QUEEN’S PARK—On the heels of a large, morning press conference and principled questions to the Ministers of Revenue and Finance, a major battle has been won on behalf of many of Ontario's smaller ethnic newspapers.

NDP MPP Michael Prue has been championing the case of unfair PST charges billed to these publications since the summer. He had asked the former Minister of Finance, Greg Sorbara for a change to the Regulations guiding the Retail Sales Tax Act and, on December 3, he asked Minister of Revenue Smith to support this initiative.

Relenting to pressure from Prue and his caucus, Finance Minister Duncan was forced to make a much-needed regulation change that will define publications like the Vietnamese Thòi Báo as newspapers and not magazines, thereby exempting them from paying PST on costs related to printing and publishing.

This will save Thòi Báo from a $1 million bill in unfair PST arrears on publishing-related costs – and it may just save the paper.

Prue’s efforts have been applauded by many publishers and supporters and members of Ontario’s Ethnic Press Council.

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Media Inquiries: Laurie Orrett (416) 325-1303