For immediate release:
January 6, 2005

Barrett cautions against revisitation of Liberal tire-tax money-grab

Queen’s Park - Haldimand-Norfolk-Brant MPP Toby Barrett is concerned that a recently posted plan to implement a tire stewardship fee will only recreate the conditions that saw taxpayers’ $108 million “diverted” from it’s intended purpose – diverting scrap tires from tire stock piles.

Waste Diversion Ontario’s Scrap Tire Diversion Program has been posted by the Ontario Government on the Environmental Bill of Rights for public comment. The program calls for, among other things:

1. A $4.00 non-refundable dedicated Tire Stewardship Fee (TSF) which will be remitted by retailers for each new highway tire that is sold;
2. Processing incentives to promote the production of higher value added materials from scrap tires;
3. Mechanisms to fund research and development projects to develop and expand the range of value-added end uses for which scrap tires may be employed;
4. A program to manage the registration and manifesting of scrap tire movement from generators to processors which will help to eliminate the illegal dumping of scrap tires;
5. The creation of a network of retail and municipal collection points, easily accessible to consumers, that will result in higher diversion rates;
6. A 5-year plan to eliminate the estimated 5-6 million stockpiled tires in the Province through a process that could include Tire Derived Fuel (TDF) application.

Barrett says that while scrap tires must be dealt with, he questions the implementation of another tax – especially given past history with the Liberal Peterson government’s tire tax.

“This is déjà vu all over again – the Peterson $5 tire tax was scrapped because it was backfiring to the tune of $108 million,” said Barrett. “Only 10 per cent of the $120 million collected from Ontarians was actually used for recycling tires.”

He says if the money goes to a dedicated fund and is used for the purpose intended it may make sense, however he has no desire to go “back to the future” of taxpayer funds being directed from their intended purpose.

Those wishing to comment on the EBR proposal are asked to reference registry # RA04E0018, and forward their comments by February 15th to:

Amanda Mulkins, Policy Advisor
Waste Management Policy Branch
135 St. Clair Avenue West 7th Floor
Toronto, Ontario, M4V 1P5
PHONE: (416) 212-7096 FAX: (416) 325-4437

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For more information please contact MPP Toby Barrett at: 519-428-0446, 416-325-8404 or 1-800-903-8629