The HST appears to be a done deal for Ontario – and a big step closer to reality for British Columbia.

The House of Commons voted 253-37 Wednesday in favour of a harmonized sales tax for the two provinces.

The Conservatives, Liberals and Bloc Quebecois supported the controversial measure, while the NDP opposed it.

Just hours earlier, the Ontario legislature passed its own legislation and B.C. is expected to follow suit early in the new year.

Using their huge majority, Premier Dalton McGuinty's Liberals rammed through the budget bill by a vote of 56-29 despite objections from the opposition Progressive Conservatives and New Democrats.

Passage of the legislation means that income tax cuts for most Ontarians can kick in on Jan. 1.

It also paves the way for the blending of the eight per cent provincial sales tax with the five per cent federal GST into one 13 per cent HST (12 per cent in B.C.) as of July 1.

That business-friendly measure will increase levies on hundreds of goods and services, including home energy costs, gasoline, legal fees, haircuts and tobacco.

Finance Minister Dwight Duncan said the tax reforms would create 600,000 new jobs over the next decade.

"Ontario must attract new business investment to create jobs and encourage economic growth," said Duncan.

"We are modernizing the tax system so that when the global recession ends, Ontario's economy will be more competitive and create jobs for our families and communities," he said.

Progressive Conservative Leader Tim Hudak said the move was a "greedy tax grab" and NDP Leader Andrea Horwath said the Liberals are rewarding their Bay Street friends on the backs of Main Street.

However, neither Hudak nor Horwath has pledged to repeal the HST if they take power after the 2011 election.

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-With files from The Canadian Press

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