City report could suggest a levy on throwaway products

Miller rules out any trash tax

By BRYN WEESE, SUN MEDIA

Last Updated: 29th October 2008, 3:00am

To tax or not to tax? That's the question Toronto Mayor David Miller, a city councillor and a taxpayer watchdog can't answer.

The confusion between the mayor's office, Councillor Glenn De Baermaeker and the Canadian Taxpayer Federation stems from a report that will be tabled next month at the public works committee meeting.

In the report, staff outline several options related to reducing polystyrene (certain plastic products) in the city's landfill and increasing Toronto's waste diversion rate to 70% by 2010.

According to Geoff Rathbone, Toronto's director of solid waste, those options include banning the use of certain products in the city; adding them to the recycling program; deposit returns and what he calls "financial tools."

De Baeremaeker, who chairs the public works committee, took it one step further and said the report was considering "new taxes."

Specifically, the recommendations are looking at plastic packaging, coffee and tea to-go cups, batteries, light bulbs, plastic bags and paint cans among other things.

"We'll consider taxes. We'll consider bans. We'll consider deposit returns, we'll consider everything to protect the ... Toronto taxpayer and to protect the environment," De Baeremaeker said yesterday, noting no decision has been made yet. "If we have a public policy that says we're going to tax plastic bags or throw-away batteries or things that are bad for the environment, I think that's a good policy."

But Miller doesn't see it that way. Miller spokesman Stuart Green said in an e-mail no new taxes are being proposed.

"City staff will be reporting to the Nov. 12 works committee with options for getting to 70% diversion but new taxes are not among those options," Green stated. "The mayor has already said there are no new taxes planned and none are being proposed."

According to Kevin Gaudet of the Canadian Taxpayer Federation, the mayor can call the new measures anything he likes but if they increase costs for consumers, they're taxes.

"If at the end of the day, it's a government mandated decision that takes more money out of the pockets of individuals, families and businesses in Toronto, it ain't nothing but a tax," Gaudet said.

He's also worried the city will try to slide in new taxes under the radar by calling them waste diversion measures that would not be under the same public scrutiny as a new tax.

"This government has a history of increasing taxes and doing it through the back door," Gaudet said.