For Immediate Release
September 21, 2004

Sterling Forces Government To Stop Gouging Syrup Producers

Lanark-Carleton MPP Norm Sterling says he is pleased that the McGuinty government has finally accepted the measures he introduced in the Ontario legislature last April to protect maple syrup produces from an unfair tax gouge.

“The government really had no choice but to back off this mean-spirited attack on our maple syrup producers,” Sterling said. “I am delighted that the province decided to eventually accept the terms of my legislation and deliver a permanent fix to this mess.”

Earlier this year, Sterling introduced legislation that would have forced the government to assess maple syrup producers as farm operations. The MPP proposed the changes after the government began assessing these operations in the higher tax industrial class. This change meant that many local producers were faced with shutting down their operations.

The McGuinty government has now reversed this decision by passing a regulation that puts maple syrup producers back in the farm classification. The MPP says the regulation is not as strong as passing an act, but ultimately makes this tax exemption permanent.

“The most important thing is that our local maple syrup operators can get out from under this unfair threat to their way of life,” Sterling said. “This decision should have been a no-brainer. I’m just sorry the government didn’t do this sooner and save our local producers a lot of stress and anxiety.”

As the MPP for the Maple Syrup Capital of Ontario, Lanark County, Sterling was aggressive in his support of local producers who maintained that the evaporation and bottling of maple syrup is a farming activity necessary to preparing syrup for market and it should be designated as such.

Faced with the introduction of Sterling’s legislation last spring, the province said it would temporarily backing off the unfair assessments pending a review. However, when Sterling pointed out that the government had failed to provide MPAC with the necessary authority to do this, the Finance Minister was forced to deliver a permanent fix to the crisis by way of this regulation.

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For more information, please call Norm Sterling, MPP: (613) 253-1171 or (416) 314-7900