For Immediate Release:
October 18, 2010
Queens Park – Opposition Environment Critic Toby Barrett channeled the Brothers Grimm, during Question Period, attempts to have government cough up eco taxes consumers paid before being forced to backtrack.
“Ontario families paid $1 million for eco-taxes until you were caught,” Barrett reported to the Legislature this morning. “Retailers say they’ve handed the money to stewardship Ontario. Stewardship Ontario says it has no involvement with eco-taxes. Your office says you’re not the best person to talk to about this.”
Barrett went on to note that, “even Hansel and Gretel had a plan when they backtracked.”
In what is beginning to be a familiar McGuinty Government tactic, Environment Minister John Wilkinson attempted to wash his hands of the entire eco mess pointing the finger at industry.
Despite the misdirection, Opposition Leader Tim Hudak had earlier made it clear that, “Premier McGuinty allegedly said, when it comes to the eco tax grab, that ‘we can’t do this fast enough.'” He also noted that Minister Wilkinson was, “there at cabinet that authorized this program when Premier McGuinty sold it to you. You were there on July 1, when you tried to sneak it in under the shadow of the HST. Minister Wilkinson himself said it was the right thing to do on August 12.”
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For more information, please contact MPP Toby Barrett at
(519) 428-0446 or (905)-765-8413, 1-800-903-8629