PC ag critic concerned new tobacco control measures will target farmers

by SUSAN MANN

The provincial government plans to introduce a number of measures aimed at stubbing out the black market in cigarette production in Ontario and the province’s Progressive Conservative agriculture critic says he’s concerned tobacco farmers will be targeted.

“There will be one farmer who will make a mistake, either get tempted by some easy money or get coerced or threatened, and he’s going to get caught,” says Toby Barrett.

The legislative changes will designate Finance Ministry enforcement personnel as peace officers to enhance their capacity to pursue compliance. Barrett, who is MPP for Haldimand –Norfolk and has tobacco farmers in his riding, says the government needs to address the source of black market cigarette production but “you’ll never see an OPP or an RCMP officer go on to Six Nations (reserve) for example to deal with the source of illegal, contraband tobacco.”

But Barrett says he supports the government’s move to provide more resources to the OPP to look into the organized crime link to illegal tobacco.

Some of the measures announced in last week’s budget include:

• Legislative changes making it easier to enforce the Tobacco Tax Act against people who interfere with inspections.
• Proposed amendments enabling officials to stop, detain and search vehicles if there are reasonable grounds to suspect the vehicle contains raw leaf tobacco.
• Studying ways to regulate other tobacco components, such as parts of cigarette filters called acetate tow. That would held reduce the supply of the components to illegal cigarette manufacturers and possibly limit their production capability.
• Move forward to enable information sharing under the raw leaf tobacco oversight regime.
• Legislative changes to support partnerships with key enforcement agencies and providing the Ontario Provincial Police with resources to address the link between organized crime and contraband tobacco. BF