Local MPPs fight to put an end to trades tax

April 9, 2014 · 0 Comments

One year ago the Ontario College of Trades was established by the Liberal government, requiring members of trade professions to be licensed and pay an annual fee. It is an issue that has had politicians and trades people polarized from the beginning.

Jim Wilson, MPP of Simcoe-Grey and Garfield Dunlop, MPP of Simcoe North hosted a discussion about the Ontario College of Trades last Friday to gather more feedback from trades people about it. The Ontario College of Trades requires licensed trades people to register and pay an annual fee of $160, up from the prior $60 fee paid every three years to the Ministry of Training, Colleges and Universities.

Both Wilson and Dunlop are part of the PC party, which promised to abolish the trades tax as part of their platform during the 2011 election. Dunlop argues that mandatory licensing of certain trades such as carpentry would force thousands of people out of work.

But not all trades people see that as a bad thing. For some, unlicensed workers make finding work more difficult. Several hair stylists spoke about their trade during the gathering, one of the compulsory trades requiring a license. This means that despite the amount of practical experience, the proper schooling and training is required to be able to work in that trade. Some people who have worked as hair stylists for many years may be required to write exams or go back to school.

While this means some people will be forced off the floor, licensed hair stylists argue that they shouldn’t be working if they can’t pass the proper exams.

One of the biggest complaints raised by those in attendance was the lack of involvement by trades people in the actual College of Trades. Dunlop said they should at least be able to appoint their own board of directors, rather than have the board set by an appointments committee decided by the cabinet, as it stands currently.

The feeling was quite widespread that the Ontario College of Trades is another bureaucratic layer to the process, and the annual fees a tax grab. Right now the college is funded largely by the government, but the plan is that it will eventually be self-sufficient based on those annual fees.

Ultimately, the Ontario College of Trades is new and many people spoke up saying that it needs to be given a chance to succeed. There are still things to be smoothed out and changes that many would like to see before they stand behind it fully, but rather than abolish the tax many said they would rather see it fixed.

And without a majority government, the PC party will be able to do little to abolish it at all.

By Emily Wood

MPP Garfield Dunlop of Simcoe-North handled questions from people about the Ontario College of Trades, people representing workers of various trades from farmers to electricians, from hair stylists to carpenters. Trades people in attendance were polarized about his plans to abolish the Ontario College of Trades, some in favour of the move and some believing the compulsory licensing to be a necessary step in protecting jobs for licensed and capable workers.