The Liberal government is planning to force membership fees, or a trades tax, on Ontario tradespeople and employers this year to fund the Ontario College of Trades, the government’s newest bureaucracy.

The trades tax is expected to cost tradespeople millions of dollars in news fees.

WHAT: Photo Op of MPP Milligan signing Stop the Trades Tax MPP pledge

WHEN: Friday May 3rd at 1:15pm

WHERE: Spelmer Chrysler Jeep Dodge
51 Trenton-Frankford Road Trenton, ON

For more information on the Stop the Trades Tax campaign please visit: www.stopthetradestax.ca.

For further information contact:
Tausha Michaud, Office of Rob Milligan at 416 303 7260 or tausha.michaud@pc.ola.org
Sean Reid, Progressive Contractors Association of Canada and Coalition Chair at 289- 335-1181 or sreid@pcac.ca

The Liberal government is planning to force membership fees, or a trades tax, on Ontario tradespeople and employers this year to fund the Ontario College of Trades, the government’s newest bureaucracy.

The trades tax is expected to cost tradespeople millions of dollars in news fees.

WHAT: Photo Op of MPP Milligan signing Stop the Trades Tax MPP pledge

WHEN: Friday May 3rd at 10:00 am

WHERE: Vandermeer Toyota
959 Division Street Cobourg, ON

For more information on the Stop the Trades Tax campaign please visit: www.stopthetradestax.ca.

For further information contact:

Tausha Michaud, Office of Rob Milligan at 416 303 7260 or tausha.michaud@pc.ola.org
Sean Reid, Progressive Contractors Association of Canada and Coalition Chair at 289- 335-1181 or sreid@pcac.ca

News Release

New tax hit tradespeople Monday and they’re fighting back at Queen’s Park

Toronto (April 10, 2013) – Ontario tradespeople and employers from across Ontario took their fight against the Ontario Liberal government’s controversial new trades tax to Queen’s Park today. The tax took effect Monday, hitting thousands of tradespeople across the province with millions of dollars in new annual fees.

“It’s outrageous to force hardworking tradespeople to pay a new multi-million dollar trades tax that supports big salaries and a new bureaucracy, but provides no benefit for tradespeople or consumers,” said Sean Reid, Chair of the Stop the Trades Tax campaign. “The government has spent years encouraging people to enter the trades, and now they’re being handed a big fat tax bill. That’s some thanks.”

Representatives from the Stop The Trades Tax campaign and tradespeople, were on hand to support MPP Garfield Dunlop’s Opposition Day motion that calls on the Ontario Government to abolish the Ontario College of Trades.

“I call on all parties to abolish the McGuinty-Wynne Liberal College of Trades. This is a another boondoggle which is now collecting millions of dollars in new fees on the backs of hard working tradespeople, that has no clear benefit apart from paying for its own bureaucracy,” said Garfield Dunlop, MPP for Simcoe North and PC Critic for Skilled Trades and Apprenticeship Reform.

The trades tax will cost individual tradespeople between $60 and $120 per year, on top of licensing fees and taxes many already pay. This is a 600 per cent increase in fees for some tradespeople such as electricians. The new trades tax will also make many consumer services more expensive including a haircut, new wiring and plumbing.

Tradespeople working in 22 compulsory trades will be forced to pay the tax annually in order to keep their license and continue working in Ontario. Tradespeople with a certificate of qualification in a “voluntary” trade will have to pay the tax, otherwise their qualifications and years of training will not be recognized.

The Stop The Trades Tax campaign was launched in 2011 to stop the Ontario Liberal government from imposing a new, multi-million dollar trades tax on tradespeople and employers. The campaign has grown to thirty-one organizations, whose members represent over 130,000 skilled tradespeople and over 8,000 businesses across Ontario. To date, the petition to Stop The Trades Tax has over 6,600 signatures.

To learn more about the Campaign visit: www.stopthetradestax.ca

Toronto – Industry leaders and tradespeople will be at Queen’s Park tomorrow to demand the Ontario Liberal Government and Premier Wynne put an end to the controversial new trades tax.

The Liberal Government’s new trades tax officially came into effect yesterday hitting tradespeople across the province with millions in new annual fees.

Representatives from the Stop The Trades Tax Campaign and tradespeople will be on hand to support MPP Garfield Dunlop’s Opposition Day Motion Wednesday that calls on the Ontario Government to abolish the College of Trades.

WHAT: Media conference calling for the Liberal Government to abolish the Ontario College of Trades and the Trades Tax.

WHEN: Wednesday, April 10, 2013,

2:00 p.m. – Press Conference

WHERE: Media Conference – Queen’s Park Media Studio Room 148

WHO:

• Garfield Dunlop, MPP for Simcoe North and PC Critic for Skilled Trades and Apprenticeship Reform
• Sean Reid, Chair of the Stop The Trades Tax Campaign
• Frank Notte, Director of Government Relations, Trillium Automobile Dealers Association

For more information on the Stop The Trades Tax Campaign please visit: www.stopthetradestax.ca.

For further information contact:

Amanda Galbraith, Playbook Communications, 416-710-3211 amanda@playbookcommunications.com

Garfield Dunlop, MPP Simcoe North, 705-327-5400

Sean Reid, Stop The Trades Tax Campaign Chair, sreid@pcac.ca 289-335-1181

Toronto (April 8, 2013) – The Ontario Liberal government’s controversial new trades tax came into effect today, hitting hundreds of thousands of tradespeople across the province with millions in new annual fees.

“It’s outrageous to force hardworking tradespeople to pay millions in a new trades tax to support big salaries and a new bureaucracy that provides no value to tradespeople or consumers,” said Sean Reid, Chair of the Stop the Trades Tax campaign. “The government has spent years encouraging people to enter the trades and now they are handing them a bill as a thanks.”

The tax will cost individual tradespeople between $60 and $120 per year. This will be a 600 per cent increase in fees for some tradespeople like electricians. The new trades tax will also make many consumer services more expensive including a haircut, new wiring and plumbing.

“Throughout my apprenticeship I spent tens of thousands of dollars on automotive tooling and courses. I love my job but I can’t afford another tax,” said Tim Ridley, an automotive service technician who has worked in Stoney Creek for two years. “The government is asking me to pay more money, but giving me no benefit in return. I’m still doing the same job, with the same challenges, but with less money in my pocket.”

Journeymen and apprentices working in compulsory trades, for which a license is mandatory, will be forced to pay the tax annually if they wish to continue working in Ontario. Tradespersons with a certificate of qualification in a “voluntary” trade will have to pay if they want to have their qualifications and years of training recognized.

The Stop The Trades Tax campaign was launched in 2011 to stop the Ontario Liberal government from imposing a new, multi-million dollar trades tax on tradespeople and employers. The campaign has grown to thirty-one organizations, whose members represent over 130,000 skilled tradespeople and over 8,000 businesses across Ontario. The campaign has also launched a petition to Stop The Trades Tax, to date it has over 5,700 signatures.
To learn more about the Campaign visit: www.stopthetradestax.ca

For Further Information Contact:
Jessica Georgakopoulos, jessica@playbookcommunications.com 416-994-7901
Sean Reid, Stop The Trades Tax Campaign chair, 289-335-1181

SARNIA, ON – Sarnia-Lambton MPP Bob Bailey will visit General Maintenance Services in Sarnia on Wednesday and sign a pledge to oppose all efforts by the Ontario College of Trades to impose a mandatory trades tax on Ontario’s trades workers and their employers.

The College of Trades is raising a tradesperson’s annual fees from the current rate of approximately $20 per year to as high as $120 per year – a 500% increase. Once the rate hike is implemented, the College is also planning to impose these unnecessary fees on the hundreds of thousands of voluntary skilled trades workers in Ontario. MPP Bailey, a former industrial crane operator received his own notice of the increasing fees from the College of Trades in February.

MPP Bailey and his colleagues in the Ontario PC Caucus voted against the creation of the Ontario College of Trades in 2009, however it was passed into law with Liberal and NDP support.

What: Signing of the Trades Tax Pledge _ Media Availability

When: Wednesday, April 03, 2013

Where: General Maintenance Services, 1185 Michener Road, Sarnia, ON

Time: 1pm – 1:30pm

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FOR MORE INFORMATION:
David Donovan
Office of MPP Bob Bailey
(416) 325-1715
Bob.Bailey@pc.ola.org

Who: Todd Smith, MPP; Quinte Home Builders Association
Where: Quinte Sports Centre, Loading Area Arena A. Belleville, ON
When: Thursday April 4th, 2013
Time: 11:30am

Notes: This will be an outdoor media availability

Content: Prince Edward-Hastings MPP Todd Smith will be joined by representatives of the Quinte Home Builders Association for a discussion about the College of Trades and will sign the “Stop the Trades Tax” pledge.

For Further Information, Please Contact: Mitch Heimpel | 416 325 2702 | todd.smith@pc.ola.org

WHO: Lisa Thompson, MPP (Huron-Bruce)
Garfield Dunlop, MPP (Simcoe North), PC Critic for Apprenticeship Reform

WHAT: Lisa Thompson will be signing the “Stop the Trades Tax” Pledge. Thompson and Dunlop will be speaking to trades people affected by the Ontario Liberal College of Trades harmful trades tax

WHERE: Huron Tractor, Walkerton Location
6 Durham Rd., Walkerton

WHEN: Tuesday, April 2, 2013
Media Availability and Photo Opportunity at 10:00 AM

For More Information:
Ashley Hammill
416-518-6642
ashley.hammill@pc.ola.org

Sean Reid, Chair of the Stop the Trades Tax Campaign, worries the federal government’s good intentions will have zero impact in Ontario.

“We have a federal government supporting skilled trades through a new job grant program, at the same time the Ontario government is hammering tradespeople and employers with a new trades tax. The two run completely counter. Unless Ontario stops the trades tax it will wind up contributing to Canada’s skilled trades shortage.”

The Ontario government plans to force new fees (a trades tax) on Ontario tradespeople and employers starting next month through the creation of a new bureaucracy. The fees and red tape mean that an electrician, for example, will be paying a fee increase of close to 600 per cent.

“The Ontario government’s new trades tax will drive good people out of skilled trades,” Reid added. “We’re already hearing from tradespeople who’d rather find other work than pay a hefty new trades tax. This new federal initiative will not be able to undo the damage caused by Ontario’s regressive and shortsighted tax on tradespeople.”

To learn more about the Stop the Trades Tax campaign go to www.stopthetradestax.ca.

For further information:

Amanda Galbraith, Amanda@playbookcommunications.com 416-710-3211

Queen’s Park – On Friday, PC MPP Rod Jackson will sign a pledge to stop the Liberal government’s new tax that will nail tradespeople, employers and consumers across Ontario.

The Liberal government is planning to force membership fees, or a trades tax, on Ontario tradespeople and employers this year to fund the Ontario College of Trades, the government’s newest bureaucracy.

The trades tax is expected to cost tradespeople millions of dollars in news fees.

WHO: MPP ROD JACKSON
MPP GARFIELD DUNLOP
SEAN REID, Regional Director, Progressive Contractors Association
KATHERINE VAN LEEUWEN, President, Barrie Construction Association
TODD BOURGON, Executive Director, Trillium Automobile Dealers Association

DATE: FRIDAY, MARCH 22, 2013

TIME: 1130AM

PLACE: CRS CONTRACTORS RENTAL SUPPLY, 535 WELLHAM ROAD, BARRIE, ON

DETAILS: MEDIA WELCOME

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CONTACT: Jane Kovarikova | 705-726-5538 | jane.kovarikova@pc.ola.org