For immediate release
January 22, 2010

Tired of red tape?

MPP Barrett encourages regulation victims to share their stories

Simcoe – Opposition Environment Critic Toby Barrett is inviting farms and businesses to share their experiences with Ontario government job-killing red tape.

“Dalton McGuinty’s high taxes and excessive red tape have become the two largest problems facing Ontario small businesses,” the Haldimand-Norfolk MPP stated. “Red tape costs money, strangles Ontario business and kills jobs.”

Barrett went on to encourage those businesses stymied by the impact of government red tape to visit www.tiredofredtape.ca, the latest component of the Ontario Opposition’s Small Business Jobs Plan.  The website provides a forum for people to share their experiences and frustrations with the McGuinty Government’s job-killing red-tape.

“If you run into a wall of red tape we want to hear about it,” Barrett remarked. “Through this website and real-life red tape experiences we will build a case for action to reduce the red tape burden so Ontario businesses can grow once again.”

The PC Caucus Small Business Jobs Plan also calls for:
·       The re-instatement of a Red Tape Commission that will eliminate the many unnecessary regulations that punish small businesses. 

·       Implementation of a moratorium on new regulations that will impact small business jobs until the Red Tape Commission is in place to reduce the overall regulatory burden.

“While excessive regulations and fees are hitting businesses across the board, Mr. McGuinty has attempted to hide costly restrictions under the banner of environmental stewardship,” added Barrett. “This government has pushed through at least six environment related bill in recent years – each one adding to the regulatory burden. It’s time to add up the mounting bills, and turn this ship around.”

-30 –