Toronto: Torontonians feeling the pinch of economic uncertainty need to be aware of a slew of new taxes being considered this fall by the City of Toronto. Canadian Taxpayers Federation (CTF) Ontario Director, Kevin Gaudet, said "It is an especially bad time to be imposing more new taxes in Toronto. People are struggling and these new taxes will only worsen their troubles. The mayor already hit Toronto with three new taxes last year on top of hefty property tax hikes. Enough is enough".

The City of Toronto has commissioned a staff report due to be completed in mid-November and presented to the Public Works Committee. The mayor is considering using his broad and sweeping new powers under the City of Toronto Act to impose more new taxes and/or bans in seven areas:

• A food tax on in-store and take-out plastic food packaging;
• A coffee and tea tax on hot-drink cups;
• A tax on plastic bags;
• A tax on all plastic factory product packaging;
• A tax on batteries;
• A tax on light bulbs; and,
• A tax on paint.

Last year the mayor imposed three new taxes; a new garbage tax, a new vehicle registration tax and a new land transfer tax. These were on top of his property tax hike that came it at double the rate of inflation.

Gaudet concluded, "these new taxes are just like carbon taxes. They are just a tax grab by government that will do nothing to protect the environment. Torontonians can only hope that city council comes to its senses and stops this mad rush to impose new taxes on the people of Toronto."