Minister may quit after defeat

The Braddan incinerator was included in the proposals

The Isle of Man's environment minister says he will consider his position after the government's waste strategy was defeated in the Tynwald.

John Rimington MHK accused opponents of "playing games" after the House approved some proposals only to reject the strategy wholesale.

Eleven members of the House of Keys voted for and against the plan, leaving the speaker to make the casting vote.

Incinerator charges and kerbside collection proposals were in the plan.

Tynwald members approved proposals for kerbside collection from all homes by April 2008, allowing residents access to all civic amenity sites and paying for the Braddan incinerator from taxes, with waste charges only covering running costs.

What we're being left with by the Tynwald is virtually no policy John Rimington MHK, Environment Minister

Proposal for fixing commercial and domestic subsidies on the incinerator and allowing the Department of Local Government and Environment to discharge some of its waste responsibilities were thrown out.

However, as the whole motion was defeated on the speaker's casting vote, it means the waste strategy will have to be rewritten from scratch.

Mr Rimington said: "I will consider my position obviously but I'm not too alarmed by that issue.

"There's a lot of game playing, I believe, in the house at the moment before a general election.

"What we're being left with by the Tynwald is virtually no policy. Waste is an important service its an important service for the community its not one we can avoid."