For Immediate Release:
July 14, 2010
Simcoe – Instead of penalizing manufacturers, retailers and customers, we should be providing incentives to support and promote production and consumption habits that foster more sustainable lifestyles.
That from Opposition Environment Critic Toby Barrett who questions why the McGuinty government always chooses the stick over the carrot.
“Let’s make it easier and more attractive for consumers to reach responsible purchasing decisions,” Barrett advocates. “Positive incentives, as opposed to more taxes and fees, are important to drive change toward innovative sustainable consumption.”
Barrett’s comments follow the firestorm of protest from consumers bushwacked by eco fees on over 9,000 items to pay for government-directed hazardous and special waste diversion.
“Let’s be clear, people will always consume – to make consumption as sustainable as possible, industry should be encouraged to develop environmentally-friendly products and solutions,” stated Barrett. “Companies that do this could derive a competitive advantage and society would see less waste going into water and landfill.
“As always we continue to support the goals we set in place with the Waste Diversion Act 2002, to reduce, reuse, and recycle – and that includes life cycle product analysis, and innovation.”
Barrett noted that detergent and other cleaning product companies are among many innovating to foster more sustainable lifestyles, and that government should be doing more to support such product development.
Barrett further questioned how eco taxes are applied and where the dollars are heading.
Specifically why do we now have a tax on a tax? Why eco fees on soap and detergents when their containers are blue boxed.
On July 12th Barrett joined Opposition Leader Tim Hudak to call on Mr. McGuinty to scrap the tax, and to commit that if the McGuinty Liberals fail to eliminate their latest tax-grab, then a future Ontario PC Government will.
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For more information, please contact MPP Toby Barrett at
(519) 428-0446 or (905)-765-8413, 1-800-903-8629