or a lifelong Canadian. Um, since when is it assumed that immigrants in this province don’t speak English? The Sun also suggests the move is reminiscent of John Tory’s proposal to fund faith-based schools in the last election, only that proposal is praised for addressing an existing inequity. Right, because there isn’t a disparity in employment rates for immigrants. Oh, wait. Read the entire story [Toronto Sun ] »