The academic team behind Vote Compass looked at party policy statements and platform documents from the Greens, Liberals, New Democrats and Progressive Conservatives, and consulted the parties to determine how their policies lined up with the way Vote Compass interprets respondents' answers.

All the parties had the chance to answer the Vote Compass questionnaire for themselves, and were given the opportunity to challenge the assessments before the "final codes" went in. The detailed methodology is available here.

Here are the party positions on four questions about taxes in the Vote Compass questionnaire, and what was behind those answers.

1) How much should wealthier people pay in taxes?

• Much less
• Somewhat less
• About the same as now
• Somewhat more
• Much more
• Don’t know

NDP: About the same as now.

Our plan takes $7 billion that was invested in corporate tax giveaways, CEO pay hikes and consultant contracts and invests that money in the priorities that you’ve told us matter to you: making life affordable and helping with household budgets, creating and protecting good jobs, rewarding job creators, and ensuring healthcare dollars are wisely spent on your needs.

Source: Plan for Affordable Change and Statement from the Ontario NDP to Vote Compass (June 2011)

Liberal: About the same as now

"Ontario’s tax plan will deliver $12 billion in temporary and permanent tax relief for people over three years. 93% of Ontario income taxpayers received a permanent personal income tax cut. The average Ontario family saved $355 in income tax this year and every year going forward. Ontario Liberals have also introduced the Ontario Sales Tax Credit, the Children’s Activity Tax Credit, the Ontario Energy and Property Tax Credit, the Ontario Sales Tax Transition Benefit, the Northern Ontario Energy Credit, the Ontario Clean Energy Benefit , and the Ontario Senior Homeowners’ Property Tax Grant."

Source: Statement from the Ontario Liberal Party to Vote Compass (August 2011)

PC: Somewhat less

To give families additional tax relief and to spur economic growth, a Tim Hudak government will lower income taxes by 5% on the first $75,000 of taxable income.

Source: Changebook (May 2011)

Green: Somewhat less

The Green Party’s tax plan seeks to reward hard work and provide incentives for local businesses to create jobs. We achieve this by lowering personal income taxes in a progressive way, that is, by raising exemption levels for individuals and families. This approach benefits all taxpayers, especially those with lower incomes. In addition, our plan lowers payroll taxes on small businesses to encourage local job creation.

Source: Green Party of Ontario Economic Strategy (May 2011)

2) How much tax should there be on gasoline?

• Much less
• Somewhat less
• About the same as now
• Somewhat more
• Much more
• Don’t know

NDP: Somewhat less

The Ontario NDP would remove 1% of the HST on gasoline each year over a four year period for total of a 4% reduction in the HST on gasoline by Year 4.

Source: Plan for Affordable Change (June 2011)

Liberal: About the same as now

The federal government needs to amend Canada's price-fixing legislation so consumers are better protected from price-gouging from oil companies and speed up the phase out of the $300 million per year in tax break provided to the oil industry.

The provincial government has done its part. We have cut income taxes for 93% of Ontario taxpayers and have put in place series of tax credits to help offset the effect of the HST – a total of twelve billion dollars in relief. We are also providing families with a 10% rebate on their energy bills with the Ontario Clean Energy Benefit. Increases in gas prices are a global phenomenon – Ontario is not an anomaly.

Gas prices are affected by global forces, such as worldwide supply and unrest in the Middle East. Another factor pushing crude oil prices higher has been the increase in global demand as economies recover from the recession. The fact is, prices are going up around the world.

Ontario price increases from July 2010 up to March 2011 are actually lower than several other Canadian jurisdictions, including Montreal, Edmonton, Winnipeg and Calgary. And lower than the US and major EU countries such as German, France, and the UK. Furthermore, current prices in Vancouver, Montreal, Europe, and cities like Sydney, Australia and Johannesburg, South Africa, are higher than we are experiencing here in Ontario.

Source: Statement from the Ontario Liberal Party to Vote Compass (August 2011)

PC: About the same as now

The McGuinty government should immediately reduce the” HST “on gasoline until world oil prices moderate.

Source: Official Records from the Legislative Assembly of Ontario (April 2011)

Green: Somewhat more

Our tax plan proposes small, incremental steps toward a smarter tax system that encourages sustainable job growth, responsible stewardship of financial and environmental resources along with the reduction of waste and inefficiencies.

We would implement a $10 per tonne price on carbon to provide market incentives that encourage the efficient use of resources and discourage greenhouse gas emissions. Every dollar raised by the carbon tax will be returned to individuals and businesses through tax reductions. No part of the carbon tax revenue will be used to fund government spending.

Source: Green Party of Ontario Economic Strategy (May 2011)

3) How much tax should corporations pay?

• Much less
• Somewhat less
• About the same as now
• Somewhat more
• Much more
• Don’t know

NDP: Somewhat more

Ontario NDP Leader Andrea Horwath announced today that a New Democratic government will roll back Dalton McGuinty's multi-billion dollar corporate tax giveaways.

Source: Press Release "New Democats will scrap McGuintys corporate tax rate giveaway: Horwath" (May 2011)

Liberal: Somewhat less

Ontario’s Tax Plan for Jobs and Growth reduces Ontario’s general statutory CIT [corporate income tax] rate to 10 per cent by 2013 [...] among the lowest provincial rates in the country. Ontario’s tax advantage over the average combined federal–state rate in the United States will widen from just over six percentage points in 2009 to almost 15 percentage points when the CIT rate reductions are fully implemented. (p.252-3)

Source: Corner to a Better Tomorrow: 2011 Ontario Budget (March 2011)

PC: Somewhat less

We will make Ontario’s business tax rates competitive by reducing them to 10%.

Source: Changebook (May 2011)

Green: somewhat less

We would reduce taxes on small and medium businesses while ensuring larger corporations pay their fair share. We would delay the planned tax breaks for large corporations until after the budget is balanced.

Source: Green Party of Ontario Economic Strategy (May 2011).