What you need to know about licence plate stickers potentially being eliminated in Ontario
In a populist pre-election move, Ontario Premier Doug Ford is looking to eliminate the vehicle registration fee, CTV News Toronto has learned.
Sources say the plan originated from the Ministry of Transportation and was presented to cabinet ministers at a recent meeting with a public unveiling of the cost-savings measure scheduled in the days ahead. The measure would save drivers about $120 a year.
Sources clarified on Tuesday that while the government would eliminate the fee associated with licence plate renewals for passenger vehicles, light commercial vehicles and motorcycles, motorists would still be required to replace stickers on a yearly basis.
Licence plate renewals are often used as an enforcement mechanism for unpaid parking tickets and 407 fees. Sources said the government wanted to ensure municipalities still had the ability to recoup costs, businesses could verify a driver's outstanding fines, and police services could continue to enforce traffic rules.
While eliminating the fee would benefit more than eight million drivers every year, it would also represent a multi-million dollar hit to Ontario's finances.
In 2018-19, Ontario's Financial Accountability Officer (FAO) reported that Vehicle and Driver Registration Fees brought $1.95 billion into the government's coffers, but that the program ended up costing $2.4 billion that year -- leaving a $436 million program shortfall.
The office of the FAO said, on Tuesday, the impact to the province could be "somewhere around a billion dollars" based on previous analysis of the registration fees. The lost revenue would come at a time when the government faces a post-pandemic deficit ranging between $16 to $20.5 billion -- figures which come from the FAO and Ministry of Finance respectively.
"In terms of the revenue reduction it would be more significant," said budget watchdog Peter Weltman. "We don't know if that all going to be done in one year, if that's something that's going to be spread out over 10 years."
A licence plate sticker is seen in this undated photograph. (Francis Gibbs/CTV News Toronto)
Sources said the government will also issue refunds to Ontarians who have renewed their licence plate stickers. The list of people who qualify for a refund has not been finalized yet.
The government is exploring how these refunds could be issued and it may be similar to the direct deposit system used for the Ministry of Education student COVID-19 funds.
The move to eliminate licence plate fees comes 16 weeks before the provincial election, in which the Progressive Conservatives are facing a tough fight with the NDP and Liberals -- and are facing a potential bleed of Progressive Conservative supporters to more right wing options.
One source said the Ontario PCs are looking to shore up support from voters in the 905 area code region of the Greater Toronto area, which helped deliver a majority in 2018.
As of now, Ontario drivers must renew their expired licence plate stickers before Feb. 28.
The government has allowed people to use expired licence plate stickers since March 2020 to avoid people gathering in Service Ontario locations.
With files from CTV News Toronto's Sean Davidson and CP24's Cristina Tegnalia
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
BREAKING Trudeau promises $1B in loans for child-care providers to expand care centres
The federal government is launching a new loan program to help child-care providers in Canada expand their spaces, and will be extending further student loan forgiveness and training options for early childhood educators, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced Thursday.
Spring allergy season has begun. Where is it worse in Canada?
The spring allergy season has started early in many parts of Canada, with high levels of pollen in some cities already. Experts weigh in on which areas have it worse so far this season.
Sunshine list: These were the Ontario public sector's highest earners in 2023
Ontario released its annual sunshine list Thursday afternoon, noting that the largest year-over-year increases were in hospitals, municipalities, and post-secondary sectors.
Several flight attendants from Pakistan have gone missing after landing in Canada
Multiple flight attendants from Pakistan International Airlines have abandoned their jobs and are believed to have sought asylum in Canada in the past year and a half, a spokesperson for the government-owned airline says.
N.B. man wins $64 million from Lotto 6/49
A New Brunswicker will go to bed Thursday night much richer than he was Wednesday after collecting on a winning lottery ticket he let sit on his bedroom dresser for nearly a year.
'Nonsense:' Doug Ford slams lawsuits filed by Ontario school boards against social media platforms
Premier Doug Ford says that lawsuits launched by four Ontario school boards against a trio of social media platforms are “nonsense” and risk becoming a distraction to the work that really matters.
Why some Christians are angry about Trump's 'God Bless the USA' Bible
Former U.S. President Donald Trump is officially selling a copy of the Bible themed to Lee Greenwood’s famous song, 'God Bless the USA.' But the concept of a Bible covered in the American flag has raised concern among religious circles.
Multiple bridges in Calgary shut down for police incident
Calgary police have shut down a number of bridges into and out of the downtown core as officers deal with a distraught individual.
King Charles calls for acts of friendship in first public remarks since Kate's cancer diagnosis
King Charles III gave public remarks for Maundy Thursday, addressing the importance of acts of friendship, following his and Catherine, Princess of Wales’ cancer diagnoses.