Mr. Kudrinko will be running in the Leeds-Grenville by-election this March for the Green Party. When asked about his position regarding the  Harmonized Sales Tax in Ontario, Kudrinko’s response indicated that he does believe there will be benefits for larger businesses in Ontario, but that it won’t benefit small business in a significant way. Furthermore, he feels that the extra cost for consumers is the biggest concern. The cost of contract labour increasing will make general home improvements and repairs cost 8% more in Ontario, among other things.  There is growing chatter within online communities that the proposed Ontario HST will simply increase the amount of “under-the-counter” work being performed on a regular basis. Explaining the Green Party’s position on the HST in general, Kudrinko states:

“The Green Party position on the HST is that it cedes the province’s power of taxation and puts it into the control of the federal government. We feel as a party that is too important a role to leave up to another level of government. What are the implications down the road? If we are so tightly integrated with the federal government that we have no leeway, we won’t be able to make changes in how we collect sales taxes without the approval of Ottawa.”