By: Dianne Saxe, PhD Lake Superior News
In a prepared statement Environment John Wilkinson said, "On July 1st, a new program run by Stewardship Ontario took effect to divert household hazardous waste from landfills. Ontarians quickly recognized that the program that started July 1 was flawed because it applied to some products that made little sense to consumers -- and forced consumers to pay fees, in some cases inconsistently, on some routine household purchases.
Programs that existed prior to July 1, 2010, which currently divert, recycle and dispose of electronics, tires and household hazardous wastes such as paint and single-use batteries, will continue. To help ensure these programs are fair and transparent, and that money is used solely to keep hazardous waste out of landfills.
Peter Shurman (PC) MPP – Thornhill, stated to Lake Superior News that:
This his just the latest example of McGuinty Government backtracking which wouldn’t have been necessary had he been “in touch” with Ontario families in the first place and known that they are no longer able to afford additional taxes;
Dalton McGuinty thought he could sneak this tax through under the radar while we were all focusing on the introduction of the HST on July 1st;
This was undoubtedly McGuinty creation and the decision to reverse in an election year was his too…and a re-elected McGuinty Government would bring the Eco-Tax right back;
This type of backtrack was nothing less than the government dipping into our pockets once again and having to recant…we’ll continue to remind Ontario families of such behavior during the election campaign.
Wilkinson went on to say that they will establish a special team that will investigate incorrect or misleading fees being charged by retailers to Ontarians
Ontario will continue to make progress in diverting hazardous waste from landfills to protect our water and land for future generations. The province will begin to provide funding to municipalities to properly manage, recycle and dispose of fire extinguishers, rechargeable batteries, compact fluorescent light bulbs, needles, mercury-containing devices and pharmaceuticals.
These changes will ensure that Ontario strikes the right balance between consumer protection and effectively managing waste.