A push to remove sales tax on second-hand children’s clothing in Quebec is gaining traction with parents. An online petition sponsored by Quebec Solidaire MNA Christine Labrie was submitted to the National Assembly on Monday and has already garnered nearly 5,000 signatures. It calls for the abolition of Quebec’s sales tax on used children’s clothing to help parents deal with the rising cost of living, and to encourage families to make sustainable choices when shopping. Families could use a break, said Melanie Piche, owner of the Treasure Chest consignment shop in Montreal’s Saint-Laurent borough. The shop has been selling used children’s clothes for nearly 30 years, and Piche said she’s been seeing more customers shopping at her store in the last year. “Just to pay the grocery store, it’s so expensive, so they don’t have the money to buy new things for the kids, that is going to be good for three months,” she said. She says children grow out of their clothes so quickly that the items she gets in the store often look brand new. Audrey Meilhou is a mother of three who says buying second-hand is the only option that makes sense for her family. “My budget for three children is so big. We have to change each season, each age. Second-hand saved my life,” she said. Both women have signed the petition. Piche said she doesn’t understand why second-hand items are taxed to begin with, given that they were already taxed when they were bought the first time. “So how many taxes do you pay on the same items? It doesn’t make sense,” she said. Piche adds that buying second-hand keeps clothing out of landfills and is a way to fight against the polluting fast-fashion industry. She believes anything second-hand shouldn’t be subject to sales tax. “Not just for clothing, for kids, also for adults, for toys, for babies.” The petition will remain open for signatures until Jan. 27.
