Canadian Taxpayers Podcast: Recent Episodes

Canadian Taxpayers Federation

This podcast is for Canadians who want lower taxes, less waste and more accountable government. We go beyond the politics to push for policies that shrink tax bills. We break exclusive news stories about government waste that aren’t covered by the media. And we enforce accountability and transparency for politicians in every political party. Join the Canadian Taxpayers Federation at taxpayer.com.

You’re paying higher taxes because Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s bureaucrat hiring spree is out of control.

Trudeau added 108,000 federal bureaucrats – a 42 per cent increase since 2015. If any politician wants to balance the budget and cut taxes, they’ll need to shrink the federal bureaucracy.All that and more in this week’s Canadian Taxpayer Podcast.Support our mission: https://www.taxpayer.com/support-the-podcast

The majority of Canadians say the government spends too much money, takes too much money from our paycheques and wastes money on the wrong priorities. That’s according to a new Ipsos poll commissioned by the Montreal Economic Institute.

The MEI’s Vice President of Communications Renaud Brossard joins the show to break down the new poll and what Canadians think of the Trudeau government’s taxing and spending.All that and more in this week’s Canadian Taxpayers Podcast.Support our mission: https://www.taxpayer.com/support-the-podcast

Trying to make homes more affordable with a tax hike is like trying to boil water with your freezer. But the Trudeau government keeps flirting with home equity taxes.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau recently attended “a private town hall about generational fairness,” hosted by a group advocating for home taxes. The feds also spent $450,000 funding and promoting a report that recommends a home equity tax.

We break down why you’re right to be concerned that a home equity tax could right around the corner.

All that and more in this week’s Canadian Taxpayers Podcast.

Support our mission: https://www.taxpayer.com/support-the-podcast

The Trudeau government’s own data shows the carbon tax will cost Canada’s economy $12 billion this year. By 2030, the carbon tax will cost our economy $30 billion.

Plus, we break down the provincial fuel taxes you pay while driving on your summer road trips.

All that and more in this week’s Canadian Taxpayers Podcast.

Support our mission: https://www.taxpayer.com/support-the-podcast

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and his entourage billed taxpayers more than $220,000 for airplane food during their week-long tour of the Indo-Pacific last September.

The Canadian Taxpayers Federation dug up all the meal receipts through an access to information request.

Here are some of the airplane meals they enjoyed:

Braised lamb shanks with steamed broccoli and boiled baby potatoes.

Beef brisket and parsley mashed potatoes with truffle oil.

Pan fried beef tenderloin with port wine reduction sauce.

Strawberry shortcake and baked cheesecake with pistachio brittle.

All that and more in this week’s Taxpayer Podcast.

Support our mission: https://www.taxpayer.com/support-the-podcast

The Trudeau government is hiking taxes again!

The Liberals, NDP and Bloc just voted to hike capital gains taxes. Plus, the feds are bringing in a new Streaming Tax.

We break down what all these tax hikes mean for you in this week’s Taxpayer Podcast.

Sign the PETITON – NO capital gains tax hike: https://www.taxpayer.com/petitions/no-capital-gains-tax-hike

The Trudeau government wants to ban the sale of new gas and diesel cars by 2035.

Plus, the feds are giving multinational corporations tens of billions to build battery plants and there’s a new taxpayer scandal in Ottawa. All that and more in this week’s Taxpayer Podcast.

The Canadian Taxpayers Federation launched a legal challenge against the CBC.

The CBC refuses to release how much in bonuses it paid out to President Catherine Tait and its senior executives. The CTF filed a legal challenge with the Information Commissioner to force the CBC to release those records come clean with you.

Plus, the feds dished out $406 million in bonuses last year. All that and more in this week’s Taxpayer Podcast.

Tax hikes for you, more taxpayer cash for multinational corporations.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Ontario Premier Doug Ford teamed up to give $5 billion to Honda. The government says it will create 1,000 jobs. That’s a cost to taxpayers of $5 million per job.

And that’s on top of the tens of billions of dollars governments have already announced for other multinational corporations like Volkswagen, Stellantis and Northvolt.

Welcome to Canada, where you pay a federal sales tax so Prime Minister Justin Trudeau can cover the interest payments on his government’s credit card.

That’s literally what’s happening. Interest charges on Canada’s debt will be $54 billion this year. GST revenues will be $54 billion.

On top of soaring interest charges, the federal budget includes massive deficits, a tax hike, the doubling of the national debt, and no plan to balance the budget.

We break down what you need to know about the federal government’s 2024 Budget. All that and more in this week’s Canadian Taxpayers Podcast.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is giving you higher gas prices and giving Quebec a special deal on the carbon tax.

Quebec’s carbon tax currently costs $57 per tonne. Trudeau is making you and every other Canadian pay a carbon tax that costs $80 per tonne. And that carbon tax gap is expected to grow…

Plus, we break down just how much federal debt interest charges are costing taxpayers. All that and more in this week’s Canadian Taxpayers Podcast.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has lost the people and the premiers on the carbon tax.

Seven of 10 Canadians and provincial premiers oppose Trudeau’s April 1 carbon tax hike. But Liberal, NDP, Green and Bloc Québécois MPs decided to stand with the prime minister and voted to make you pay higher carbon taxes.

And we break down Trudeau’s April 1 alcohol tax hike.

All that and more in this week’s Canadian Taxpayers Podcast.

Governor General Mary Simon took another pay raise this year, bringing her annual salary to $363,000. This is Simon’s third pay raise since being appointed to the role less than three years ago.

And the CBC dished out another $15 million in taxpayer-funded bonuses in 2023.

All that and more in this week’s Canadian Taxpayers Podcast.

And you can get your shirt at taxpayer.com.

Taxpayers are right to be worried about Trudeau’s online censorship. We asked the Canadian Constitution Foundation to break down Trudeau’s so-called online harms bill and how that can impact your free expression and ability to hold governments accountable.

All that and more in this week’s Canadian Taxpayers Podcast.

And here’s how you can take action against Trudeau’s online censorship. Visit the Canadian Constitution Foundation’s website and help push back: https://theccf.ca/fix-c-63/

Saskatchewan Premier Scott Moe comes off the bench to fight Trudeau’s carbon tax. And the vast majority of Canadians don’t support Trudeau’s carbon tax hike on April 1. Plus, we break down how Trudeau’s carbon tax makes your grocery bills more expensive. All that and more on this week’s Canadian Taxpayers Podcast.

The Trudeau government’s three “affordability” cabinet retreats over the course of a single year cost taxpayers more than $1 million. And you better believe they’ve been eating good on your dime…

Trudeau also dropped $11,651 of your tax dollars to party with the media at one of his mansions.

All that and more in this week’s Canadian Taxpayers Podcast.

The ArriveSCAM app is worse than you think. The Auditor General writes a scathing report into the ArriveCAN app that socially distanced taxpayers from tens of millions of dollars.

And we break down Trudeau’s carbon tax rebrand. Trudeau thinks he can make you support his favourite tax by changing the name of his carbon tax rebates. But that’s just lipstick on a pig. The government needs to stop the gimmicks and scrap the carbon tax.

All that and more in this week’s Canadian Taxpayers Podcast.

Costs for the ArriveCAN app spiralled out of control to $54 million. Despite their failure,
government executives working on the app still took more than $340,000 in bonuses.

Most people spend zero dollars not staying in a luxury hotel room. Well, the feds spent
$600,000 NOT staying in luxury hotel rooms.

All that and more in this week’s Canadian Taxpayers Podcast.

CBC President Catherine Tait was in the hot seat as MPs grilled her over the millions in bonuses
she’s been doling out at the state broadcaster with your money.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau thinks he’s figured out a way to stop his polls from plummeting:
re-brand his carbon tax rebate scheme! But there’s not enough lipstick on the planet to cover
up the big pig that is his carbon tax.

All that and more in this week’s Canadian Taxpayers Podcast.

Canadians are paying about 55 cents per litre of gas every time we fuel up. That means you’re
paying about $35 in taxes when fueling up a big sedan. And that big tax bill is only getting
bigger as Prime Minister Justin Trudeau cranks up his two carbon taxes.

READ MORE HERE: https://www.taxpayer.com/media/Gas-Tax-Honesty-Report-2023.pdf

Taxpayer funded media and government censorship

“How are these people supposed to hold the government accountable when the government is
signing their paycheque?” Ryan Thorpe, CTF’s Investigative Journalist, said. “Journalists should
not only avoid real conflicts of interest, they should also avoid even the perception of one.”
Taxpayers are forced to pay more than $1 billion every year to fund the CBC. The feds also
bailed out the corporate press to the tune of $595 million. More bad news: the feds are pushing
through laws that could limit your ability to hold the government accountable online.

SIGN THE PETITION HERE: https://www.taxpayer.com/petitions/defund-the-cbc-and-end-
media-bailout

Bureaucrats discover dumbest ways to spend tax dollars

Stress balls, charcuterie boards, candles and climate change card games: the Canadian
Taxpayers Federation does a deep dive into all the ways the federal government spends your
money on branding merchandise.

READ MORE HERE: https://www.taxpayer.com/newsroom/stress-balls,-charcuterie-boards-
and-climate-change-card-games-inside-the-feds’-branded-merch-shopping-spree

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is giving Quebec a special deal on the carbon tax. The math is
simple: Trudeau is forcing drivers in every other province and territory to pay 14 cents per litre
of gas in carbon taxes, while Quebecers pay 10 cents per litre. The solution is also simple:
Trudeau should scrap his carbon taxes and make life more affordable for all Canadians.
We break down everything you need to know about the carbon tax, including Quebec’s special
deal.

SIGN THE PETITION: https://www.taxpayer.com/petitions/scrap-the-federal-carbon-tax

Trudeau rewards failure with taxpayer-funded bonuses
Bonuses are for people who do a good job, not people who fail at their one and only job. Bank
of Canada bureaucrats got $20 million in bonuses in 2022 while the Crown corporation hiked
interest rates seven times and inflation reached a 40-year high. Here’s the worst part:
rewarding failure with bonuses is the rule, not the exception, in Ottawa.

READ MORE HERE: https://financialpost.com/opinion/ottawa-rewards-failure-taxpayer-
funded-bonuses

Governor General takes taxpayers for a ride
Taxpayers were forced to pick up the tab for a $71,000 bill from “Icelimo Luxury Travel” during
Governor General Mary Simon’s four-day visit to Iceland last fall. We’re not saying the governor
general should be hitchhiking, but surely she could have gotten around a small island for less
than the price of a brand-new BMW.

READ MORE HERE: https://nationalpost.com/news/71k-in-limo-service-for-governor-
generals-2022-four-day-iceland-trip

The Trudeau government deserves a big chunk of the blame for rising mortgage payments.
Ottawa’s never-ending deficits, tax hikes and money printing helped push inflation to a 40-year
high. Without this inflation, the Bank of Canada would have little reason to raise rates and
Canadians wouldn’t be worried about their mortgage payments going through the roof.

READ MORE HERE: https://torontosun.com/opinion/columnists/terrazzano-higher-interest-
rates-the-price-of-government-inflation

You paid for ex-politician to go to Harvard

Welcome to Canada: where losing re-election is like winning a prestigious scholarship. Up to
$15,000. All on the taxpayers’ dime. The CTF uncovered a little-known slush fund that former
members of Parliament can use to pay for their post-secondary education after they leave
Parliament Hill.

READ MORE HERE: https://nationalpost.com/news/former-mps-billed-taxpayers-over-90000-
in-transitional-benefits

No more sex toy shows for Trudeau government

Taxpayers just scored a big victory in Ottawa! Global Affairs Canada announced it’s scrapping
the multi-million-dollar slush fund known as the Mission Cultural Fund. The MCF was used to
pay for a sex toy show in Germany, for old people in Taiwan to talk about their sex lives on
stage and to promote Margaret Atwood’s book in Australia.

READ MORE HERE: https://www.taxpayer.com/newsroom/scrapping-wasteful-mission-
cultural-fund-a-huge-win-for-taxpayers

Trudeau buried a second carbon tax in fuel regulations that take effect this July. By the time the
regulations are fully in force, the second carbon tax will cost the average family up to $1,157.
There are no rebates with the second carbon tax, and it’s being layered on top of the current
tax.

READ MORE HERE: https://financialpost.com/opinion/opinion-ottawa-second-carbon-tax

Trudeau hands out corporate welfare like candy

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is giving Volkswagen more than $13 billion in corporate welfare.
Stellantis is another multinational corporation that’s looking for a taxpayer handout. How many
billions of dollars will Trudeau force taxpayers to give multinational corporations?

READ MORE HERE: https://torontosun.com/opinion/columnists/opinion-taxpayers-get-soaked-
by-volkswagen-giveaway

You’re buying the governor general clothes

The governor general’s salary is well north of $300,000. But you’re still forced to pay for her
clothes. The governor general makes enough money. She should pay for her own clothes.

SIGN THE PETITION: https://www.taxpayer.com/petitions/rein-in-governor-general-perks

The Trudeau government told taxpayers it would save money in budget 2023. Here’s a pro-tip for the government: if you increase spending by $85 billion, you’re saving money wrong.

READ MORE HERE: https://torontosun.com/opinion/columnists/terrazzano-trudeau-doesnt-know-what-saving-money-means

CTF fights carbon tax at parliamentary committee

Franco brought a simple message for members of Parliament: Stop hiking the taxes that make our food so expensive.

SIGN THE PETITION: https://www.taxpayer.com/petitions/scrap-the-federal-carbon-tax

Trudeau scared of taxpayer legal challenge

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau finally fessed up and admitted he stayed in the $6,000 per night hotel room during the Queen’s funeral in London, England. Trudeau knew he was going to lose in court. That’s why he fessed up.

READ MORE HERE: https://nationalpost.com/news/taxpayers-federation-legal-action-hotel-suite

Taxes up. MP pay up. We’re fed up.

Politicians think you can afford to pay more tax at the gas pump and the liquor store. Meanwhile, MPs say they need a pay hike.

A good budget with big promises (that we’ll make sure they keep)

The Alberta budget had a lot of big promises for taxpayers, but politicians had better keep their word or else.

Bureaucrats don’t hit targets, but they still get bonuses

Franco and Ryan wouldn’t dare ask Old Man MacKay for a bonus if they missed their targets, but things are different for bureaucrats.

Like this show? Subscribe and give us 5-stars!

This podcast is brought to you by the Canadian Taxpayers Federation, Canada’s premier grassroots advocacy group pushing for lower taxes, less waste and accountable governments. Sign-up as a Canadian Taxpayers Federation supporter at no-charge TODAY: https://www.taxpayer.com/join.

The number of CBC staffers taking home a six-figure salary has doubled under Prime Minister
Justin Trudeau. The state broadcaster also handed out $16 million in bonuses last year, for an
average bonus of $14,000. And it’s all paid for with your tax dollars.
READ MORE HERE: https://nationalpost.com/news/canada/cbc-employees-paid-16-million-
bonuses-2022?utm_term=Autofeed&utm_medium=Social&utm_source=Twitter#Echobox=1678367749

Taxpayers Fight Trudeau’s Gun Ban Boondoggle

Canadian Taxpayers Federation supporters push to stop the government from expanding the
gun ban and buy back is paying off. Members of Parliaments on the committee trying to expand
the scheme had to withdraw their amendments after Canadians flooded their emails.
SIGN THE PETITION: https://www.taxpayer.com/petitions/scrap-the-gun-ban-and-buy-back

Failing Government CEO Gets Huge Raise

The head of Metrolinx, Ontario’s transit infrastructure agency, is now making $851,000 a year,
which is a 52 per cent pay bump over the last handful of years. The increase in pay comes
despite Metrolinx spending 75 per cent over budget with Ontario Premier Doug Ford’s
signature transit project, the Ontario line. Rewarding failure with pay raises has become the
rule with government agencies.

READ MORE HERE: https://www.taxpayer.com/newsroom/ford-needs-to-end-the-metrolinx-
fiasco

Government bureaucrats are trying to bend the rules to keep you from knowing who stayed in the $6,000 per night hotel room during the Queen’s funeral. You paid the bill, you deserve transparency. That’s why the Canadian Taxpayers Federation launched a legal challenge to force the government to disclose who stayed in the hotel room.

READ MORE HERE: https://www.taxpayer.com/newsroom/cbc-staff-earning-six-figures-
doubles-under-trudeau

Fight Against Online Censorship

Members of Parliament want to censor what you see online. But Senators and Canadians are fighting back against this push for censorship.

READ MORE HERE: https://www.thesuburban.com/opinion/op_ed/bill-c-11-canadas-
senators-should-say-no-to-censorship-and-government-control/article_02c03930-e3b8-5167-8f1f-cd0f95591670.html

Email MP and Government House Leader Mark Holland: mark.holland@parl.gc.ca

$20 in Tax for a Case of Beer

President and CEO of Moosehead Breweries Andrew Oland joins the show to break down how federal politicians are making your beer more expensive with an automatic escalator tax hike.

SIGN THE PETITION: https://www.taxpayer.com/petitions/reduce-liquor-taxes

Governor General’s $40K pandemic pay hike

The governor general’s salary in 2022 was $342,100. That means the governor general’s salary increased by almost $40,000 since the beginning of the pandemic. Why does the governor general need an extra $40,000 when they can expense taxpayers for as much beef wellington as they can stomach?

READ MORE HERE: https://nationalpost.com/news/governor-general-40k-pay-raise-pandemic

Government union bosses milking you

A federal government union is pushing for up to 47 per cent more in pay and benefits over

three years. That would cost taxpayers $9.3 billion. That’s an extra $27,500 per bureaucrat each

year on average. And they want you to pay for it.

READ MORE HERE: https://financialpost.com/opinion/opinion-taxpayers-cant-afford-federal-union-demands?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=Twitter#Echobox=1676471130-1

World Cup a rip off for taxpayers

Taxpayers will be on the hook for about half a million dollars for every minute of game time in the World Cup. That means every minute of game play could build a family a home. And the government’s economic claims aren’t worth the paper they’re written on.

READ MORE HERE: https://torontosun.com/opinion/columnists/jay-goldberg-ford-is-skeptical-about-fifa-and-hes-right

https://www.taxpayer.com/newsroom/world-cup-cost-leave-taxpayers-scratching-our-heads

The Canadian Taxpayers Federation just added more muscle to go after government waste with our new Investigative Journalist Ryan Thorpe. Ryan built his career by infiltrating a white supremist group and going after union bosses. In his first week with the CTF, Ryan broke stories about the governor general’s $40,000 pandemic pay hike and government bonuses. And he’s just getting started.

CTF President & CEO Scott Hennig sits down with the Founder and President of Americans For Tax Reform, Grover Norquist.

Do you want politicians to stop wasting your money and raising your tax bill? The Canadian Taxpayers Federation’s President and CEO Scott Hennig delivers the blueprint on how taxpayers can push for smaller and more accountable government in the year ahead.

Taxpayers pay about $1.2 billion per year for the CBC. That amount could instead pay the
salaries of more than 13,000 nurses. It could cover the grocery bills for 100,000 families. It’s
time to defund the CBC.

READ MORE HERE: https://torontosun.com/opinion/columnists/sims-the-cbc-is-a-
government-monster-gobbling-up-tax-dollars

Come on prime minister, you’ve had enough alcohol taxes

Taxes already account for about half of the price of beer, 65 per cent of the price of wine and
more than three quarters of the price of spirits. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is rubbing
margarita salt in the wound by using high inflation to binge on higher alcohol taxes in 2023.

SIGN THE PETITITION: https://www.taxpayer.com/petitions/reduce-liquor-taxes

Which politicians were naughty or nice in 2022?

From spending $6,000 per night on a hotel room to racking up nearly six figures on fancy
airplane food and handing out bonuses to failing central bankers, plenty of politicians and
bureaucrats were on the Taxpayer Naughty list in 2022.

READ MORE HERE: https://www.taxpayer.com/media/taxpayer-naughty-nice-list-2022.pdf

Trudeau subsidizes 391 dead people

The Trudeau government spent at least $32 billion on suspicious or ineligible COVID-19 payments. The government handed out COVID-19 subsidies to hundreds of dead people, hundreds of people in jail and hundreds of Canadians under the age of 15.

READ MORE HERE: https://www.taxpayer.com/newsroom/-4.6-billion-tip-of-the-iceberg-on-covid-19-overpayments-auditor-general

Trudeau hiking FIVE taxes in 2023

The CPP tax, EI tax, carbon tax and alcohol taxes are all going up. The feds are also imposing a second carbon tax through fuel regulations in 2023. Here’s a New Year’s resolution for the Trudeau government: stop wasting money, start cutting taxes.

READ MORE HERE: https://www.taxpayer.com/newsroom/five-federal-tax-hikes-in-2023-new-year’s-tax-changes-report

Government contractor milks taxpayers

The Ontario government’s transit contractor is going $8 billion over budget on a subway project. That’s enough money to build eight hospitals. Unfortunately, huge cost overruns have become the rule rather than the exception with government contractors across Canada.

READ MORE HERE: https://www.taxpayer.com/newsroom/ford-needs-to-end-the-metrolinx-fiasco

There’s a fundamental unfairness about the federal carbon tax: Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is requiring taxpayers in other provinces to pay a higher carbon tax than in Quebec. Trudeau’s special deal for Quebec shows the carbon tax was always about politics, not the environment.

READ MORE HERE: https://torontosun.com/opinion/columnists/gunter-quebec-gets-deal-on-carbon-tax-while-rest-of-canada-pays?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=Twitter#Echobox=1670103043

Trudeau Balloons His Buyback Boondoggle

Trudeau is going after more law-abiding Canadians. He is trying to ban thousands of additional long guns. The original gun ban and buyback was already ineffective and expensive. This could cost taxpayers another $1 billion. And it won’t improve safety.

READ MORE HERE: https://nationalpost.com/news/expanded-liberal-gun-ban-could-cost-taxpayers-another-billion-dollars-says-criminologist

Wait, a Politician Wants Less Pay?

British Columbia MLA Todd Stone put forward a private member’s bill to freeze politician pay. It would’ve killed the $10,000-pay raises for politicians. Too bad the rest of his colleagues couldn’t keep their snouts out of the trough. The B.C. government refused to debate Stone’s bill.

READ MORE HERE: https://www.westernstandard.news/news/taxpayer-watchdog-urges-bc-mlas-to-vote-on-pay-raise-freeze/article_ae739166-6c12-11ed-87b5-67511c2a6670.html

The House of Commons committee stifled debate on the online censorship bill, C-11, but the Senate committee is diving in and our Ontario Director Jay Goldberg let them have it about the dangers of the legislation.

WATCH JAY’S TESTOMONY HERE: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wTHwYFqfn4M&t=1s

READ THE E-BOOK HERE: https://www.taxpayer.com/media/Final%20C-11%20Report.pdf

Check out the CANADIAN TAXPAYERS STORE!

Like this show? Subscribe and give us 5-stars!

This podcast is brought to you by the Canadian Taxpayers Federation, Canada’s premier grassroots advocacy group pushing for lower taxes, less waste and accountable governments.

Sign-up as a Canadian Taxpayers Federation supporter at no-charge TODAY: https://www.taxpayer.com/join.

Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland is already set to spend $20 billion over her own budget. And we’re only about half way through the fiscal year. But here’s the most amazing part: Freeland called her budgeting “prudent.”

READ MORE HERE: https://financialpost.com/opinion/chrystia-freeland-20-billion-over-budget

Cold winter, big carbon tax bill

Winter is coming and the carbon tax makes it more expensive to keep your home warm. We break down how much the carbon tax will cost Canadians this winter.

READ MORE HERE: https://torontosun.com/opinion/columnists/opinion-trudeau-carbon-taxes-leaving-canadians-out-in-the-cold

We found the bill for the governor general’s Middle East trip

Governor General Mary Simon and her entourage billed taxpayers $1.3 million on the week-long trip to the Middle East. Can Simon prove that spending $1.3 million on a week-long trip is a better use of tax dollars than hiring more nurses or helping struggling Canadian taxpayers? The CTF dug up the data, and the National Post ran the story on its front page.

READ MORE HERE: https://nationalpost.com/news/governor-general-trip-cost-taxpayers-1-3-million?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=Twitter#Echobox=1667418831

SIGN THE PETITION: https://www.taxpayer.com/petitions/rein-in-governor-general-perks

Check out the CANADIAN TAXPAYERS STORE!

Like this show? Subscribe and give us 5-stars!

This podcast is brought to you by the Canadian Taxpayers Federation, Canada’s premier grassroots advocacy group pushing for lower taxes, less waste and accountable governments. Sign-up as a Canadian Taxpayers Federation supporter at no-charge TODAY: https://www.taxpayer.com/join.

Federal Director Franco Terrazzano sits down with Alberta Director Kris Sims to discuss his testimony to the Finance Committee.

Bureaucrats are taking big pay raises and bonuses. And they’re demanding more. Much more

READ MORE HERE: https://www.taxpayer.com/newsroom/recession-for-who-not-government-employees

Lovable nerds replicate $50M ArriveCAN app

A few techies spent a weekend replicating the government’s ArriveCAN app. What they did for fun, the government spent $54 million to build. Is that a good deal for taxpayers?

READ MORE HERE: https://www.theglobeandmail.com/politics/article-two-canadian-tech-companies-say-each-recreated-arrivecan-app-to-show/

Students stand up to government debt

Government debt will hit young people the hardest and young people across Canada are hitting back. The CTF’s student organization, Generation Screwed, is taking off.

READ MORE: generationscrewed.ca

Check out the CANADIAN TAXPAYERS STORE!

Like this show? Subscribe and give us 5-stars!

This podcast is brought to you by the Canadian Taxpayers Federation, Canada’s premier grassroots advocacy group pushing for lower taxes, less waste and accountable governments. Sign-up as a Canadian Taxpayers Federation supporter at no-charge TODAY: https://www.taxpayer.com/join.

#115 Up? Really? What’s With the Carbon Tax?

The cost of living is skyrocketing, and the federal government is making things worse by hiking the carbon tax. We have the details.

READ MORE HERE: https://nationalpost.com/news/politics/conservatives-attempt-to-cancel-carbon-tax-hikes-fails-in-house-of-commons

If CPP and EI Quack Like a Tax…

If something looks like a duck, waddles like a duck, and quacks like a duck, then it’s a duck. Likewise, if something takes money from you like a tax, funds government redistribution like a tax, and even the government admits it’s a tax, then it’s a tax.

But the federal government is trying to hide that from you, while taking too much from your paycheque.

READ MORE HERE: https://www.taxpayer.com/newsroom/yes,-payroll-taxes-are-taxes.-no,-trudeau-shouldn%E2%80%99t-be-raising-them

We’re No Safer, but the Gun Ban Bill’s Higher

Taxpayers been billed over $3 million in office costs alone for the bureaucrats running the federal gun ban and buyback scheme, without a single gun being purchased to date. We found the records that prove it.

READ MORE: https://www.taxpayer.com/newsroom/costs-for-gun-ban-and-buyback-continue-to-balloon,-despite-not-buying-a-single-gun

Check out the CANADIAN TAXPAYERS STORE!

Like this show? Subscribe and give us 5-stars!

This podcast is brought to you by the Canadian Taxpayers Federation, Canada’s premier grassroots advocacy group pushing for lower taxes, less waste and accountable governments. Sign-up as a Canadian Taxpayers Federation supporter at no-charge TODAY: https://www.taxpayer.com/join.

Tax Cuts Everywhere But Canada

Other countries are cutting taxes, but here in Canada, the federal government is raising the carbon tax, payroll taxes, and alcohol taxes, actively choosing to make life more expensive.

READ MORE HERE: https://www.taxpayer.com/newsroom/canada-hikes-taxes-while-51-other-countries-provide-tax-relief-report

What Is Carpaccio Anyway?

While Canadians were trying to figure out how to stretch their food budget, Governor General Mary Simon and her entourage were enjoying beef wellington and fancy Italian snacks as they flew around Europe and the Middle East. We dug up the receipts.

READ MORE HERE: https://nationalpost.com/news/politics/beef-wellington-230-flowers-more-details-on-how-the-governor-general-spent-99k-on-a-middle-east-trip

Pay for Your Own Pole, Councillor Jankov

Charlottetown taxpayers picked up the $4,600 tab to take out a utility pole that was blocking city councillor Alana Jankov’s driveway, even though she and her husband had moved their driveway to face the pole AND the city government had been told it was the homeowner’s responsibility to pay for the work. We dug up the records.

READ MORE: https://www.taxpayer.com/newsroom/charlottetown-taxpayers-paid-4,600-to-remove-utility-pole-outside-coun.-jankov%E2%80%99s-house?pending=1

Check out the CANADIAN TAXPAYERS STORE!

Like this show? Subscribe and give us 5-stars!

This podcast is brought to you by the Canadian Taxpayers Federation, Canada’s premier grassroots advocacy group pushing for lower taxes, less waste and accountable governments. Sign-up as a Canadian Taxpayers Federation supporter at no-charge TODAY: https://www.taxpayer.com/join.

Newfoundland and Labrador’s Liberal Premier Andrew Furey is taking a swing at the federal carbon tax.

READ MORE HERE: https://twitter.com/fureyandrew/status/1565791208210841601

https://www.taxpayer.com/newsroom/trudeau-government-not-serious-about-making-life-more-affordable

Will Taxes Make You Skinny?

Newfoundland and Labrador’s Liberal Premier Andrew Furey is bringing in a new hidden tax on sugary beverages in his province.

READ MORE HERE: https://www.taxpayer.com/newsroom/furey%E2%80%99s-pop-tax-is-nothing-more-than-a-tax-grab

Surprise Surprise: Home Equity Tax is Unpopular

The Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation’s own study found 95 per cent of social media comments are against a home equity tax, according to records dug up by the Canadian Taxpayers Federation.

READ MORE: https://www.taxpayer.com/newsroom/cmhc%E2%80%99s-own-study-finds-home-equity-tax-95-per-cent-unpopular

Check out the CANADIAN TAXPAYERS STORE!

Like this show? Subscribe and give us 5-stars!

This podcast is brought to you by the Canadian Taxpayers Federation, Canada’s premier grassroots advocacy group pushing for lower taxes, less waste and accountable governments. Sign-up as a Canadian Taxpayers Federation supporter at no-charge TODAY: https://www.taxpayer.com/join.

Why is Ottawa in Farmers’ Way?

Canadian farmers and fertilizer producers are world leaders in sustainable farming practices, but that isn’t stopping the Trudeau government from raising carbon taxes and the possibility of restricting fertilizer use. Prairie Director Robin Speer has the view from the farm.

READ MORE HERE: https://www.sasktoday.ca/opinion/opinion-ottawa-should-stop-stoking-food-insecurity-5784598

UCP Candidates Pledge No PST

In a huge win for taxpayers, the majority of candidates in Alberta’s United Conservative Party leadership race have signed the CTF’s pledge rejecting a PST and have also promised not to raise taxes. On top of those wins, Alberta has also ended bracket creep.

READ MORE HERE: https://www.taxpayer.com/newsroom/ucp-candidates-pledge-not-to-impose-a-pst-or-raise-taxes

https://www.taxpayer.com/newsroom/scrapping-bracket-creep-and-paying-down-the-debt-huge-wins-for-taxpayers

Waste Watch: Federal Tourism Agency Gets Bonuses (Even With No Tourism)

When the tourism industry was locked down during the pandemic, most tourism agencies had to cut costs. But the lucky federal bureaucrats at Destination Canada, the federal tourism-promotion Crown corporation, didn’t face any hardships. They even got bonuses!

We dug up the records laying out the lockdown pay bumps.

READ MORE: https://www.taxpayer.com/newsroom/federal-tourism-agency-handed-out-bonuses-and-pay-raises-while-industry-locked-down

Check out the CANADIAN TAXPAYERS STORE!

Like this show? Subscribe and give us 5-stars!

This podcast is brought to you by the Canadian Taxpayers Federation, Canada’s premier grassroots advocacy group pushing for lower taxes, less waste and accountable governments. Sign-up as a Canadian Taxpayers Federation supporter at no-charge TODAY: https://www.taxpayer.com/join.

Balanced Budget Coming in … 2041

We have some good news and some bad news. The good news: The feds plan to balance the budget before 2070. The bad news? They won’t be balancing the budget until after 2041! By then, interest charges will have cost taxpayers $802 billion.

The CTF has been telling the federal government how to avoid the crunch.

READ OUR FEDERAL BUDGET SUBMISSION HERE: https://www.taxpayer.com/media/Backgrounder-carbon-tax-rebate-cost.pdf

Liquor Taxes on a Bender

Imagine hearing two bartenders whispering about running up your bill. That would set off a few alarm bells. It turns out that is exactly what the federal government is doing as it overindulges in tax hikes for beer and liquor each year, without a vote in Parliament.

READ OUR REPORT HERE: https://www.taxpayer.com/newsroom/government-liquor-tax-hike-bender-needs-to-end

Waste Watch: Global Affairs Drops Over $40,000 On Fancy Furniture

While most Canadians spent the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic tightening their belts, Global Affairs Canada was outfitting overseas diplomatic offices with over $40,000 in custom furniture produced by an Ottawa-based designer.

READ MORE: https://nationalpost.com/news/politics/global-affairs-canada-spends-41k-on-fancy-custom-furniture-for-overseas-diplomatic-offices

Check out the CANADIAN TAXPAYERS STORE!

Like this show? Subscribe and give us 5-stars!

This podcast is brought to you by the Canadian Taxpayers Federation, Canada’s premier grassroots advocacy group pushing for lower taxes, less waste and accountable governments. Sign-up as a Canadian Taxpayers Federation supporter at no-charge TODAY: https://www.taxpayer.com/join.

The Canadian Taxpayers Federation sat down with Conservative Party Leadership Candidate Jean Charest to talk about key taxpayer issues like what he would do to balance the budget, make life more affordable and find savings if he was elected prime minister.

The Canadian Taxpayers Federation sat down with Conservative Party Leadership Candidate Scott Aitchison to talk about key taxpayer issues like what he would do to balance the budget, make life more affordable and find savings if he was elected prime minister.

The Canadian Taxpayers Federation sat down with Conservative Party Leadership Candidate Roman Baber to talk about key taxpayer issues like what he would do to balance the budget, make life more affordable and find savings if he was elected prime minister.

The Canadian Taxpayers Federation sat down with Conservative Party Leadership Candidate Pierre Poilievre to talk about key taxpayer issues like what he would do to balance the budget, make life more affordable and find savings if he was elected prime minister.

You get inflation, central bankers get bonuses

The Bank of Canada gave its employees $45 million in bonuses and pay raises in 2020 and 2021 during the pandemic while inflation soared. The Bank of Canada is supposed to keep inflation around two per cent. If you’ve been to the grocery store in the past year you know they failed. So why did they give themselves bonuses?

READ NEWS ARTICLES HERE:

https://torontosun.com/opinion/columnists/terrazzano-bank-of-canada-doesnt-deserve-its-
bonuses-and-pay-raises/wcm/e1e09f1b-4f7d-4ce3-a288-13c9bb0838bb/amp/?fbclid=IwAR0eGUeJhBsJegvgjOX2RiG7a8YC7FHsJt8ZfRv8KpycLJrd5iwRG
MaeC0c

https://financialpost.com/opinion/franco-terrazzano-governments-have-created-the-perfect-inflation-storm

https://torontosun.com/opinion/columnists/terrazzano-deficit-spending-and-inflation-tax-
drive-up-cost-of-living

Nova Scotia’s premier takes a pay cut

Nova Scotia Premier Tim Houston’s salary was cut by $11,246 while MLAs froze their salaries. Members of Parliament in Ottawa need to follow Houston’s lead and stop giving themselves pay raises.

READ OUR REPORT HERE:
https://www.taxpayer.com/newsroom/houston-shows-leadership-by-cutting-his-own-salary

Charlottetown council billing taxpayers for boozy dinner

Charlottetown Mayor Philip Brown and fellow councillors expensed $1,800 on a boozy steak
dinner that included four bottles of wine, 11 beers, 20 ounces of liquor and three cocktails. We also caught councillors double dipping on their expenses.

READ OUR REPORT HERE:

https://www.taxpayer.com/newsroom/documents-show-charlottetown-employee’s-high-
spending-on-meals-and-luxury-hotels

The Trudeau government’s Bill C-11 is posing a threat to the free flow of online information in Canada. Ontario Director Jay Goldberg and Federal Director Franco Terrazzano spoke with Dr. Michael Geist, the University of Ottawa’s Canada Research Chair in internet law, about the risks of the bill. READ OUR REPORT HERE: https://www.taxpayer.com/media/Final%...

Check out the CANADIAN TAXPAYERS STORE!

Like this show? Subscribe and give us 5-stars!

This podcast is brought to you by the Canadian Taxpayers Federation, Canada’s premier grassroots advocacy group pushing for lower taxes, less waste and accountable governments. Sign-up as a Canadian Taxpayers Federation supporter at no-charge TODAY: https://www.taxpayer.com/join.

Magic Math on the Carbon Tax

The Trudeau government claims families will be better off with its carbon tax and rebate scheme, but that’s just plain magic math. According to the Parliamentary Budget Officer, the average household will be paying hundreds of dollars this year, even after the rebate cheques arrive.

READ OUR REPORT HERE: https://www.taxpayer.com/media/Backgrounder-carbon-tax-rebate-cost.pdf

Feds Hand Out Pay Raises, Bonuses Despite Missed Objectives

The federal government is spending billions on bureaucratic overtime and pay raises while missing its own objectives by miles, and we have the records that prove it.

READ OUR REPORT HERE: https://www.taxpayer.com/newsroom/feds-spent-1.6-billion-on-overtime-pay-since-2019

Waste Watch: Chrystia Freeland Doesn’t Know Where Glasgow Is

Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland went to Scotland last November for a conference in Glasgow, but stayed in Edinburgh. Canadians picked up the bills for her staff not knowing how to use Google Maps.

READ OUR REPORT HERE: https://www.taxpayer.com/newsroom/freeland-stays-in-wrong-city-for-climate-conference,-drops-over-3,000-on-luxury-chauffer-service

Check out the CANADIAN TAXPAYERS STORE!

Like this show? Subscribe and give us 5-stars!

This podcast is brought to you by the Canadian Taxpayers Federation, Canada’s premier grassroots advocacy group pushing for lower taxes, less waste and accountable governments. Sign-up as a Canadian Taxpayers Federation supporter at no-charge TODAY: https://www.taxpayer.com/join.

The Trudeau government pushed the federal budgets to historic highs and took on massive new debts, all in the name of fighting COVID-19.

The CTF took a look around the world, and other countries have been far more restrained. One thing is clear: After two years of a worldwide pandemic, we know that more government spending does not guarantee better results.

READ OUR REPORT HERE: https://financialpost.com/opinion/opinion-spending-to-the-max-on-covid-19-programs-didnt-really-help

https://www.taxpayer.com/media/Report-Pandemic-Spending.pdf

SIGN the PETITION

https://www.taxpayer.com/petitions/stop-trudeau%E2%80%99s-debt-dive

Check out the CANADIAN TAXPAYERS STORE!

Like this show? Subscribe and give us 5-stars!

This podcast is brought to you by the Canadian Taxpayers Federation, Canada’s premier grassroots advocacy group pushing for lower taxes, less waste and accountable governments. Sign-up as a Canadian Taxpayers Federation supporter at no-charge TODAY: https://www.taxpayer.com/join.

Federal Director Franco Terrazzano told politicians at the federal finance committee where to go and how to get there. The destination is a balanced budget and controlling spending is the way.

READ MORE: https://www.taxpayer.com/newsroom/ctf-lays-out-plan-to-balance-the-federal-budget-in-2023-24

Check out the CANADIAN TAXPAYERS STORE!

Like this show? Subscribe and give us 5-stars!

This podcast is brought to you by the Canadian Taxpayers Federation, Canada’s premier grassroots advocacy group pushing for lower taxes, less waste and accountable governments. Sign-up as a Canadian Taxpayers Federation supporter at no-charge TODAY: https://www.taxpayer.com/join.

Quebec Axes Vax Tax

Quebec has backed down from its plan to impose a tax on unvaccinated people after the Canadian Taxpayers Federation and others opposed the tax.

READ MORE: https://montreal.ctvnews.ca/quebec-scraps-proposed-tax-on-the-unvaccinated-announces-gyms-and-spas-can-reopen-1.5762751

Federal Bureaucrats Get Pay Raises During Pandemic

Documents dug up by the CTF show over 300,000 federal bureaucrats received pay raises during the COVID-19 pandemic.

READ OUR REPORT HERE: https://www.taxpayer.com/media/Report-pandemic-pay-raise.pdf

Provincial Bureaucrats Also Get Pandemic Pay Raises

The tale of two pandemics continued on the provincial level, with over 200,000 raises approved for provincial bureaucrats across the country.

READ OUR REPORT HERE: https://www.taxpayer.com/media/Report-pandemic-pay-raise.pdf

SIGN the PETITION

https://www.taxpayer.com/petitions/stop-trudeau%E2%80%99s-debt-dive

Check out the CANADIAN TAXPAYERS STORE!

Like this show? Subscribe and give us 5-stars!

This podcast is brought to you by the Canadian Taxpayers Federation, Canada’s premier grassroots advocacy group pushing for lower taxes, less waste and accountable governments. Sign-up as a Canadian Taxpayers Federation supporter at no-charge TODAY: https://www.taxpayer.com/join.

Calgary Arena Deal Collapse Saving Residents Millions

A $635 million stadium deal in Calgary has fallen through, and that’s a good thing for taxpayers. Kris Sims and Kevin Lacey break down the bullet taxpayers have dodged.

Nova Scotia Actually Balances Budget

Something rare is happening in Nova Scotia where the provincial government manages to balance its budget. Renaud Brossard has more on just how they managed to find a $108 million surplus.

READ MORE HERE: https://www.taxpayer.com/newsroom/baseball-bronfman-asking-for-the-equivalent-of-54,000-quebecers-total-income-tax-bills

Feds Study Home Equity Tax

Politicians say they won’t implement a home equity tax, but Ottawa just spent taxpayers’ money on study recommending a home equity tax. Franco Terrazzano has the details.

READ MORE HERE: https://www.taxpayer.com/newsroom/feds-consider-new-tax-on-homes

CHECK OUT OUR HOME TAX CALCULATOR: https://bit.ly/3rJsjpi

SIGN the PETITIONS

NO HOME TAX: https://www.taxpayer.com/petitions/no-home-equity-tax

NO HOME SALE REPORTING: https://www.taxpayer.com/petitions/take-home-sales-off-tax-forms

Check out the CANADIAN TAXPAYERS STORE!

Like this show? Subscribe and give us 5-stars!

This podcast is brought to you by the Canadian Taxpayers Federation, Canada’s premier grassroots advocacy group pushing for lower taxes, less waste and accountable governments. Sign-up as a Canadian Taxpayers Federation supporter at no-charge TODAY: https://www.taxpayer.com/join.

#99 Julie Payette Tops 2021 Taxpayer Naughty List

Franco Terrazzano is spreading some Christmas cheer and also some coal with our 2021 Naughty and Nice list. Who’s at the top of the Naughty list? Former governor general Julie Payette, with Conservative Party Leader Erin O’Toole a runner-up for flip-flopping on carbon taxes.

CHECK THE LIST HERE: https://www.taxpayer.com/newsroom/taxpayers-release-naughty-and-nice-list-en_ca

SIGN the PETITION: https://www.taxpayer.com/petitions/rein-in-governor-general-perks

Taxes Going Up in 2022

Franco has also been doing some of that nerdy policy work and he’s put together this year’s New Year’s Tax Changes report. Long story short? Taxpayers should brace for a raft of tax hikes in 2022.

SEE THE CHANGES HERE: https://www.taxpayer.com/newsroom/ctf-releases-new-year%E2%80%99s-tax-changes-for-2022

SIGN the PETITION: https://www.taxpayer.com/petitions/take-home-sales-off-tax-forms

Quebec Billionaire Wants Baseball Subsidy

Renaud Brossard has an update from Montreal, where billionaire Stephen Bronfman is asking for a subsidy equivalent to 54,000 Quebecers income taxes in a bid to bring a part-time baseball team to the city.

READ MORE HERE: https://www.taxpayer.com/newsroom/baseball-bronfman-asking-for-the-equivalent-of-54,000-quebecers-total-income-tax-bills

Check out the CANADIAN TAXPAYERS STORE!

Like this show? Subscribe and give us 5-stars!

This podcast is brought to you by the Canadian Taxpayers Federation, Canada’s premier grassroots advocacy group pushing for lower taxes, less waste and accountable governments. Sign-up as a Canadian Taxpayers Federation supporter at no-charge TODAY: https://www.taxpayer.com/join.

We put up a bunch of billboards outside Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s office reminding him that the gun ban and buyback he’s pushing won’t work.

SIGN the PETITION: https://www.taxpayer.com/petitions/scrap-the-gun-ban-and-buy-back

Feds Still Not Serious about Trillion-Dollar Deficit

Franco Terrazzano tells Todd about Ottawa politicians ignoring the skyrocketing debt, which is projected to hit $1.2 trillion by the end of this fiscal year.

READ HIS WARNING HERE: https://www.taxpayer.com/newsroom/trudeau-needs-to-make-government-debt-a-priority

Politicians Didn’t Save for a Rainy Day

British Columbia has been hammered by a major natural disaster. Kris Sims tells Todd what we can learn from the devastating events, and how politicians can prepare better.

READ MORE HERE: https://ottawasun.com/opinion/columnists/sims-b-c-flooding-shows-why-governments-should-save-for-rainy-days/wcm/118a3420-4695-4bae-bc36-d1b76529fbb5

Check out the CANADIAN TAXPAYERS STORE!

Like this show? Subscribe and give us 5-stars!

This podcast is brought to you by the Canadian Taxpayers Federation, Canada’s premier grassroots advocacy group pushing for lower taxes, less waste and accountable governments. Sign-up as a Canadian Taxpayers Federation supporter at no-charge TODAY: https://www.taxpayer.com/join.

The cost of living is on the rise in Canada and inflation is a big factor. Federal Director Franco Terrazzano lays out why with Todd.

WATCH FRANCO’S INTERVIEW: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8cce3NxsvDk&list=PLQ75-1ptdNxKgCQ_jHZYuREdhghwumHtF&index=3

Gas taxes going down in Ontario?

Doug Ford promised to ease the pain at the pumps for Ontario taxpayers, and Jay Goldberg is making sure he keeps that promise.

CHECK OUT THE PROMISE HERE: https://www.taxpayer.com/newsroom/taxpayers-federation-welcomes-gas-tax-cut-recommitment

Balanced budget sighting

Something very unusual is happening in New Brunswick, as the province is running a surplus and actually paying down the debt. Renaud Brossard explains how that happened.

READ MORE HERE: https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/new-brunswick/new-brunswick-growth-surplus-1.6250584

Check out the CANADIAN TAXPAYERS STORE!

Like this show? Subscribe and give us 5-stars!

This podcast is brought to you by the Canadian Taxpayers Federation, Canada’s premier grassroots advocacy group pushing for lower taxes, less waste and accountable governments. Sign-up as a Canadian Taxpayers Federation supporter at no-charge TODAY: https://www.taxpayer.com/join.

Want to know why everything is more expensive these days? Our Federal Director Franco Terrazzano recently published a column in the Toronto Sun on that very topic, and sat down with Todd to talk about the rising price of inflation taxes on Canadian wallets.

READ THE COLUMN: https://torontosun.com/opinion/columnists/terrazzano-deficit-spending-and-inflation-tax-drive-up-cost-of-living

Home Equity Tax Calculator

Kris Sims is unveiling a home equity tax calculator so Canadian homeowners can check just how much a possible home equity tax might cost them.

CHECK OUT THE CALCULATOR HERE: https://secure.taxpayer.com/home-equity-tax-calculator-v2/

Angry Librarians

And Ontario Director Jay Goldberg has some words of wisdom for newly-appointed Heritage Minister Pablo Rodriquez on what to do with Bill C-10, which had raised wide concerns about internet censorship before the recent federal election.

READ THAT ADVICE HERE: https://nationalpost.com/opinion/jay-goldberg-new-minister-needs-to-rethink-the-governments-draconian-internet-regulations

Check out the CANADIAN TAXPAYERS STORE!

Like this show? Subscribe and give us 5-stars!

This podcast is brought to you by the Canadian Taxpayers Federation, Canada’s premier grassroots advocacy group pushing for lower taxes, less waste and accountable governments. Sign-up as a Canadian Taxpayers Federation supporter at no-charge TODAY: https://www.taxpayer.com/join.

Our Quebec Director Renaud Brossard just got back from Tampa Bay, Florida, but he wasn’t on vacation. He was fighting to save Quebec taxpayers a big chunk of change, as talks heat up for a new baseball stadium in Montreal for the Tampa Bay Rays.

LISTEN HERE: https://www.fox13news.com/news/canadian-group-sponsors-billboard-opposing-taxpayer-funded-rays-stadium

READ MORE: https://www.taxpayer.com/newsroom/quebec-taxpayers-say-no-to-new-baseball-stadium

In Ottawa, our Federal Director Franco Terrazzano is celebrating a victory for taxpayers as temporary COVID-19 subsidies are wound down by the federal government.

READ HIS OP-ED HERE: https://financialpost.com/opinion/franco-terrazzano-time-for-the-feds-to-set-an-end-date-to-covid-spending-before-our-fiscal-house-falls-to-pieces

And in British Columbia, the carbon tax is on the rise again, along with carbon emissions. Our B.C. Director Kris Sims weighs in.

LISTEN TO HER RADIO APPEARANCE HERE: https://player.fm/series/the-jas-johal-show/carbon-tax-plans-criticised-as-out-of-touch-as-cost-of-living-woes-drag-on

Check out the CANADIAN TAXPAYERS STORE!

Like this show? Subscribe and give us 5-stars!

This podcast is brought to you by the Canadian Taxpayers Federation, Canada’s premier grassroots advocacy group pushing for lower taxes, less waste and accountable governments. Sign-up as a Canadian Taxpayers Federation supporter at no-charge TODAY: https://www.taxpayer.com/join.

Governments are charging taxes on top of taxes when it comes to gas in Canada, and taxpayers are paying the price. In many provinces, the tax bill takes up more than a third of the price. Federal Director Franco Terrazano weighs in.

LISTEN HERE: https://bc.ctvnews.ca/get-ready-to-pay-more-for-gas-1.5614238

In Alberta, voters have delivered a clear message that while they’re willing to contribute to Canada, they won’t be taken advantage of anymore. Alberta Director Kevin Lacey breaks down the recent referendum results, and what they mean.

READ HIS INTERVIEW HERE: https://nationalpost.com/news/canada/albertas-equalization-referendum-delivers-clear-message-it-wont-be-taken-advantage-of-anymore

And in Ontario, the provincial government has no plan on how to save money. Ontario Interim Director Jay Goldberg laid out what that means for taxpayers.

READ HIS OP-ED HERE: https://nationalpost.com/opinion/jay-goldberg-ontario-cant-balance-the-books-without-cutting-spending

Check out the CANADIAN TAXPAYERS STORE!

Like this show? Subscribe and give us 5-stars!

This podcast is brought to you by the Canadian Taxpayers Federation, Canada’s premier grassroots advocacy group pushing for lower taxes, less waste and accountable governments. Sign-up as a Canadian Taxpayers Federation supporter at no-charge TODAY: https://www.taxpayer.com/join.

We’re talking about an issue that need more attention: accountability for grassroots people in First Nations communities.

It’s a huge, complicated issue, and something that should be talked about during this election, so we reached out to Rob Louie and Charmaine Stick, two champions for First Nations transparency and accountability.

They spoke with our B.C Director Kris Sims and Prairie Director Todd MacKay about how things can improve.

Check out the CANADIAN TAXPAYERS STORE!

Like this show? Subscribe and give us 5-stars!

This podcast is brought to you by the Canadian Taxpayers Federation, Canada’s premier grassroots advocacy group pushing for lower taxes, less waste and accountable governments. Sign-up as a Canadian Taxpayers Federation supporter at no-charge TODAY: https://www.taxpayer.com/join.

If politicians want to improve affordability, they need to lower taxes. To put that in perspective, even during the pandemic, the average Canadian family paid $35,047 in taxes, or 36 per cent of their budget.

During this election, politicians are trying to sell us on their affordability plans. So, our B.C. Director Kris Sims and our Federal Director Franco Terrazzano broke down what each party could do about Canada’s tax burden.

Check out the CANADIAN TAXPAYERS STORE!

Like this show? Subscribe and give us 5-stars!

This podcast is brought to you by the Canadian Taxpayers Federation, Canada’s premier grassroots advocacy group pushing for lower taxes, less waste and accountable governments. Sign-up as a Canadian Taxpayers Federation supporter at no-charge TODAY: https://www.taxpayer.com/join.

The federal government is more than $1 trillion in debt. It’s borrowing $424 million every day.

That means that each Canadian is on the hook for about $30,000 in federal government debt alone. If politicians don’t save money that will have to come from Canadians through taxes today, taxes tomorrow or inflation.

Our Federal Director Franco Terrazzano and our B.C. Director Kris Sims broke down what each party plans to do about the debt, and what they found may surprise you.

Check out the CANADIAN TAXPAYERS STORE!

Like this show? Subscribe and give us 5-stars!

This podcast is brought to you by the Canadian Taxpayers Federation, Canada’s premier grassroots advocacy group pushing for lower taxes, less waste and accountable governments. Sign-up as a Canadian Taxpayers Federation supporter at no-charge TODAY: https://www.taxpayer.com/join.

Canadians place a high value on their freedom of speech, but the way we use that freedom could be changing depending on the outcome of the federal election.

We wanted to make it easy for the average Canadian to make sense of the issue, so our interim Ontario Director Jay Goldberg and our Prairie Director Todd MacKay put their heads together for this podcast.

They broke down the whole issue, and how much each party’s plan might cost the country.

Check out the CANADIAN TAXPAYERS STORE!

Like this show? Subscribe and give us 5-stars!

This podcast is brought to you by the Canadian Taxpayers Federation, Canada’s premier grassroots advocacy group pushing for lower taxes, less waste and accountable governments. Sign-up as a Canadian Taxpayers Federation supporter at no-charge TODAY: https://www.taxpayer.com/join.

The average Canadian probably thinks of Rambo when they hear the term “military-style assault rifle.” Politicians are counting on that confusion, and the media isn’t clearing things up.

But if Canadians are going to cut through the political spin, they’re going to need to hear from experts and they need to compare what politicians are saying to those facts.

We’re making it easy. Our B.C. Director Kris Sims and Prairie Director Todd MacKay broke down the whole issue, and how much each party’s plan might cost the country.

Check out the CANADIAN TAXPAYERS STORE!

Like this show? Subscribe and give us 5-stars!

This podcast is brought to you by the Canadian Taxpayers Federation, Canada’s premier grassroots advocacy group pushing for lower taxes, less waste and accountable governments. Sign-up as a Canadian Taxpayers Federation supporter at no-charge TODAY: https://www.taxpayer.com/join.

Current CTF President and CEO Scott Hennig recently caught up with Premier Kenney to chat with him about his government’s response to COVID-19, his time with the CTF and much more. This is the unabridged version of the Q&A that ran in the Summer 2021 edition of The Taxpayer magazine.

Check out the CANADIAN TAXPAYERS STORE!

Like this show? Subscribe and give us 5-stars!

This podcast is brought to you by the Canadian Taxpayers Federation, Canada’s premier grassroots advocacy group pushing for lower taxes, less waste and accountable governments. Sign-up as a Canadian Taxpayers Federation supporter at no-charge TODAY: https://www.taxpayer.com/join.

Canadians have always had a tax exemption when they sell their primary residence and politicians swear they’ll never impose a home equity tax. So, what’s the problem?

More than 100,000 taxpayers have signed our PETITION opposing a home equity tax because they’re not sure they can trust politicians. And when we dug into the details, there’s good reason for that skepticism.

Check out the CANADIAN TAXPAYERS STORE!

Like this show? Subscribe and give us 5-stars!

This podcast is brought to you by the Canadian Taxpayers Federation, Canada’s premier grassroots advocacy group pushing for lower taxes, less waste and accountable governments. Sign-up as a Canadian Taxpayers Federation supporter at no-charge TODAY: https://www.taxpayer.com/join.

Carbon tax advocates say making you pay more for gas will help the environment.

We’ve checked the track record for carbon taxes and there’s a lot more to the story, and the political parties are constantly shifting their carbon tax policies. Our B.C. Director Kris Sims and our Federal Director Franco Terrazzano break it all down.

Check out the CANADIAN TAXPAYERS STORE!

Like this show? Subscribe and give us 5-stars!

This podcast is brought to you by the Canadian Taxpayers Federation, Canada’s premier grassroots advocacy group pushing for lower taxes, less waste and accountable governments. Sign-up as a Canadian Taxpayers Federation supporter at no-charge TODAY: https://www.taxpayer.com/join.

Andrew Lawton is a well-known Canadian commentator who has been working on a documentary titled “Assaulted: Justin Trudeau's War on Gun Owners.” We talked to him about the federal gun ban and buyback policy.

You can watch Andrew’s documentary series at this link: www.assaulted.ca

Andrew’s podcast is available at this link: tnc.news/podcast/the-andrew-lawton-show

Scrap the Gun Ban and Buyback Petition: LINK

Check out the CANADIAN TAXPAYERS STORE!

Like this show? Subscribe and give us 5-stars!

This podcast is brought to you by the Canadian Taxpayers Federation, Canada’s premier grassroots advocacy group pushing for lower taxes, less waste and accountable governments. Sign-up as a Canadian Taxpayers Federation supporter at no-charge TODAY: https://www.taxpayer.com/join.

The Parliamentary Budget Officer is back, again, with worse news: Seven out of the ten provincial governments have unsustainable finances. The kicker? Those books are in the red, even without the temporary COVID-19 spending.

Check the data here: https://www.pbo-dpb.gc.ca/en/blog/news-releases--communiques-de-presse/COM-2122-017--federal-finances-sustainable-over-the-long-term-but-most-provinc--finances-publiques-viables-a-long-terme-au-niveau-federal-mais-p

Like this show? Subscribe and give us 5-stars!

This podcast is brought to you by the Canadian Taxpayers Federation, Canada’s premier grassroots advocacy group pushing for lower taxes, less waste and accountable governments. Sign-up as a Canadian Taxpayers Federation supporter at no-charge TODAY: https://www.taxpayer.com/join.

The Parliamentary Budget Officer is back with more bad news: The federal government won’t be balancing the budget until 2070. Put plainly, that means fifty more years of deficits for our great grandchildren to deal with.

Check the data here: https://www.taxpayer.com/newsroom/feds-won%E2%80%99t-balance-the-budget-until-2070

Stop Trudeau’s Debt Dive Petition: https://www.taxpayer.com/petitions/stop-trudeau%E2%80%99s-debt-dive

Like this show? Subscribe and give us 5-stars!

This podcast is brought to you by the Canadian Taxpayers Federation, Canada’s premier grassroots advocacy group pushing for lower taxes, less waste and accountable governments. Sign-up as a Canadian Taxpayers Federation supporter at no-charge TODAY: https://www.taxpayer.com/join.

Politicians think sugar taxes will make people skinnier in Newfoundland and Labrador, but this hasn’t worked before. And there’s a lot of unfairness to the tax.

Check out the CANADIAN TAXPAYERS STORE!

Like this show? Subscribe and give us 5-stars!

This podcast is brought to you by the Canadian Taxpayers Federation, Canada’s premier grassroots advocacy group pushing for lower taxes, less waste and accountable governments. Sign-up as a Canadian Taxpayers Federation supporter at no-charge TODAY: https://www.taxpayer.com/join.

Tom Korski digs into the huge planning problems with Ottawa’s gun policy. He also does the math on government golf courses and pulls back the curtain on internet censorship.

Korski is the senior reporter for the investigative journalism website Blacklock’s Reporter. Check it out at: blacklocks.ca.

Check out the CANADIAN TAXPAYERS STORE!

Scrap the Gun Ban and Buyback Petition: LINK

Like this show? Subscribe and give us 5-stars!

This podcast is brought to you by the Canadian Taxpayers Federation, Canada’s premier grassroots advocacy group pushing for lower taxes, less waste and accountable governments. Sign-up as a Canadian Taxpayers Federation supporter at no-charge TODAY: https://www.taxpayer.com/join.

Matt Bufton thinks smaller government is better, and he’s swimming against the current at universities across Canada, but here’s the good news: a lot of university students are swimming against the current with him.

Bufton runs the Institute for Liberal Studies that gets students into the big ideas that are the foundation of small government.

Check out the CANADIAN TAXPAYERS STORE!

And the Institute’s own podcast, “The Curious Task”

https://thecurioustask.podbean.com/e/ep-40-pete-boettke-—-what-is-the-curious-task-of-economics/

Like this show? Subscribe and give us 5-stars!

This podcast is brought to you by the Canadian Taxpayers Federation, Canada’s premier grassroots advocacy group pushing for lower taxes, less waste and accountable governments. Sign-up as a Canadian Taxpayers Federation supporter at no-charge TODAY: https://www.taxpayer.com/join

The Parliamentary Budget Officer looked at the cost of the federal gun ban and buyback scheme. It could go as high as $750 million to actually buy guns, but, when it came to administrative costs, the PBO just shrugged.

Check out the CANADIAN TAXPAYERS STORE!

Scrap the Gun Ban and Buyback Petition: LINK

Like this show? Subscribe and give us 5-stars!

This podcast is brought to you by the Canadian Taxpayers Federation, Canada’s premier grassroots advocacy group pushing for lower taxes, less waste and accountable governments. Sign-up as a Canadian Taxpayers Federation supporter at no-charge TODAY: https://www.taxpayer.com/join.

The federal government tried to ram through Bill C-10 to regulate internet content. Canadian Taxpayers Federation supporters told politicians to stop it, including senators. And the senate did what it does best: nothing (and that’s a good thing).

Check out the CANADIAN TAXPAYERS STORE!

Stop Bill C-10 Petition: LINK

Like this show? Subscribe and give us 5-stars!

This podcast is brought to you by the Canadian Taxpayers Federation, Canada’s premier grassroots advocacy group pushing for lower taxes, less waste and accountable governments. Sign-up as a Canadian Taxpayers Federation supporter at no-charge TODAY: https://www.taxpayer.com/join.

Trudeau’s gun grab is going to be costly, and we break down how much each Canadian owes for skyrocketing government debt.

Check out the CANADIAN TAXPAYERS STORE!

And…

The price tag for the failed United Nations Security Council seat campaign has somehow gotten even higher.

OUR STORY HERE

Like this show? Subscribe and give us 5-stars!

This podcast is brought to you by the Canadian Taxpayers Federation, Canada’s premier grassroots advocacy group pushing for lower taxes, less waste and accountable governments. Sign-up as a Canadian Taxpayers Federation supporter at no-charge TODAY: https://www.taxpayer.com/join.

"How do we work together to improve life for First Nations people living on and off reserve in Canada?

Rob Louie is working hard to make a big difference.

Canadian Taxpayers Federation British Columbia Director Kris Sims speaks with Louie, the founder, CEO and President of the Band Members Alliance and Advocacy Association of Canada (BMAAAC – pronounced “bee mack”).

NOTE: This conversation was recorded prior to the discovery of the remains of children at the former Kamloops Indian Residential School in B.C."

Right now, a bunch of powerful politicians around the world are backing a global minimum business tax to get out of competing on lower taxes. This is a cartel, plain and simple.

Check out the CANADIAN TAXPAYERS STORE!

And…

Loto-Quebec handed out $2 million in overtime pay, even though casinos were closed.

FRENCH LINK

ENGLISH LINK

Like this show? Subscribe and give us 5-stars!

This podcast is brought to you by the Canadian Taxpayers Federation, Canada’s premier grassroots advocacy group pushing for lower taxes, less waste and accountable governments. Sign-up as a Canadian Taxpayers Federation supporter at no-charge TODAY: https://www.taxpayer.com/join.

Tom Korski is a senior reporter at the investigative journalism website Blacklock’s Reporter, which talks about stories the media is missing.

Ottawa is trying to ram through Bill C-10 to regulate the internet, despite threats to free speech.

The Canada Infrastructure Bank doesn’t build anything, but it pays its executives a lot (just don’t ask how much).

And the Memorial to the Victims of Communism is way over budget, even though it’s not built.

SIGN THE PETITION TO STOP BILL C-10 – CLICK HERE

CHECK OUT BLACKLOCK’S REPORTER – CLICK HERE

Like this show? Subscribe and give us 5-stars! This podcast is brought to you by the Canadian Taxpayers Federation, Canada’s premier grassroots advocacy group pushing for lower taxes, less waste and accountable governments. Sign-up as a Canadian Taxpayers Federation supporter at no-charge TODAY: https://www.taxpayer.com/join.

News at the Top – Bureaucrats Get Pay Raises

As government gets bigger in Canada, taxpayers are being billed for pay raises on top of more bureaucrats.

CLICK HERE and HERE for more!

Deep Dive – Ottawa Subsidizes Dead People

Ottawa has a huge spending problem, and our national debt is over $1 trillion. Pandemic spending is only compounding the issue, and now it turns the federal government has given over $9 million worth of COVID-19 subsidies to dead people.

CLICK HERE for more!

Waste Watch – Doug Ford Bungles License Plates

Before COVID-19 arrived in Canada, Ontario Premier Doug Ford tried to bring in new license plates for the province. It blew up in his face, and according to exclusive records we obtained, the new plates actually cost more to make than the old.

OUR EXCLUSIVE STORY HERE!

Like this show? Subscribe and give us 5-stars!

This podcast is brought to you by the Canadian Taxpayers Federation, Canada’s premier grassroots advocacy group pushing for lower taxes, less waste and accountable governments. Sign-up as a Canadian Taxpayers Federation supporter at no-charge TODAY: https://www.taxpayer.com/join.

News at the Top – Government is Broke/Tax Freedom Day

Governments across Canada are facing an impending debt crunch and families are facing steep tax bills.

LINKS: https://winnipegsun.com/opinion/columnists/aldrich-tax-freedom-day-hardly-reason-to-celebrate

https://financialpost.com/opinion/opinion-our-debt-problem-is-a-lot-worse-than-ottawa-is-letting-on

Deep Dive – Life After COVID

We and our friends over at SecondStreet.org have some tips for the federal government as the COVID-19 threat diminishes.

LINK: https://www.secondstreet.org/life-after-covid-e-book-announcement/

Waste Watch – Rideau Hall Delays Bring High Cost

Taxpayers had to fork over close to $200,000 more for work at Rideau Hall because of delays, and Julie Payette’s office appears to have played a role in those delays.

LINK: https://www.taxpayer.com/newsroom/delays-increased-rideau-hall-project-costs-by-200,000

SIGN the PETITION: https://www.taxpayer.com/petitions/cut-off-expenses-when-a-governor-general-leaves-office

Like this show? Subscribe and give us 5-stars!

This podcast is brought to you by the Canadian Taxpayers Federation, Canada’s premier grassroots advocacy group pushing for lower taxes, less waste and accountable governments. Sign-up as a Canadian Taxpayers Federation supporter at no-charge TODAY: https://www.taxpayer.com/join.

News at the Top – Ottawa Mayor Subsidizes Porsche

In one of the most baffling examples of corporate welfare we’ve ever seen, Ottawa’s city council is handing over nearly three million dollars to build a Porsche dealership.

SEND JIM WATSON AN EMAIL: Jim.Watson@ottawa.ca

LINK: https://ottawa.ctvnews.ca/2-9-million-tax-break-for-ottawa-porsche-dealership-receives-the-green-light-1.5443787

Deep Dive – Mike Duffy Gets $4,000 a Week from Taxpayers

Because of the mandatory retirement age in the Senate of 75, Mike Duffy’s birthday will land him almost $4,000 every month for the rest of his life, all thanks to a taxpayer-funded pension.

LINK: https://www.taxpayer.com/newsroom/duffy%E2%80%99s-75th-birthday-kicks-off-47,000-per-year-senator-pension-party

Waste Watch – Failed UN Security Seat Campaign Bills Soar

The federal government spent more than $8.6 million on the failed drive for a seat on the UN Security Council, according to documents exclusively obtained by the CTF.

LINK: https://www.taxpayer.com/newsroom/failed-un-security-seat-campaign-cost-over-8.6-million

Like this show? Subscribe and give us 5-stars!

This podcast is brought to you by the Canadian Taxpayers Federation, Canada’s premier grassroots advocacy group pushing for lower taxes, less waste and accountable governments. Sign-up as a Canadian Taxpayers Federation supporter at no-charge TODAY: https://www.taxpayer.com/join.

News at the Top – Montreal and Toronto Bet Billions on Parks

Canada’s two biggest cities appear to be trying to outcompete each other by building ultra-expensive parks, at our expense.

LINKS: https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/montreal/parc-jean-drapeau-montreal-plan-parking-1.5987515

https://www.taxpayer.com/newsroom/tory-needs-to-end-his-3.8-billion-vanity-project-pipedream

SIGN the PETITION: https://www.taxpayer.com/petitions/stop-toronto%E2%80%99s-3.8-billion-floating-downtown-park

Deep Dive – Canadians Dinged on Gas Taxes

For Gas Tax Honesty Day, we did the math: when you include the up to six taxes Canadians pay on gasoline, it comes out to about an eye-popping 47 cents per litre.

LINK: http://www.taxpayer.com/media/CTF%20-%20GTHD%202021%20Report%20-V5%20-%20May%2018,%202021.pdf

Waste Watch – Feds Subsidize Margaret Atwood Book Tour

Right before COVID-19 kicked off in Canada, the folks at Global Affairs thought it would be a good idea to give a nearly $10,000 boost to Margaret Atwood’s Australian book tour. We asked them why.

LINK: https://www.taxpayer.com/newsroom/margaret-atwood%E2%80%99s-australian-tour-cost-taxpayers-almost-10,000

SIGN the PETITION: https://www.taxpayer.com/petitions/abolish-the-mission-cultural-fund

Like this show? Subscribe and give us 5-stars!

This podcast is brought to you by the Canadian Taxpayers Federation, Canada’s premier grassroots advocacy group pushing for lower taxes, less waste and accountable governments. Sign-up as a Canadian Taxpayers Federation supporter at no-charge TODAY: https://www.taxpayer.com/join.

Tom Korski is a senior journalist at Blacklock’s Reporter, an Ottawa media outlet that covers news that the rest of the press gallery tends to ignore.

Korski got on the phone with Prairie Director Todd MacKay to break down Bill C-10 and the risk it’s posing to freedom of speech.

Like this show? Subscribe and give us 5-stars!

This podcast is brought to you by the Canadian Taxpayers Federation, Canada’s premier grassroots advocacy group pushing for lower taxes, less waste and accountable governments. Sign-up as a Canadian Taxpayers Federation supporter at no-charge TODAY: https://www.taxpayer.com/join.

News at the Top – Carbon Taxes Don’t Work

Despite the province’s long history with a carbon tax, emissions in British Columbia are going up.

LINK: https://westernstandardonline.com/2021/05/bc-emissions-going-up-despite-highest-carbon-tax-in-canada/

SIGN the PETITIONS: https://www.taxpayer.com/petitions/scrap-the-federal-carbon-tax

https://www.taxpayer.com/petitions/stop-trudeau-s-second-carbon-tax

Deep Dive – Newfoundland Swimming in Debt

Newfoundland and Labrador is in dire financial straits, and a new report is laying out the province’s next steps to get off the fiscal cliff.

LINK: https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/newfoundland-labrador/auditor-general-reports-nl-2021-1.6009084

Waste Watch – Kamloops Calls in Feds

A bureaucratic spending scandal in Kamloops just got much bigger.

LINK: https://www.kamloopsthisweek.com/news/investigation-into-tnrd-finances-taken-over-by-federal-police-unit-1.24315766

https://www.taxpayer.com/newsroom/kamloops-spending-scandal-shows-need-for-municipal-auditor-general

Like this show? Subscribe and give us 5-stars!

This podcast is brought to you by the Canadian Taxpayers Federation, Canada’s premier grassroots advocacy group pushing for lower taxes, less waste and accountable governments. Sign-up as a Canadian Taxpayers Federation supporter at no-charge TODAY: https://www.taxpayer.com/join.

News at the Top – University Bailouts

Ontario’s Laurentian University came out and said it was about to become insolvent. Now, the province is considering a bailout. And that’s not the only university with big bills.

LINK: https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/sudbury/laurentian-no-bailout-1.6012245

Deep Dive – Internet Censorship Legislation

The federal government’s Bill C-10 would impose new regulations on things we post online. And that could threaten Canadians’ right to hold governments accountable.

LINK: https://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/charter-statement-bill-c10-1.6020833

SIGN the PETITION: https://www.taxpayer.com/petitions/stop-ottawa-from-censoring-online-government-accountability

Waste Watch – Doug Ford Goes Hollywood North

Ontario taxpayers will have the rare opportunity to see their provincial government waste half a million dollars of their money in just two hours, as Doug Ford gets set to hand over $500,000 to make a crime movie in North Bay.

LINK: https://news.ontario.ca/en/release/1000031/ontario-supports-north-bay-area-businesses

Like this show? Subscribe and give us 5-stars!

This podcast is brought to you by the Canadian Taxpayers Federation, Canada’s premier grassroots advocacy group pushing for lower taxes, less waste and accountable governments. Sign-up as a Canadian Taxpayers Federation supporter at no-charge TODAY: https://www.taxpayer.com/join.

News at the Top – Trudeau’s Tax Hikes

If you drive a car, like to heat your home in the winter, and enjoy a cold beer on a nice sunny day, your taxes are going up, even though Prime Minister Justin Trudeau told us a few months ago that Canadians didn’t need higher taxes in the middle of the pandemic.

LINK: https://globalnews.ca/news/7764150/canada-budget-2021-benefits-taxes-minimum-wage/

SIGN the PETITIONS: https://www.taxpayer.com/petitions/no-home-equity-tax

https://www.taxpayer.com/petitions/stop-trudeau%E2%80%99s-debt-dive

Deep Dive – O’Toole Carbon Tax Price Tag

Conservative Party of Canada Leader Erin O’Toole promised to fight carbon taxes, but he blindsided Canadians when he announced he would impose his own carbon tax if he’s elected prime minister.

We’re taking a close look at what this could mean for Canadian wallets.

LINK: https://www.taxpayer.com/newsroom/o%E2%80%99toole-set-to-break-carbon-tax-pledge

Waste Watch – One Expensive Toilet

Vancouver’s municipal government is somehow set to spend $645,000 on a public toilet.

LINK: https://vancouversun.com/news/local-news/vancouvers-645000-public-toilet-raises-eyebrows

Like this show? Subscribe and give us 5-stars!

This podcast is brought to you by the Canadian Taxpayers Federation, Canada’s premier grassroots advocacy group pushing for lower taxes, less waste and accountable governments. Sign-up as a Canadian Taxpayers Federation supporter at no-charge TODAY: https://www.taxpayer.com/join.

News at the Top – Stadium Deals are Bad Deals

The City of Calgary has decided to hit pause on a massive arena deal before sending the Calgary Flames another truckload of taxpayers’ cash. It needs to cancel it because stadium deals are bad deals for taxpayers.

LINKS: https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/calgary/flames-calgary-arena-pause-budget-1.5987561

https://calgary.ctvnews.ca/calgary-flames-arena-deal-on-thin-ice-after-team-asks-for-70m-more-from-city-sources-1.5387513

Deep Dive – Guaranteed Income Bill

Liberal and NDP policy conventions endorsed the idea of a guaranteed annual income, but the politicians pushing the idea tend to forget about the bill for taxpayers.

LINKS: https://www.theglobeandmail.com/report-on-business/rob-commentary/everyone-talks-about-basic-income-heres-why-they-dont-implement-it/article27723204/

https://www.fraserinstitute.org/studies/how-much-could-a-guaranteed-annual-income-cost

Waste Watch – CMHC Spent Over $900,000 on Name Change

CMHC spent $924,614 on a purely cosmetic rebranding project, and didn’t tell MPs the full story about the project when first asked at committee.

LINK: https://www.taxpayer.com/newsroom/cmhc-spent-over-900,000-on-stalled-name-change

SIGN the PETITION: https://www.taxpayer.com/petitions/no-home-equity-tax

Like this show? Subscribe and give us 5-stars!

This podcast is brought to you by the Canadian Taxpayers Federation, Canada’s premier grassroots advocacy group pushing for lower taxes, less waste and accountable governments. Sign-up as a Canadian Taxpayers Federation supporter at no-charge TODAY: https://www.taxpayer.com/join.

News at the Top – O’Toole Breaks Carbon Tax Promise

Conservative Party of Canada Leader Erin O’Toole has announced his own federal carbon tax.

This is the same Erin O’Toole that when running for leader of the CPC, signed the Canadian Taxpayers Federation pledge to scrap the Trudeau carbon tax and not impose a national carbon tax of his own.

If he goes through with this carbon tax, he will be breaking a huge promise he made to millions of Canadians.

LINKS: https://www.taxpayer.com/newsroom/taxpayers-federation-slams-cpc-leader-erin-o%E2%80%99toole-for-announcing-his-own-carbon-tax

https://nationalpost.com/opinion/opinion-with-green-otoole-bucks-the-conservatives-have-embraced-taxes?fbclid=IwAR3HTcmbi1cpPSkAH7l11cYUFQprQoariBf2YkDuEAYNVh-ArZVJtvq3xf8

SIGN the PETITION: https://www.taxpayer.com/petitions/stop-trudeau-s-second-carbon-tax

Deep Dive – Budget Spends Billions

We knew there was going to be a huge deficit, we knew there was going to be a $1 trillion debt tab, but the budget was even worse than we thought, as the federal government plans to permanently increase spending for years to come.

LINKS: https://www.taxpayer.com/newsroom/federal-budget-spends-more-on-everything-with-no-plan-to-pay-for-it

https://financialpost.com/opinion/opinion-federal-budget-spend-spend-more-then-spend-more-than that

Waste Watch – Bills Pile Up After Cancelled Barbados Trip

The federal government spent close to $140,000 for Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to basically not go somewhere.

LINK: https://www.taxpayer.com/newsroom/federal-government-spent-close-to-140,000-on-prime-minister%E2%80%99s-cancelled-barbados-trip

Like this show? Subscribe and give us 5-stars!

This podcast is brought to you by the Canadian Taxpayers Federation, Canada’s premier grassroots advocacy group pushing for lower taxes, less waste and accountable governments. Sign-up as a Canadian Taxpayers Federation supporter at no-charge TODAY: https://www.taxpayer.com/join.

News at the Top – Canadians Dislike Carbon Tax

We don’t like the carbon tax and as it turns out, a new survey found 52 per cent of Canadians agree with us.

LINK: https://www.secondstreet.org/2021/03/29/new-poll-supreme-court-said-carbon-tax-legal-but-canadians-still-dont-want-it/

SIGN the PETITION: https://www.taxpayer.com/petitions/stop-trudeau-s-second-carbon-tax

Deep Dive – Bracing for the Budget

We talk about the upcoming federal budget that’s expected to have a deficit that’s more than $350 billion, with Canada’s national debt already passing the $1 trillion mark.

Links: http://www.taxpayer.com/media/Road%20to%20recovery%20FINAL.pdf

https://nationalpost.com/news/canada/heres-the-eyewatering-debt-canada-is-racking-up

Waste Watch – Green Energy Boondoggles

The federal government has admitted that most green energy projects don’t make much financial sense, and would wither on the vine without government subsidies.

Link: https://edmontonsun.com/opinion/columnists/gunter-green-projects-make-no-sense-so-why-are-taxpayers-forced-to-subsidize-eco-fantasies

Like this show? Subscribe and give us 5-stars!

This podcast is brought to you by the Canadian Taxpayers Federation, Canada’s premier grassroots advocacy group pushing for lower taxes, less waste and accountable governments. Sign-up as a Canadian Taxpayers Federation supporter at no-charge TODAY: https://www.taxpayer.com/join.

News at the Top – Nova Scotia’s Balanced Budget Plan

Nova Scotia taxpayers have something to celebrate: their government expects to actually get rid of its deficit within – get this – the next four years.

Our Quebec Director Renaud Brossard breaks down the good news for Alberta Director Franco Terrazzano.

LINKS: https://www.taxpayer.com/newsroom/taxpayers-federation-praises-nova-scotia-for-plan-to-balance-budget,-no-tax-increases

https://atlantic.ctvnews.ca/nova-scotia-liberals-to-table-first-deficit-budget-in-six-years-because-of-covid-19-1.5361611

Deep Dive – April Tax Hikes

April Fools' Day is often a fun day, but April 1 also tends to be a particularly bad news day for taxpayers.

Our B.C. Director Kris Sims and our Federal Director Aaron Wudrick have a rundown of the tax hits coming in 2021.

Links: https://www.taxpayer.com/newsroom/the-joke-is-on-taxpayers-this-april-fools%E2%80%99-day

Waste Watch – Health Canada Pays for Tweets

Health Canada is using our hard-earned tax dollars to hire social media influencers, despite the fact that previous attempts to leverage social media influencers were total flops.

Our Prairie Director Todd MacKay and Interim Ontario Director Jay Goldberg have the full story.

Link: https://buyandsell.gc.ca/procurement-data/tender-notice/PW-CX-027-79877

https://tnc.news/2019/06/25/elections-canada-paid-biased-social-media-influencers-325k-before-scrapping-project/

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/north/teddys-awards-yukon-government-1.5488880

Like this show? Subscribe and give us 5-stars!

This podcast is brought to you by the Canadian Taxpayers Federation, Canada’s premier grassroots advocacy group pushing for lower taxes, less waste and accountable governments. Sign-up as a Canadian Taxpayers Federation supporter at no-charge TODAY: https://www.taxpayer.com/join.

We've got a new interview for you. Danielle Smith is a former Member of the Legislative Assembly of Alberta, and served as leader of the Wildrose Party from 2009 to 2014, and the host of an Alberta-wide talk radio show on 770 CHQR Calgary.

In January, she walked away from that radio show, and she has a message for the media about accountability. Since accountability is a huge part of what we do at the Canadian Taxpayers Federation, our Prairie Director Todd MacKay called Smith for an interview.

Like this show? Subscribe and give us 5-stars!

This podcast is brought to you by the Canadian Taxpayers Federation, Canada’s premier grassroots advocacy group pushing for lower taxes, less waste and accountable governments. Sign-up as a Canadian Taxpayers Federation supporter at no-charge TODAY: https://www.taxpayer.com/join.

News at the Top – Huge Win for Alberta Taxpayers

The Alberta government is introducing recall and citizens’ initiative, which has been a major goal of the Canadian Taxpayers Federation and our supporters for years.

Our Alberta Director Franco Terrazzano breaks it down for B.C. Director Kris Sims.

LINKS: https://globalnews.ca/news/7698083/alberta-recall-legislation-bill-52/

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/edmonton/proposed-law-could-see-alberta-voters-petition-governments-for-changes-1.5952191

Deep Dive – Carbon Tax Fight Continues

The Supreme Court of Canada has ruled the federal government can impose a carbon tax across the country.

But the CTF is definitely not giving up the fight. We’ve always said we’d use every tool at our disposal to fight the federal carbon tax and joining in constitutional challenges was just one tool.

Links: https://www.fraserinstitute.org/studies/estimated-impacts-of-a-170-carbon-tax-in-canada

https://www.taxpayer.com/newsroom/taxpayers-federation-reacts-to-supreme-court-ruling-on-federal-carbon-tax

Waste Watch – Home Equity Tax?

In the summer, the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation said they were not funding a study of a home equity tax. We have exclusive documents that show they weren’t telling the whole story.

Link: https://www.taxpayer.com/newsroom/cmhc-spent-250,000-on-home-tax-study,-despite-denials

SIGN the PETITION to STOP A HOME EQUITY TAX: https://www.taxpayer.com/petitions/no-home-equity-tax

Like this show? Subscribe and give us 5-stars!

This podcast is brought to you by the Canadian Taxpayers Federation, Canada’s premier grassroots advocacy group pushing for lower taxes, less waste and accountable governments. Sign-up as a Canadian Taxpayers Federation supporter at no-charge TODAY: https://www.taxpayer.com/join.

News at the Top – Trudeau Sets No-Budget Record

Even though the federal budget has been announced for Apr. 19, the Trudeau government has officially gone more than two full years without producing one. Even back in World War II, there wasn’t a gap this long.

Alberta Director Franco Terrazzano and British Columbia Director Kris Sims break down the bizarre problem.

LINK: https://www.ctvnews.ca/politics/feds-to-table-2021-budget-on-april-19-freeland-1.5358953

https://nationalpost.com/opinion/carson-jerema-trudeau-liberals-mock-parliament-with-budget-delay

Deep Dive – Lockdowns Postpone Surgeries

We all know the direct health implications from COVID-19. We know that government lockdowns have hurt workers and businesses.

On top of those painful impacts, more than 350,000 surgeries and consultation across the country have been postponed during the pandemic, according to a new report released by the think tank SecondStreet.org.

Our Alberta Director Franco Terrazzano and our Quebec Director Renaud Brossard are up to talk about the problem.

Links: https://www.secondstreet.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/Policy-Brief-Closer-look-at-postponed-surgeries.pdf

https://edmontonjournal.com/opinion/columnists/opinion-look-beyond-u-s-for-examples-of-private-health-care

Waste Watch – Canadians Billed to Study Abandoned Barn

Taxpayers have been billed tens of thousands of dollars just to study a mouldy, poop-filled, collapsing barn, used for storage at the prime ministerial cottage property on Harrington Lake.

Our investigative journalist James Wood has the exclusive story, and explains it to our B.C. Director Kris Sims.

Link: https://www.taxpayer.com/newsroom/over-40,000-spent-to-study-abandoned,-mouldy-harrington-lake-barn

SIGN the PETITION to SELL HARRINGTON LAKE: https://www.taxpayer.com/petitions/sell-harrington-lake-luxury-cottage

Like this show? Subscribe and give us 5-stars!

This podcast is brought to you by the Canadian Taxpayers Federation, Canada’s premier grassroots advocacy group pushing for lower taxes, less waste and accountable governments. Sign-up as a Canadian Taxpayers Federation supporter at no-charge TODAY: https://www.taxpayer.com/join.

Earlier this month, the Canadian Taxpayers Federation held its 23rd annual Teddy Waste Awards ceremony in a special virtual presentation, celebrating the best of the worst in government waste uncovered in the past year.

The Teddy, a pig-shaped award given annually by the CTF to government’s worst waste offenders, is named for Ted Weatherill, a former federal appointee who was fired in 1999 for submitting a panoply of dubious expense claims, including a $700 lunch for two.

This year's winners include former governor general Julie Payette, a troubled ferry route in Quebec, and the City of Toronto's expensive approach to bike lanes.

A full list of the nominees can be found here: https://www.taxpayer.com/newsroom/canadian-taxpayers-federation-presents-23rd-annual-teddy-awards-for-government-waste

News at the Top – MPs Raise Their Own Pay

Federal politicians have a pretty bad April fools joke up their sleeves. Every MP is scheduled to get an extra $3,000 going straight from taxpayers’ pockets as of Apr. 1, 2021.

Our Quebec Director Renaud Brossard breaks down the ridiculous raise with our Alberta Director Franco Terrazzano.

SIGN the PETITION: https://www.taxpayer.com/petitions/mps-need-to-cut-their-own-pay

Deep Dive – Toronto Park Boondoggle

Toronto Mayor John Tory wants everyone in Canada to pay for a $3.8-billion vanity park over rail lines in the city’s downtown.

Don’t live in Toronto? Doesn’t matter.

Taxpayers from coast to coast will be stuck paying for the literal pie-in-the-sky project, if Prime Minister Justin Trudeau approves the mayor’s plan.

Our Ontario Director Jasmine Moulton lays out the situation for Renaud.

Links: https://www.taxpayer.com/media/CTF_Rail_Deck_Park_Costs_Study.pdf

https://www.taxpayer.com/newsroom/city-hall-admits-rail-deck-park-is-99.9-per-cent-unfunded

SIGN the PETITION: https://www.taxpayer.com/petitions/stop-toronto%E2%80%99s-3.8-billion-floating-downtown-park

Waste Watch – Doug Ford Breaks Per Vote Promise

Ontario Premier Doug Ford not only broke his promise to end the province’s per-vote subsidy, he’s now extending and increasing it.

Jasmine stays on to talk about the broken promise with our B.C. Director Kris Sims, whose own province has a painful history with per-vote subsidies.

Link: https://torontosun.com/opinion/columnists/lilley-ford-and-pcs-to-take-millions-in-political-welfare-from-taxpayers

SIGN the PETITION: https://www.taxpayer.com/petitions/political-parties-must-repay-wage-subsidies

Like this show? Subscribe and give us 5-stars!

This podcast is brought to you by the Canadian Taxpayers Federation, Canada’s premier grassroots advocacy group pushing for lower taxes, less waste and accountable governments. Sign-up as a Canadian Taxpayers Federation supporter at no-charge TODAY: https://www.taxpayer.com/join.

News at the Top – We Told Trudeau Told to Cut Off Julie Payette’s Expense Account

Last week, Federal Director Aaron Wudrick paid a visit to the Prime Minister’s Office and dropped off 200,000 petition signatures demanding the scrapping of the outrageous expense policy for former governors general.

Aaron tells our Quebec Director Renaud Brossard about the delivery.

Links: https://fb.watch/47f6DRfceV/

https://www.taxpayer.com/newsroom/200,000-canadians-sign-petition-to-end-expenses-for-former-governors-general

Deep Dive – Home Heating Bills Hammered by Carbon Tax

Our B.C. Director Kris Sims recently asked Canadians to send her their home heating bills to see how much the carbon tax is costing average people.

The response was overwhelming.

She sat down with our Ontario Director Jasmine Moulton to talk about what she found.

Links: https://www.taxpayer.com/newsroom/carbon-tax-punishes-canadians-for-staying-warm

SIGN the PETITIONS: https://www.taxpayer.com/petitions/scrap-the-federal-carbon-tax

https://www.taxpayer.com/petitions/stop-trudeau-s-second-carbon-tax

Waste Watch – B.C. Bureaucrat Blows $500,000

A bureaucrat in the Kamloops area blew more than half a million dollars on hotels, fancy food, booze and jewellery, and no politicians cared until he got caught.

Kris stays to talk about the scandalous spending with Renaud, and the need for more accountability tools at the municipal level.

Link: https://www.taxpayer.com/newsroom/spending-scandal-shows-need-for-municipal-auditor-general

SIGN the PETITIONS: https://www.taxpayer.com/petitions/give-b.c.-cities-a-municipal-auditor-general

https://www.taxpayer.com/petitions/city-hall-recall

Like this show? Subscribe and give us 5-stars!

This podcast is brought to you by the Canadian Taxpayers Federation, Canada’s premier grassroots advocacy group pushing for lower taxes, less waste and accountable governments. Sign-up as a Canadian Taxpayers Federation supporter at no-charge TODAY: https://www.taxpayer.com/join.

News at the Top – Gun Ban Gets More Expensive (and Weird)

The Trudeau government has officially introduced legislation to spend hundreds of millions to ban some guns, but there’s no evidence this move will make Canadians any safer.

Our B.C. Director Kris Sims and Prairie Director Todd MacKay break down the impact this will have on taxpayer’s wallets, and the lives of legal gunowners.

Link: https://globalnews.ca/news/7642893/assault-rifle-buyback-program-canada/

SIGN THE PETITION: https://www.taxpayer.com/petitions/scrap-the-gun-ban-and-buy-backDeep Dive – Ontario Politicians Laugh About Pay Cuts

Ontario politicians laughed at the idea of cutting salaries for politicians.

Our Ontario Director Jasmine Moulton discusses this flagrant disrespect for taxpayers with our Alberta Director Franco Terrazzano.

Links: https://www.durhamradionews.com/archives/133413

https://www.secondstreet.org/2020/08/26/the-last-government-pay-cut/

Waste Watch – Navy Ships Billions Overbudget

New ships for the Canadian Navy were supposed to cost $26 billion. But now, they’re going to cost at least $77 billion, and be at least five years late.

Our Federal Director Aaron Wudrick talks about the debacle with our Quebec Director Renaud Brossard.

Link: https://ottawacitizen.com/news/national/defence-watch/cost-of-canadian-navy-warship-program-jumps-to-77-billion-says-pbo

Like this show? Subscribe and give us 5-stars!

This podcast is brought to you by the Canadian Taxpayers Federation, Canada’s premier grassroots advocacy group pushing for lower taxes, less waste and accountable governments. Sign-up as a Canadian Taxpayers Federation supporter at no-charge TODAY: https://www.taxpayer.com/join.

We've got an important interview for you. Darryl Plecas is a former Member of the Legislative Assembly of British Columbia for Abbotsford South from 2013 to 2020, and served as Speaker of the Legislative Assembly of British Columbia from 2017 to 2020.

He blew the whistle on bizarre and questionable spending by staff in the B.C. Legislative Assembly, with a series of bombshell reports sparking resignations and ongoing change in Victoria.

Our B.C. Director Kris Sims spoke with him about the reports, and what changes should be made in the B.C. Legislative Assembly for full transparency.

The Canadian Taxpayers Federation has called for further transparency by making all employees at the legislature subject to freedom of information requests, and requiring all expenditures using taxpayers’ money to be publicly posted online.

You can learn more here: https://www.taxpayer.com/newsroom/b.c.-legislature-takes-step-towards-accountability

Like this show? Subscribe and give us 5-stars!

This podcast is brought to you by the Canadian Taxpayers Federation, Canada’s premier grassroots advocacy group pushing for lower taxes, less waste and accountable governments. Sign-up as a Canadian Taxpayers Federation supporter at no-charge TODAY: https://www.taxpayer.com/join.

News at the Top – Cut Off Governors General

The Canadian Taxpayers Federation has talked a lot about the expenses and pensions for retired governor generals. We even have a petition running calling on the federal government to scrap those benefits.

Well, Ipsos Public Affairs did a poll, and it turn out most Canadians agree with us. Our B.C Director Kris Sims and Federal Director Aaron Wudrick talk about the results.

Link: https://globalnews.ca/news/7634565/julie-payette-resignation-expenses/

SIGN THE PETITION: https://www.taxpayer.com/petitions/cut-off-expenses-when-a-governor-general-leaves-office

Deep Dive – Wealth Tax Will Backfire

Ottawa is spending a lot of money these days. The Liberals have said they won’t be raising taxes to pay for all of it, while the NDP is calling on them to make “the rich pay for the recovery” with a wealth tax.

Our Ontario Director Jasmine Moulton and our Alberta Director Franco Terrazzano discuss that self-defeating idea.

Links: https://www.taxpayer.com/newsroom/taxpayers-wealth-taxes-don%E2%80%99t-work

http://www.taxpayer.com/media/CTF_wealth_tax_report.pdf

Waste Watch – Montreal Buys Snow?

Would Vancouver spend money to get more rain? Or Regina use taxpayer’s cash to get more wind? Well, at least one city in Canada would try something like that, with Montreal laying down $63,000 for snow in the middle of winter.

Our Quebec Director Renaud Brossard talks about the head-scratching purchase with Prairie Director Todd MacKay.

Link: https://www.taxpayer.com/newsroom/montreal-borough-spent-63,000-on-snowmaking-equipment-rental?id=18921

Like this show? Subscribe and give us 5-stars!

This podcast is brought to you by the Canadian Taxpayers Federation, Canada’s premier grassroots advocacy group pushing for lower taxes, less waste and accountable governments. Sign-up as a Canadian Taxpayers Federation supporter at no-charge TODAY: https://www.taxpayer.com/join.

News at the Top – Bell Cuts Jobs While Taking Wage Subsidy

The federal government has been giving wage subsidies to businesses as part of its pandemic response, but some of these companies are taking the cash, increasing dividends, then turning around and firing their employees.

Ontario Director Jasmine Moulton and B.C. Director Kris Sims talked about what impact the company’s cuts will have across Canada.

Link: https://www.billboard.com/articles/news/international/9520619/canada-bell-media-layoffs-radio/

Deep Dive – National Debt Ballooning

The national debt is rapidly expanding. Our Quebec Director Renaud Brossard and our Federal Director Aaron Wudrick discussed the long-term impacts of that debt, which was recently analyzed by the Fraser Institute.

Link: https://www.fraserinstitute.org/sites/default/files/growing-debt-burden-for-canadians-2021.pdf

Waste Watch – Trudeau’s Trees Getting Expensive

The Trudeau government promised to spend $3 billion to plant trees.

Turns out, that promise was low-balling the cost, and the entire project will go overbudget by nearly another $3 billion. Renaud stays on to talk about the pricy tree project with Alberta Director Franco Terrazano.

Link: https://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/pbo-two-billion-trees-1.5892056

Like this show? Subscribe and give us 5-stars!

This podcast is brought to you by the Canadian Taxpayers Federation, Canada’s premier grassroots advocacy group pushing for lower taxes, less waste and accountable governments. Sign-up as a Canadian Taxpayers Federation supporter at no-charge TODAY: https://www.taxpayer.com/join.

News at the Top – Fighting for Pipelines in Court

We head to the Alberta Court of Appeal to fight Trudeau’s Bill C-69, better known as the No More Pipelines Law.

Our Alberta Director Franco Terrazano and our Federal Director Aaron Wudrick talk about how much money Canadians are losing due to a lack of pipeline capacity.

Link: https://torontosun.com/opinion/columnists/wudrick-and-terrazzano-taxpayers-are-losing-billions-without-pipelines?utm_source=Action+Updates&utm_campaign=48a8c46bc4-MC_g_FightBillC69_020520&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_59605796e2-48a8c46bc4-35402461

Deep Dive – Government Childcare a Pricey Proposal

With speculation flying about a national childcare program, B.C. Director Kris Sims and Quebec Director Renaud Brossard talk about the potential price tag for a national government childcare program.

Link: https://ipolitics.ca/2020/10/08/quebecs-auditor-general-flags-daycare-shortage-lack-of-access-to-family-doctors/

Waste Watch – Ontario’s French University Flops

The Ontario and federal governments recently launched Université de l'Ontario français – Ontario’s new French university.

With only a handful of applicants, the project could cost taxpayers at least $400,000 per student. Renaud stays on to break down the expensive failure with our Ontario Director, Jasmine Moulton.

Link: https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/toronto/ontario-french-university-applications-1.5884181

Like this show? Subscribe and give us 5-stars!

This podcast is brought to you by the Canadian Taxpayers Federation, Canada’s premier grassroots advocacy group pushing for lower taxes, less waste and accountable governments. Sign-up as a Canadian Taxpayers Federation supporter at no-charge TODAY: https://www.taxpayer.com/join.

News at the Top – Fighting Against Equalization

We just launched the Fight Equalization campaign. Everyone across Canada, should mark their calendars for Oct. 18, 2021, as Albertans vote on the future of equalization.

Our Alberta Director Franco Terrazano and our Quebec Director Renaud Brossard discuss our campaign, and what happens next.

Link: https://fightequalization.ca/

Deep Dive – Explaining the Great Reset

There’s been a lot of chatter about what the “Great Reset” is, so we brought in our Ontario Director Jasmine Moulton and our Federal Director Aaron Wudrick to break it all down.

Link: https://torontosun.com/opinion/furey-trudeaus-economic-statement-is-all-about-the-great-reset

https://www.macleans.ca/politics/ottawa/the-great-reset-is-mostly-just-liberals-blowing-off-steam-mostly/

https://www.weforum.org/great-reset/

Waste Watch – Governor Generals Billing Us Beyond the Grave

Our very own investigative journalist, James Wood, is back this week with an exclusive about the taxpayer-funded expense account for governor generals. As it turns out, the bills run into the afterlife!

Link: https://www.taxpayer.com/newsroom/former-governor-generals-allowed-to-bill-canadians-beyond-the-grave?id=18875

Like this show? Subscribe and give us 5-stars!

This podcast is brought to you by the Canadian Taxpayers Federation, Canada’s premier grassroots advocacy group pushing for lower taxes, less waste and accountable governments. Sign-up as a Canadian Taxpayers Federation supporter at no-charge TODAY: https://www.taxpayer.com/join.

We've got an important interview for you. Ted Morton is a former Alberta finance minister, and a senior fellow at The School of Public Policy, University of Calgary, and at the Manning Centre for Building Democracy.

Our Alberta Director Franco Terrazano spoke with him about the unfair impact of equalization on the Alberta economy, and the upcoming provincial referendum on equalization.

The Canadian Taxpayers Federation has launched the Fight Equalization campaign to oppose equalization in that provincial referendum, which being held on Oct. 18, 2021.

You can learn more here: https://fightequalization.ca/

And here: https://sutherlandhousebooks.com/project/moment-of-truth/

Like this show? Subscribe and give us 5-stars!

This podcast is brought to you by the Canadian Taxpayers Federation, Canada’s premier grassroots advocacy group pushing for lower taxes, less waste and accountable governments. Sign-up as a Canadian Taxpayers Federation supporter at no-charge TODAY: https://www.taxpayer.com/join.

News at the Top – Payette Getting Paid for Life

Former Governor General Julie Payette is still eligible for a $200,000-expense account and that needs to end.

Our B.C. Director Kris Sims breaks down the whole mess with Federal Director Aaron Wudrick.

Link: https://ottawacitizen.com/opinion/columnists/egan-royal-rip-off-departing-gg-worked-40-months-gets-150k-pension-for-life

Deep Dive – Trudeau’s Second Carbon Tax

Everyone has heard about the prime minister’s carbon tax, which will be going up by about 467 per cent by 2030.

He also buried a second carbon tax within so-called clean fuel regulations?

Our Alberta Director Franco Terrazzano joins Kris to go through all the regulations.

Link: https://www.ctvnews.ca/politics/feds-criticized-for-clean-fuel-rules-that-hit-poorest-households-hardest-1.5241982

SIGN THE PETITION: https://www.taxpayer.com/petitions/scrap-the-federal-carbon-tax

Waste Watch – Costa Rica Vacation Costs Revealed

Back in 2019, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau took his family to Costa Rica. Our investigative reporter James Wood dug up the price tag for that vacation travel, and it wasn’t cheap.

Link: https://www.taxpayer.com/newsroom/trudeau%E2%80%99s-2019-tropical-family-vacation-cost-taxpayers-nearly-200,000?id=18877

Like this show? Subscribe and give us 5-stars!

This podcast is brought to you by the Canadian Taxpayers Federation, Canada’s premier grassroots advocacy group pushing for lower taxes, less waste and accountable governments. Sign-up as a Canadian Taxpayers Federation supporter at no-charge TODAY: https://www.taxpayer.com/join.

We've got an important interview for you. Brian Sauvé is the president of the National Police Federation and that's the union that represents the RCMP.

We asked him to join us because we have questions about the federal policy to ban and buy back hundreds of guns and types of guns, and the NPF has publicly come out in opposition to that policy.

Our Vice President of Communications, Todd MacKay, spoke with Sauvé.

You can sign the PETITION calling on the federal government to scrap the buyback here: https://www.taxpayer.com/petitions/scrap-the-gun-ban-and-buy-back

Like this show? Subscribe and give us 5-stars!

This podcast is brought to you by the Canadian Taxpayers Federation, Canada’s premier grassroots advocacy group pushing for lower taxes, less waste and accountable governments. Sign-up as a Canadian Taxpayers Federation supporter at no-charge TODAY: https://www.taxpayer.com/join.

News at the Top – Trudeau Raising Taxes (Again)

The taxpayer takeaway for 2021: you’re going to be paying more, not less.

Federal Director Aaron Wudrick tells Alberta Director Franco Terrazano about the incoming tax hikes on alcohol, Netflix, paycheques, and of course, the carbon tax.

SIGN THE PETITION: https://www.taxpayer.com/petitions/scrap-the-federal-carbon-tax

Deep Dive – Canada Fails on Transparency

Our Quebec Director Renaud Brossard explains to Ontario Director Jasmine Moulton how Canada fell behind Russia, Pakistan, and South Sudan in the rankings for best transparency laws.

Links: https://www.taxpayer.com/newsroom/trudeau-is-failing-to-meet-his-own-government-transparency-standards?id=18808

https://ca.news.yahoo.com/liberals-trying-balance-transparency-pm-154000384.html

https://www.rti-rating.org/

SIGN THE PETITION:

Waste Watch – Ontario Health Executives Get Big Payouts

Jasmine Moulton, stays on for a crazy story about Ontario health bureaucrats who travelled while we’re all told to stay at home and now they’re in line for seven-figure severance payouts from taxpayers.

Link: https://www.taxpayer.com/newsroom/taxpayers-federation-slams-1-million-severance-payout-to-former-hospital-ceo?id=18854

Like this show? Subscribe and give us 5-stars!

This podcast is brought to you by the Canadian Taxpayers Federation, Canada’s premier grassroots advocacy group pushing for lower taxes, less waste and accountable governments. Sign-up as a Canadian Taxpayers Federation supporter at no-charge TODAY: https://www.taxpayer.com/join.

News at the Top – Alberta Rolling Out Recall Legislation

After a wave of bad press for Alberta Premier Jason Kenney over travelling MLAs and government staff, recall legislation is back on the table. Alberta Director Franco Terrazano tells Todd MacKay about the proposition.

Link: https://edmontonsun.com/opinion/columnists/guest-column-sun-soaked-vacations-show-why-albertans-need-recall-legislation

SIGN THE PETITION: https://www.taxpayer.com/petitions/mla-recall-in-alberta

Deep Dive – Magic Carbon Tax Math

Franco stays on to speak with Ontario Director Jasmine Moulton, about a new report from the federal government that undermines the line Ottawa’s key carbon tax line: that it would put more money back in our pockets.

Turns out, it wasn’t even close.

Link: https://www.taxpayer.com/newsroom/carbon-tax-not-revenue-neutral-last-year?id=

SIGN THE PETITION: https://www.taxpayer.com/petitions/scrap-the-federal-carbon-tax

Waste Watch – Montreal Pays for Snow

The average person would think Montreal gets more than enough snow without their local government blowing taxpayers money on snowmaking equipment. Yet that’s exactly what the city did over the holidays. Our Quebec Director Renaud Brossard breaks it down for Todd.

Links: https://twitter.com/renaudbrossard/status/1344018875223068679?s=21

Like this show? Subscribe and give us 5-stars!

This podcast is brought to you by the Canadian Taxpayers Federation, Canada’s premier grassroots advocacy group pushing for lower taxes, less waste and accountable governments. Sign-up as a Canadian Taxpayers Federation supporter at no-charge TODAY: https://www.taxpayer.com/join.

As we head into 2021, Todd MacKay took some time to talk to CTF President Scott Hennig about 2020.

It was an eventful year, to say the least. They break down some of the wins, and some of the losses, and lay out what the CTF will be tackling next.

For those wanting to know more, we have links to the topics discussed below:

1 Politician Pay Cuts, Power Grabs, and Gold in a Creek

9 Meghan and Harry’s Security Bills Released, Charmaine Stick’s Case Back in Court, and Quebec Government Pays Severance for Lobbyists

4 VICTORY – 18% Mask Tariffs Dropped, Two Thirds of Canadians Want MPs to Cut Their Pay, Trudeau’s Gun Ban and Buyback, Corrupt Mayor Makes Off Like Bandit, and Former MP Michelle Simson Interview about MP Pay and Transparency

19 INTERVIEW Cassandra Parker on Gun Buyback

26 Throne Speech Spending Spree, Trudeau’s Secret Second Carbon Tax, and Vancouver City Hall Splurges on Fancy Chairs

Like this show? Subscribe and give us 5-stars!

This podcast is brought to you by the Canadian Taxpayers Federation, Canada’s premier grassroots advocacy group pushing for lower taxes, less waste and accountable governments. Sign-up as a Canadian Taxpayers Federation supporter at no-charge TODAY: https://www.taxpayer.com/join.

We gave our team a little bit of time off this week, so we put together a best of Waste Watch for you to listen to.

Now take it easy, be careful with your heart rate on this stuff. It can put up the blood pressure.

Try to think of it as kind of funny, but also motivation to get back into the fight in the new year.

For those wanting to know more, we have links to the full episodes we pulled from below:

#23 Canada’s Credit Rating Falls, Bureaucrat Salaries Need to Shrink and Taxpayers Pay for Rock Star Photos and Sex Toy Exhibit

#33 The Mystery of Money-Losing Timmies, Access to Information Shutdown, and Rideau Hall Renovation Costs Skyrocket

#27 Trudeau Tosses His Fiscal Anchors, Ford Gets Taxpayer Money to CUT Jobs, and Tesla’s Crappy Car Nets Big Subsidies

#31 Canada’s Deficit the Biggest in the World, Alberta and Quebec Agree C-69 is Bad, and Quebec Keeps Crashing Ships into Docks

#38 MPs Stop Taking Our Lunch Money, Messy Military Purchases Cost Billions, and Millions Thrown Away on Failed Security Seat Campaign

Like this show? Subscribe and give us 5-stars!

This podcast is brought to you by the Canadian Taxpayers Federation, Canada’s premier grassroots advocacy group pushing for lower taxes, less waste and accountable governments. Sign-up as a Canadian Taxpayers Federation supporter at no-charge TODAY: https://www.taxpayer.com/join.

News at the Top – Debt Clock Officially Broken

The CTF needs a new Debt Clock after federal debt officially surpassed a trillion. Our Aaron Wudrick talks to Todd MacKay about showcasing that debt on Parliament Hill.

Link: https://www.blacklocks.ca/need-a-13-digit-debt-clock/

HELP US GET A NEW DEBT CLOCK: https://www.taxpayer.com/donate/trudeau-broke-the-debt-clock

Deep Dive – Our Naughty and Nice List

We’re releasing a Naughty and Nice List, full of politicians that either get caught dipping their hands in the taxpayer-cookie jar or have done good work for taxpayers. Kris Sims and Franco Terrazano break it all down for us.

Link: http://www.taxpayer.com/media/2020-CTF-Naughty-Nice-List.pdf

Waste Watch – Quebec Subsidized Porn

Quebec taxpayers found out that they have been subsidizing pornographic giant Mindgeek, owner of Pornhub, to the tune of nearly $200,000 over the last decade. Our Quebec Director Renaud Brossard tells the story.

Links: https://www.journaldequebec.com/2020/12/21/quebec-a-verse-100000--a-un-site-de-pornographie

https://www.journaldequebec.com/2020/12/21/les-impots-des-quebecois-ne-doivent-pas-financer-la-porno-dit-christine-st-pierre

Like this show? Subscribe and give us 5-stars!

This podcast is brought to you by the Canadian Taxpayers Federation, Canada’s premier grassroots advocacy group pushing for lower taxes, less waste and accountable governments. Sign-up as a Canadian Taxpayers Federation supporter at no-charge TODAY: https://www.taxpayer.com/join.

Alberta MLA Drew Barnes is calling on “all Alberta politicians, including Alberta’s 34 members of Parliament, to take an immediate 20 per cent pay reduction.”

Our Alberta Director Franco Terrazano interviewed Barnes.

You can sign the PETITION calling on politicians to take pay cuts here: https://www.taxpayer.com/petitions/top-bureaucrats-need-to-take-a-20-per-cent-pay-cut

Read the Op-Eds: https://calgarysun.com/opinion/columnists/guest-opinion-more-ucp-mlas-need-to-speak-out-against-a-pst

https://edmontonsun.com/opinion/columnists/amidst-another-lockdown-albertas-politicians-need-to-take-a-pay-cut

Like this show? Subscribe and give us 5-stars!

This podcast is brought to you by the Canadian Taxpayers Federation, Canada’s premier grassroots advocacy group pushing for lower taxes, less waste and accountable governments. Sign-up as a Canadian Taxpayers Federation supporter at no-charge TODAY: https://www.taxpayer.com/join.

News at the Top – Deficit Skyrocketing Once Again

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is spending about $1.8 billion every single day. Ontario Director Jasmine Moulton and Quebec Director Renaud Brossard talk about what that does to our national debt.

Link: https://nationalpost.com/pmn/health-pmn/canada-projects-bigger-deficit-borrowing-to-top-c1-trillion-3

Deep Dive – Feds Lied About Carbon Tax Rise

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s illegal carbon tax is currently $30 per tonne and he just announced it’s going all the way up to $170 per tonne. Our Federal Director Aaron Wudrick and Alberta Director Franco Terrazano talk about how this will impact Canadian wallets.

Link: https://globalnews.ca/news/7515981/canada-climate-change-plan-justin-trudeau/

SIGN THE PETITION: https://www.taxpayer.com/petitions/scrap-ottawas-illegal-carbon-tax

SEND TRUDEAU A MESSAGE: https://pm.gc.ca/en/connect/contact

Waste Watch – Infrastructure Bank CEO Exit Cost Hundreds of Thousands

The Canadian Infrastructure Bank billed Canadians hundreds of thousands as their former CEO left in April, on top of paying out millions in termination costs in the last budget year. Our investigative reporter James Wood talks to Aaron about the exclusive story.

Link: https://www.taxpayer.com/newsroom/canada-infrastructure-bank-spent-hundreds-of-thousands-of-dollars-on-ceo-exit?id=18781

Like this show? Subscribe and give us 5-stars!

This podcast is brought to you by the Canadian Taxpayers Federation, Canada’s premier grassroots advocacy group pushing for lower taxes, less waste and accountable governments. Sign-up as a Canadian Taxpayers Federation supporter at no-charge TODAY: https://www.taxpayer.com/join.

News at the Top – How High Can Carbon Taxes Go?

Just how high can carbon taxes go? Our Alberta Director Franco Terrazano and our B.C. Director Kris Sims go through the impending damage to your bank account.

Link: https://www.reddeeradvocate.com/opinion/second-carbon-tax-will-be-a-disaster/

https://torontosun.com/opinion/editorials/editorial-ready-for-a-300-carbon-tax

SIGN the PETITION: https://www.taxpayer.com/petitions/stop-trudeau-s-second-carbon-tax

Deep Dive – Trudeau Broke Our Debt Clock

The Trudeau government has officially broken our debt clock. Our Federal Director Aaron Wudrick breaks down what it all means with Franco.

Link: https://financialpost.com/opinion/aaron-wudrick-need-money-ottawa-rationalize-procurement

HELP US GET A NEW DEBT CLOCK: https://www.taxpayer.com/donate/trudeau-broke-the-debt-clock

Waste Watch – Corporate Welfare A World Away

The Trudeau government sent $13 million in corporate welfare to a start up company in Kenya. Two days later, that company fired 150 employees. Aaron stays on to talk about this colossal waste of money with Todd MacKay.

Link: https://www.blacklocks.ca/feds-creating-jobs-in-kenya/

Like this show? Subscribe and give us 5-stars!

This podcast is brought to you by the Canadian Taxpayers Federation, Canada’s premier grassroots advocacy group pushing for lower taxes, less waste and accountable governments. Sign-up as a Canadian Taxpayers Federation supporter at no-charge TODAY: https://www.taxpayer.com/join.

News at the Top – The Great Reset Canada Really Needs

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has been talking about a great reset, but Canada needs a different reset. Ontario Director Jasmine Moulton talks about the idea with Alberta Director Franco Terrazano.

Links: https://www.macleans.ca/politics/ottawa/the-great-reset-is-mostly-just-liberals-blowing-off-steam-mostly/

Deep Dive – Alberta’s Cutting Government Pay

In Alberta, Premier Jason Kenney’s UCP government is trying to do something government rarely does: cut its own pay. Franco talks about the challenge with our Federal Director, Aaron Wudrick.

Link: https://edmontonjournal.com/news/local-news/alberta-government-asks-civil-servants-to-take-four-per-cent-pay-cut

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/apr/15/jacinda-ardern-and-ministers-take-20-pay-cut-in-solidarity-with-those-hit-by-covid-19

https://www.secondstreet.org/2020/08/26/the-last-government-pay-cut/

Waste Watch – Feds Pay for Art in Empty Offices

The CRTC spent close to $9,000 on art for its Gatineau headquarters, even though most of the staff had been sent to work from home. Our investigative reporter James Wood talks about the odd purchase with B.C. Director Kris Sims.

Link: https://www.taxpayer.com/newsroom/broadcasting-regulator-paid-nearly-9,000-to-hang-art-in-empty-office?id=18750

Like this show? Subscribe and give us 5-stars!

This podcast is brought to you by the Canadian Taxpayers Federation, Canada’s premier grassroots advocacy group pushing for lower taxes, less waste and accountable governments. Sign-up as a Canadian Taxpayers Federation supporter at no-charge TODAY: https://www.taxpayer.com/join.

Millions of Canadians are struggling with job losses and pay cuts, but what about government employees? We interview SecondStreet.org’s Colin Craig about his latest report: The Last Government Pay Cut. SecondStreet.org asked governments to show when the last time they cut bureaucrats’ salaries.

The answers are oddly surprising and predictable at the same time.

The report is available here: https://www.secondstreet.org/2020/08/26/the-last-government-pay-cut/

Like this show? Subscribe and give us 5-stars!

This podcast is brought to you by the Canadian Taxpayers Federation, Canada’s premier grassroots advocacy group pushing for lower taxes, less waste and accountable governments. Sign-up as a Canadian Taxpayers Federation supporter at no-charge TODAY: https://www.taxpayer.com/join.

News at the Top – Driving Taxes

Vancouver is studying expensive new driving taxes and tolls while Alberta is eying toll roads across the province. Alberta Director Franco Terrazano and B.C. Director Kris Sims talk about the possible cash grabs.

Links: https://www.660citynews.com/2020/11/06/toll-roads-rolling-into-alberta-with-lots-of-comparisons-across-the-country/

https://www.citynews1130.com/2020/10/28/proposed-tolls-vancouver/

Interview with the head of Canadian for Affordable Energy, on Trudeau’s second carbon tax: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5WXNxlBDWyU&t=1s

Deep Dive – Netflix and Bills

Ottawa is working on a Netflix tax to force taxpayers to pay for content they don’t actually want. Federal Director Aaron Wudrick and Ontario Director Jasmine Moulton break it all down.

Link: https://www.rcinet.ca/en/2020/11/04/new-broadcast-law-to-deal-with-netflix-spotify-other-streaming-services/

Waste Watch – Costs Spike for Meghan and Harry

We found out that the bill for Meghan Markle and Prince Harry’s RCMP protection during their Canadian stay has gone up by tens of thousands of dollars, and it’s only going up from here.

Link: https://www.taxpayer.com/newsroom/rcmp-bill-for-meghan-and-harry-rises-to-93,000?id=18740

Like this show? Subscribe and give us 5-stars!

This podcast is brought to you by the Canadian Taxpayers Federation, Canada’s premier grassroots advocacy group pushing for lower taxes, less waste and accountable governments. Sign-up as a Canadian Taxpayers Federation supporter at no-charge TODAY: https://www.taxpayer.com/join.

News at the Top – Big Win for CTF on Calgary Mayor’s Double Pension

Calgary council finally ended the mayor’s second pension.

Links: https://www.taxpayer.com/media/PolicyBrief%E2%80%93CalgaryPension.pdf

https://www.thestar.com/calgary/2018/06/13/taxpayers-group-calls-on-calgary-city-council-to-rein-in-golden-pension-plan.html

Deep Dive – The Cost of COVID Rises

The average family of four’s share of the federal debt is now $100,000 and it’s only going up from here. Federal Director Aaron Wudrick and Ontario Director Jasmine Moulton break down the looming debt crisis.

Link: https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2020/11/covid-19-has-countries-borrowing-money-just-about-as-quickly-as-they-can-print-it

Waste Watch – Québec Bureaucrat Blows a Bundle on a Car Rental

The CEO of Investissement Québec spent $1,500 on a mystery car rental for one day. To put that in perspective: He could have rented two Ferraris and saved money. To put that in even better perspective: Alberta Director Franco Terrazano’s first car cost $1,500.

Link: https://www.taxpayer.com/newsroom/quebec-taxpayers-reimbursed-investissement-qu%C3%A9bec-ceo-guy-leblanc-1,500-for-a-one-day-car-rental?id=18736

Like this show? Subscribe and give us 5-stars!

This podcast is brought to you by the Canadian Taxpayers Federation, Canada’s premier grassroots advocacy group pushing for lower taxes, less waste and accountable governments. Sign-up as a Canadian Taxpayers Federation supporter at no-charge TODAY: https://www.taxpayer.com/join.

News at the Top – Governments Losing Money Selling Timmies

It turns out, governments are bad at selling coffee and donuts. In fact, they’re losing millions of dollars doing it, according to a new report from SecondStreet.org. In Alberta, the province is getting local businesses involved with food service in hospitals instead.

Links: https://www.secondstreet.org/2020/10/22/report-provincial-health-care-systems-bleeding-millions-through-cafeterias/

https://calgarysun.com/opinion/columnists/guest-opinion-taxpayers-should-be-complaining-not-union-bosses

Deep Dive – Access to Information Shutdown

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has promised to improve Canada’s access to information system, and never made the changes that would actually help. COVID-19 has only made things worse. The CTF’s investigative reporter James Wood talks to B.C. Director Kris Sims about the current situation.

Link: https://www.winnipegfreepress.com/canada/freedom-of-information-requests-languish-in-ottawa-572824952.html

Waste Watch – Rideau Hall Renovation Costs Skyrocket

Renovation costs for Governor General Julie Payette’s house in Ottawa are actually twice as high as previously reported, and she still hasn’t moved into the place. We have the exclusive story.

Link: https://www.taxpayer.com/newsroom/new-costs-push-governor-general-julie-payette%E2%80%99s-home-renovation-bill-to-502,395?id=18718

Like this show? Subscribe and give us 5-stars!

This podcast is brought to you by the Canadian Taxpayers Federation, Canada’s premier grassroots advocacy group pushing for lower taxes, less waste and accountable governments. Sign-up as a Canadian Taxpayers Federation supporter at no-charge TODAY: https://www.taxpayer.com/join.

We interview Neal Winokur who wrote the book entitled The Grumpy Accountant - One Fed-Up Tax Pro's Practical Plan to Fix Canada's Senselessly Complicated Tax System.

Yes, the book is packed with tax information, but it’s also uproariously funny.

The book is available here: https://www.amazon.ca/Grumpy-Accountant-Practical-Senselessly-Complicated/dp/1777226406

Like this show? Subscribe and give us 5-stars!

This podcast is brought to you by the Canadian Taxpayers Federation, Canada’s premier grassroots advocacy group pushing for lower taxes, less waste and accountable governments. Sign-up as a Canadian Taxpayers Federation supporter at no-charge TODAY: https://www.taxpayer.com/join.

The Grumpy Accountant: One Fed-Up Tax Pro's Practical Plan to Fix Canada's Senselessly Complicated Tax System

News at the Top – Canada’s Deficit the Biggest in the World

The news is officially bad: Canada’s government is spending more money than any other time in our history. Todd MacKay and B.C Director Kris Sims talk about the warnings from economist Jack Mintz.

Link: https://financialpost.com/opinion/jack-m-mintz-in-government-spending-and-deficits-were-now-no-1-in-the-world

Deep Dive – Alberta and Quebec Agree C-69 is Bad

Alberta and Quebec agree on something: they’re both against Bill C-69, better known as the “No More Pipelines Law.” Alberta Director Franco Terrazzano and Quebec Director Renaud Brossard unite to talk about the reasons behind the rare shared vision.

Links: https://www.theglobeandmail.com/opinion/article-what-national-unity-crisis-even-quebec-thinks-c-69-is-a-bad-bill/

Sign the PETITION: https://www.taxpayer.com/petitions/tell-ottawa-to-get-out-of-the-way-of-the-energy-sector

Waste Watch – Quebec Keeps Buying Broken Ships and Crashing Them into Docks

Maybe they need a new map? The Quebec government keeps crashing ships into docks and wasting taxpayers’ money. Todd MacKay and Renaud Brossard discuss the nautical nonsense.

Link: https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/montreal/quebec-ferry-whistleblowers-1.5283510

Like this show? Subscribe and give us 5-stars!

This podcast is brought to you by the Canadian Taxpayers Federation, Canada’s premier grassroots advocacy group pushing for lower taxes, less waste and accountable governments. Sign-up as a Canadian Taxpayers Federation supporter at no-charge TODAY: https://www.taxpayer.com/join.

News at the Top – Liberals Flip Table Over We Charity Scandal

Liberal MPs are shutting down committee meetings and filibustering to keep hundreds pages of blacked-out documents about the WE Charity scandal secret. Federal Director Aaron Wudrick breaks down some of the chaos.

Link: https://globalnews.ca/news/7402932/liberals-we-charity-scandal-2/

Deep Dive – Federal Greens Raise Destructive Death Taxes 6:51

The Green Party recently raised their proposal for a death tax in Parliament. Fun fact: It’s an idea so terrible that even Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau eliminated it when he was in office. Other countries are ditching it too.

Links: https://ottawasun.com/news/national/inheritance-tax-can-address-income-inequality-says-liberal-mp

https://www.investmentexecutive.com/newspaper_/news-newspaper/facing-deficit-grits-may-target-wealthy/

Waste Watch – Quebec Bills Taxpayers to Lobby Itself 18:56

The Quebec government gave $30,000 to a lobby group to produce a study to lobby the government. It’s bad enough when governments raise taxes. It’s even worse when the government makes taxpayers pay for lobbyists to tell the government to raise taxes. Our Quebec Director Renaud Brossard has the full story.

Link: https://www.taxpayer.com/newsroom/ministry-of-transportation-pays-30,000-to-lobby-ministry-of-transportation-for-new-and-higher-taxes?id=18659

Like this show? Subscribe and give us 5-stars!

This podcast is brought to you by the Canadian Taxpayers Federation, Canada’s premier grassroots advocacy group pushing for lower taxes, less waste and accountable governments. Sign-up as a Canadian Taxpayers Federation supporter at no-charge TODAY: https://www.taxpayer.com/join.

News at the Top – BC Liberals Looking at Ending ICBC, Chopping PST

With an election ongoing in British Columbia, the B.C. Liberals have made a pair of big promises. The first is to get rid of the PST for a year. The second? Get rid of the monopoly auto insurance dumpster fire. That promise has our B.C. Director Kris Sims excited.

Link: https://www.taxpayer.com/newsroom/taxpayers-support-promise-to-open-icbc-to-competition?id=18674

Sign the PETITION: https://www.taxpayer.com/petitions/open-icbc-to-competition

Deep Dive – Wealth Taxes Will Hurt Families

The NDP wants to create a new wealth tax that Trudeau would burn through in a week, and could have severe economic impacts that the government is not aware of. Our Ontario Director Jasmine Moulton dives into the impact of a massive tax on assets.

Links: https://www.pbo-dpb.gc.ca/en/blog/news/RP-2021-017-M--net-wealth-tax-canadian-resident-economic-families--impot-patrimoine-net-familles-economiques-residant-au-canada

https://financialpost.com/opinion/canada-doesnt-need-a-wealth-tax

Waste Watch – Julie Payette Breaks the Bank

Julie Payette got a $650,000 party when she was sworn in as Governor General, we all paid for it, and none of us were invited. We have all the details on the extravagant, over-budget affair.

Link: https://ottawacitizen.com/news/local-news/julie-payettes-swearing-in-ceremony-blew-past-its-pre-approved-budget-documents-show

Like this show? Subscribe and give us 5-stars!

This podcast is brought to you by the Canadian Taxpayers Federation, Canada’s premier grassroots advocacy group pushing for lower taxes, less waste and accountable governments. Sign-up as a Canadian Taxpayers Federation supporter at no-charge TODAY: https://www.taxpayer.com/join.

Dan McTeague, President of Canadians for Affordable Energy, talks about Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s proposed second carbon tax (the so-called Clean Fuel Standard).

Canadians for Affordable Energy calculates the second carbon tax will cost families $440/year, per employed person. That is on top of the current carbon tax, which is 6.7 cents per litre of gas and it’s set to increase to 12 cents by 2022.

Please sign the Canadian Taxpayers Federation PETITION to stop the second carbon tax: https://www.taxpayer.com/petitions/stop-trudeau-s-second-carbon-tax

Canadians for Affordable Energy study: http://www.affordableenergy.ca/an_in_depth_study_of_trudeau_s_second_carbon_tax

News at the Top – Trudeau Tosses His Fiscal Anchors

Canada is looking at a $1 trillion deficit, and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is shrugging off the debt like it’s no big deal. Credit ratings agencies tell a different, much more concerning story.

Link: https://www.bnnbloomberg.ca/moody-s-blackrock-seek-road-map-from-trudeau-for-canada-s-debt-1.1498340

Sign the PETITION: https://www.taxpayer.com/petitions/don%E2%80%99t-make-temporary-pandemic-spending-permanent

Deep Dive – Ford Gets Taxpayer Money to CUT Jobs 5:00

Both the federal and Ontario governments are getting ready to hand over $500 million to Ford Motor Company in corporate welfare, but 400 people will lose their jobs.

Links: https://www.theglobeandmail.com/business/article-unifor-contract-talks-with-fiat-chrysler-set-to-begin-this-week-after/

Waste Watch – Tesla’s Crappy Car Nets Big Subsidies 19:40

Tesla’s expensive cars didn’t qualify for subsidies so it made a crappier model and now collects millions. We have the exclusive story on the ridiculous spending.

Link: https://www.taxpayer.com/newsroom/tesla-takes-canadian-taxpayers-for-60-million-subsidy-ride?id=18673

Like this show? Subscribe and give us 5-stars!

This podcast is brought to you by the Canadian Taxpayers Federation, Canada’s premier grassroots advocacy group pushing for lower taxes, less waste and accountable governments. Sign-up as a Canadian Taxpayers Federation supporter at no-charge TODAY: https://www.taxpayer.com/join.

News at the Top – Throne Speech Spending Spree

Ottawa’s spending is full throttle in the throne speech. Plans to pay for all of that spending are entirely absent. We look at the scary prospect of skyrocketing debt.

Link: https://www.taxpayer.com/newsroom/taxpayers-federation-throne-speech-promises-risk-breaking-the-bank?id=18655

Sign the PETITION: https://www.taxpayer.com/petitions/don%E2%80%99t-make-temporary-pandemic-spending-permanent

Deep Dive – Trudeau’s Secret Second Carbon Tax 5:28

The carbon tax costs taxpayers a lot of money without helping the environment. Now the Trudeau government is reloading with a second carbon tax disguised as a fuel standard. Todd MacKay and Franco Terrazano discuss the incoming “Clean Fuel Standard”.

Link: https://nationalpost.com/opinion/john-ivison-get-ready-for-the-liberals-secret-new-carbon-tax

Sign the PETITION: https://www.taxpayer.com/petitions/stop-trudeau-s-second-carbon-tax

Waste Watch – Vancouver City Hall Splurges on Fancy Chairs 16:02

While publicly saying it was cash-strapped due to COVID-19, Vancouver’s city government decided to go on a shopping spree for fancy chairs. Kris Sims has the full story.

Link: https://globalnews.ca/news/7342076/vancouver-mayor-disappointed-high-end-furniture-purchase/

Like this show? Subscribe and give us 5-stars!

This podcast is brought to you by the Canadian Taxpayers Federation, Canada’s premier grassroots advocacy group pushing for lower taxes, less waste and accountable governments. Sign-up as a Canadian Taxpayers Federation supporter at no-charge TODAY: https://www.taxpayer.com/join.

News at the Top – Legal Fight for Health-Care Choice

British Columbia’s top court has ruled against private options for Canadian patients facing long wait times, but the fight isn’t over.

Link: https://www.yourhealthcantwait.ca/

Deep Dive – B.C. Carbon Tax Not Working (Again) 8:33

Despite rosy projections about the province’s carbon tax, British Columbia’s carbon emissions are going up. B.C. Director Kris Sims blows the whistle on rising emissions.

Link: https://www.taxpayer.com/newsroom/b.c.-emissions-up-despite-carbon-tax?id=18615

Sign the PETITION: https://www.taxpayer.com/petitions/scrap-the-federal-carbon-tax

Waste Watch – Corporate Welfare Refinery Fail 18:50

The Alberta government is losing a gamble with taxpayers’ money on a refinery and we’re reminding Premier Jason Kenny about his promises to do away with corporate welfare.

Link: https://www.policyschool.ca/news/morton-sturgeon-refinery-costs-continue-mount/

Sign the PETITION: https://www.taxpayer.com/petitions/end-corporate-welfare-in-alberta

Like this show? Subscribe and give us 5-stars!

News at the Top – Conservatives Pay Back Wage Subsidy

Erin O’Toole’s Conservatives are paying the federal wage subsidy as promised. Both the Liberals and the NDP need to follow suit.

Link: https://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/conservatives-liberals-ndp-wage-subsidy-pay-back-1.5711132

Sign the PETITION: https://www.taxpayer.com/petitions/political-parties-must-repay-wage-subsidies

Deep Dive – Road to Recovery Needs Tax Cuts 5:50

The federal government is spending $2 for every dollar it collects. Our federal director Aaron Wudrick outlines a framework Ottawa to get its spending under control and cut taxes.

Link: https://www.taxpayer.com/newsroom/in-the-tough-times-ahead,-what-is-trudeau-prepared-to-cut-?id=18570

Sign these PETITIONS:

https://www.taxpayer.com/petitions/cut-off-expenses-when-a-governor-general-leaves-office

https://www.taxpayer.com/petitions/scrap-the-federal-carbon-tax

Waste Watch – Bureaucrats Throw Themselves a Red-Carpet Gala 22:58

Shared Services Canada throw itself a fancy party and billed taxpayers more than $27,000 for the red-carpet gala. We have all the details.

Link to Written Report: https://www.taxpayer.com/newsroom/red-carpet-gala-for-federal-bureaucrats-cost-taxpayers-more-than-27,000?id=18633

Sign the PETITION: https://www.taxpayer.com/petitions/roll-up-the-red-carpet

Like this show? Subscribe and give us 5-stars!

This podcast is brought to you by the Canadian Taxpayers Federation, Canada’s premier grassroots advocacy group pushing for lower taxes, less waste and accountable governments. Sign-up as a Canadian Taxpayers Federation supporter at no-charge TODAY: https://www.taxpayer.com/join.

News at the Top – Canada’s Debt Level on the Rise

Canada got hit with a credit rating downgrade and we’re taking a look at the impact massive levels of government debt in the past.

Link to the Fitch Rating: https://www.fitchratings.com/research/sovereigns/canadas-growing-deficit-raises-fiscal-consolidation-risks-27-08-2020

Link to the Debt Clock: https://www.debtclock.ca/

Deep Dive – Bureaucrat Salaries Need to Shrink 7:10

Federal bureaucrats have never taken a pay cut. Now we have the biggest deficit in history. Federal Director Aaron Wudrick talks about the cost and next steps.

Link: https://www.taxpayer.com/newsroom/labour-day-reality-check-federal-government-should-target-15-and-15-reduction-for-employee-salary-costs?id=18585

Waste Watch – Taxpayers Pay for Rock Star Photos and Sex Toy Exhibit 17:21

The federal government spent thousands on a sex toy art show in Germany and a Bryan Adams photography show. Aaron Wudrick talks about the spending.

Sign the PETITION: https://www.taxpayer.com/petitions/abolish-the-mission-cultural-fund

Link to Written Story: https://www.taxpayer.com/newsroom/ottawa-funds-rock-star-photo-exhibit-and-double-masturbator-display?id=18600

Link to TV Story: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yGRQTy1kpMo

Link to Original Mission Cultural Fund Story: https://www.taxpayer.com/newsroom/global-affairs-defensive-as-cultural-fund-confirmed-to-be-overbudget,-burning-through-millions

Like this show? Subscribe and give us 5-stars!

This podcast is brought to you by the Canadian Taxpayers Federation, Canada’s premier grassroots advocacy group pushing for lower taxes, less waste and accountable governments. Sign-up as a Canadian Taxpayers Federation supporter at no-charge TODAY: https://www.taxpayer.com/join.

The Canadian Taxpayers Podcast sat down with Dr. Saqib Qureshi who just released a book entitled Broken Contract.

Dr. Qureshi argues that our current democracy doesn’t give enough power for the people and makes bold recommendations to strengthen accountability.

Dr. Qureshi’s book, Broken Contract, is available at this LINK.

Like this show? Subscribe and give us 5-stars!

This podcast is brought to you by the Canadian Taxpayers Federation, Canada’s premier grassroots advocacy group pushing for lower taxes, less waste and accountable governments. Sign-up as a Canadian Taxpayers Federation supporter at no-charge TODAY: https://www.taxpayer.com/join.

The Broken Contract: Making Our Democracies Accountable, Representative, and Less Wasteful

Please tell us what you think of the Canadian Taxpayers Podcast with this short survey: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/PodCast_Aug20

News at the Top – CERB Hurting Back-To-Work Efforts

The federal government is extending the Canadian Emergency Response Benefit, which is leaving businesses in the lurch when it comes to labour.

Link to Generation Screwed: http://www.generationscrewed.ca/

Link: https://calgaryherald.com/news/local-news/corbella-new-ei-program-a-disaster-for-canada-and-our-youth

Link to the Debt Clock: https://www.debtclock.ca/

Deep Dive – Morneau Jumps Ship 7:52

Bill Morneau is no longer Canada’s finance minister, and we’re taking the long view on the now-former minister’s legacy for taxpayers.

Link: https://www.taxpayer.com/newsroom/trudeau-spent-the-rainy-day-fund-while-the-sun-was-still-shining?id=

Waste Watch – Negotiation Bills Get Crazy 17:09

The Canadian Taxpayers Federation has learned that the Ontario government spent nearly a million dollars on meals and hotels during negotiations with education unions.

Link: https://www.taxpayer.com/newsroom/ontario-government-spent-nearly-1-million-on-hospitality-expenses-during-negotiations-with-education-unions?id=18552

Sign the PETITION: https://www.taxpayer.com/petitions/stop-being-bullied-by-teachers--union-bosses

Like this show? Subscribe and give us 5-stars!

Please tell us what you think of the Canadian Taxpayers Podcast with this short survey: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/PodCast_Aug20

News at the Top – An Apology and a Mystery

We reported that Infrastructure Minister Catherine McKenna had billed taxpayers for photographs posted to her Instagram account, but it turns out her staffer took the pictures, so we owe the minister an apology.

But… We have documents showing Global Affairs Canada spent thousands on photos of the minister at the United Nations. We’re looking into that mystery.

Link: The spending can be viewed on page 92 of this document.

Deep Dive - O’Toole’s Promises to Taxpayers 4:03

Erin O’Toole is the new Conservative Party leader. We break down his promises to taxpayers, including one he can deliver immediately.

Sign the PETITION to stop political parties from taking wage subsidies: https://www.taxpayer.com/petitions/political-parties-must-repay-wage-subsidies

Waste Watch - Governor General’s Costs Skyrocket 15:18

Recent news reports out of Ottawa have detailed massive waste under the current Governor General. However, this isn’t the first time the role has come into question for wasteful spending.

Link: https://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/governor-general-julie-payette-spending-security-1.5684453

Sign the PETITION: https://www.taxpayer.com/petitions/cut-off-expenses-when-a-governor-general-leaves-office

Like this show? Subscribe and give us 5-stars!

This podcast is brought to you by the Canadian Taxpayers Federation, Canada’s premier grassroots advocacy group pushing for lower taxes, less waste and accountable governments. Sign-up as a Canadian Taxpayers Federation supporter at no-charge TODAY: https://www.taxpayer.com/join.

Cassandra Parker owns a small business in Prince George, B.C., and she’s launched a legal challenge in the Federal Court against Ottawa’s gun ban and buyback. We’re supporting her in that fight, and recently sat down with her to talk about the issue.

Help support our court fight:https://www.taxpayer.com/donate/scrap-the-gun-ban-and-buy-back?id=18461

Sign the PETITION:https://www.taxpayer.com/petitions/scrap-the-gun-ban-and-buy-back

Like this show? Subscribe and give us 5-stars!

This podcast is brought to you by the Canadian Taxpayers Federation, Canada’s premier grassroots advocacy group pushing for lower taxes, less waste and accountable governments. Sign-up as a Canadian Taxpayers Federation supporter at no-charge TODAY: https://www.taxpayer.com/join.

News at the Top – Feds Spend Thousands on Harrington Lake Vanities

We have more exclusive information on the ridiculous spending on the prime minister’s cottage. The project, which is heading north of $10 million in cost, includes nearly $10,500 for a garden plan and thousands for pictures of a new farmhouse.

Link: https://www.taxpayer.com/newsroom/prime-minister%E2%80%99s-cottage-reno-includes-thousands-for-window-mock-ups,-planting-plans-and-photography?id=18553

Deep Dive – We Win on Judges’ Pay 6:40

The Canadian Taxpayers Federation won an important victory at the Supreme Court of Canada, which ruled politicians are ultimately responsible for spending taxpayers’ money, including spending on salaries for judges. Our legal eagle and federal director Aaron Wudrick talks about the case.

Link: https://www.taxpayer.com/newsroom/taxpayers-federation-applauds-supreme-court-decision-on-judges-pay

Waste Watch – Political Parties Head to the Trough, Again 21:20

Political parties in Canada have been quietly reaching into our back pockets and taking more tax dollars than they normally do. This time, they’re taking money meant for Canadians who are struggling with the pandemic shutdown. Our Alberta director Franco Terrazzano is here to talk about it.

Link: https://www.taxpayer.com/newsroom/political-parties-shouldn-t-be-taking-the-wage-subsidy?id=18427

Emails for political leaders:

Liberal Leader Justin Trudeau: justin.trudeau@parl.gc.ca

Conservative Leader Andrew Scheer: andrew.scheer@parl.gc.ca

NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh: jagmeet.singh@parl.gc.ca

Green Leader Elizabeth May: elizabeth.may@parl.gc.ca

You can also sign our PETITION and please share it with your contacts.

Like this show? Subscribe and give us 5-stars!

This podcast is brought to you by the Canadian Taxpayers Federation, Canada’s premier grassroots advocacy group pushing for lower taxes, less waste and accountable governments. Sign-up as a Canadian Taxpayers Federation supporter at no-charge TODAY: https://www.taxpayer.com/join.

The Canadian Taxpayers Podcast sat down with Preston Manning, one of the most well-known and influential politicians in Canada today.

Manning has a new book, which we discussed, as well as a range of topics from his time in office to his views on how to make this country better.

You can find the full interview above.

Preston Manning’s new book, Do Something!, is available at this LINK

Like this show? Subscribe and give us 5-stars!

This podcast is brought to you by the Canadian Taxpayers Federation, Canada’s premier grassroots advocacy group pushing for lower taxes, less waste and accountable governments. Sign-up as a Canadian Taxpayers Federation supporter at no-charge TODAY: https://www.taxpayer.com/join.

Do Something!: 365 Ways You Can Strengthen Canada

News at the Top – Trudeau’s WE Troubles Continue

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s WE Charity scandal is continuing to spiral, with Trudeau himself appearing before the powerful committee looking into the affair. We have the latest on the saga.

Ask the auditor general to investigate WE contracts by clicking this LINK.

Link: https://globalnews.ca/news/7242647/trudeau-we-charity/

Deep Dive – Harrington Lake Renovation Costs Soar 8:20

In an exclusive story to the Canadian Taxpayers Federation, the latest number for the rapidly rising cost of renovations at the prime minister’s Gatineau cottage have been revealed.

Link: https://www.taxpayer.com/newsroom/prime-minister%E2%80%99s-cottage-renos-cost-more-than-disclosed-to-parliament?id=18533

Waste Watch – Quebec Invests in Flying Whales? 18:04

Quebec’s provincial government is now the part owner of a business venture focused on … zeppelins. Our Quebec director Renaud Brossard explains.

Link: https://www.skiesmag.com/news/quebec-defends-30-million-flying-whales-investment/

Like this show? Subscribe and give us 5-stars!

This podcast is brought to you by the Canadian Taxpayers Federation, Canada’s premier grassroots advocacy group pushing for lower taxes, less waste and accountable governments. Sign-up as a Canadian Taxpayers Federation supporter at no-charge TODAY: https://www.taxpayer.com/join.

News at the Top – Ottawa Studies Home Tax

The federal government is spending $250,000 on a study that that includes the idea of a hitting people with taxes when they sell their homes.

The trial balloon didn’t last long and the Canadian Taxpayers Federation is committed to fighting back against any possible introduction of the zombie policy.

Link: https://www.taxpayer.com/petitions/no-home-equity-tax

Deep Dive – Atlantic Canada Has Tax Problems 5:55

When it comes to setting up a friendly environment for entrepreneurs, Atlantic provinces are playing catch-up with their American neighbours.

Link: https://www.taxpayer.com/newsroom/atlantic-canada-at-tax-disadvantage-compared-to-neighbouring-new-england-states?id=18517

Waste Watch – Catherine McKenna Spends Thousands on Photo Shoots 18:20

Infrastructure Minister Catherine McKenna has a habit of billing taxpayers for pictures of herself and we found yet another example from a trip to New York last year.

Like this show? Subscribe and give us 5-stars!

We Speak to Conservative Party Leadership Candidate Peter MacKay

Canadian Taxpayers sat down with Conservative Party of Canada leadership candidate Peter MacKay to talk about issues important to taxpayers.

We Speak to Conservative Party Leadership Candidate Erin O'Toole

Canadian Taxpayers sat down with Conservative Party of Canada leadership candidate Erin O'Toole to talk about issues important to taxpayers.

We Speak to Conservative Party Leadership Candidate Derek Sloan

Canadian Taxpayers sat down with Conservative Party of Canada leadership candidate Derek Sloan to talk about issues important to taxpayers.

We Speak to Conservative Party Leadership Candidate Leslyn Lewis

Canadian Taxpayers sat down with Conservative Party of Canada leadership candidate Leslyn Lewis to talk about issues important to taxpayers.

News at the Top – We Speak to the Conservative Party Leadership Candidates

This week, the Canadian Taxpayers Podcast is doing something a little different. We’re releasing separate episodes where we interview leadership candidates for the Conservative Party of Canada, and asked them about the carbon tax, the gun grab, and more.

We’re posting the interviews as sub-episodes to this week’s episode, so you can find them wherever you get your podcasts, on our main page or at the following links:

Leslyn Lewis: https://canadian-taxpayers-podcast.castos.com/episodes/141-interview-leslyn-lewis

Derek Sloan: https://canadian-taxpayers-podcast.castos.com/episodes/142-interview-derek-sloan

Erin O'Toole: https://canadian-taxpayers-podcast.castos.com/episodes/143-interview-erin-o39toole

Peter MacKay: https://canadian-taxpayers-podcast.castos.com/episodes/144-interview-peter-mackay

Like this show? Subscribe and give us 5-stars!

This podcast is brought to you by the Canadian Taxpayers Federation, Canada’s premier grassroots advocacy group pushing for lower taxes, less waste and accountable governments. Sign-up as a Canadian Taxpayers Federation supporter at no-charge TODAY: https://www.taxpayer.com/join.

News at the Top – WE Charity Scandal Deepens

Outrage over the prime minister’s ties to the WE Charity is growing. The Canadian Taxpayers Federation is calling for the auditor general to get involved.

Email auditor general Karen Hogan at: Karen.Hogan@oag-bvg.gc.ca

Link: https://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/conservatives-investigation-we-charity-controversy-1.5646823

Deep Dive – Canada’s Deficit Skyrockets 7:44

The federal government unveiled its fiscal snapshot last week, and it wasn’t pretty. Federal Director Aaron Wudrick talks about what the massive deficit will mean for the country.

Link: https://www.taxpayer.com/petitions/scrap-the-gun-ban-and-buy-back

Waste Watch – Health Canada Spends Big Bucks on Oatmeal Photos 20:14

Health Canada spent a pile of money on pictures of bananas, oatmeal, and a man skating with a helmet on, all to up their Instagram game.

Link: https://www.taxpayer.com/newsroom/health-canada-drops-11,100-on-instagram-photography?id=18498

Like this show? Subscribe and give us 5-stars!

This podcast is brought to you by the Canadian Taxpayers Federation, Canada’s premier grassroots advocacy group pushing for lower taxes, less waste and accountable governments. Sign-up as a Canadian Taxpayers Federation supporter at no-charge TODAY: https://www.taxpayer.com/join

News at the Top – Energy Heads East

Alberta oil is going to New Brunswick (through the Panama Canal). Canadian taxpayers are losing a lot of money because pipelines are being blocked. But there’s a bit of good news.

Link: https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/calgary/cenovus-oil-panama-canal-1.5635939

Deep Dive – We Join the Fight Against the Gun Ban 6:13

The Canadian Taxpayers Federation is joining the court battle against the Trudeau government’s gun ban and buyback.

Link: https://www.taxpayer.com/petitions/scrap-the-gun-ban-and-buy-back

Waste Watch – Ottawa’s Stinking Station Problem 19:45

Taxpayers can smell waste from a mile away. In this case, they’re smelling it right from the brand-new train stations built in Ottawa’s downtown core. And the city’s attempt to freshen things up was a complete failure.

Link: https://www.taxpayer.com/newsroom/scent-error-at-smelly-ottawa-transit-station-cost-600?id=18488

Like this show? Subscribe and give us 5-stars!

This podcast is brought to you by the Canadian Taxpayers Federation, Canada’s premier grassroots advocacy group pushing for lower taxes, less waste and accountable governments. Sign-up as a Canadian Taxpayers Federation supporter at no-charge TODAY: https://www.taxpayer.com/join.

News at the Top – CERB’s Unintended Consequences

Some governments are paying people to stay home while other governments pay them to go back to work and taxpayers are paying for all of it because Ottawa rubber stamped the extension of the Canada Emergency Response Benefit.

Link: https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/manitoba/pallister-employment-initiative-1.5623580

Deep Dive – Bombardier Back at the Public Trough 5:38

Bombardier and Mozambique have something in common and taxpayers should know about it before governments dump more money into the aerospace multinational.

Link: https://www.taxpayer.com/petitions/no-special-bailout-for-bombardier

Waste Watch – Health Bureaucrats Book Conference After Lockdown 15:27

The Public Health Agency of Canada spent more than $300,000 to book convention space in Ottawa at the same time they were issuing pandemic restrictions. The deposit, of course, was non-refundable.

Link: https://torontosun.com/news/national/public-health-paid-300g-to-host-convention-during-covid-19-pandemic

Like this show? Subscribe and give us 5-stars!

This podcast is brought to you by the Canadian Taxpayers Federation, Canada’s premier grassroots advocacy group pushing for lower taxes, less waste and accountable governments. Sign-up as a Canadian Taxpayers Federation supporter at no-charge TODAY: https://www.taxpayer.com/join.

News at the Top – Conservative Candidates Pledge to Scrap Carbon Tax

The Canadian Taxpayers Federation has secured signed pledges from all four candidates for the leadership of the Conservative Party of Canada to scrap the Trudeau carbon tax if they become prime minister.

Link: https://www.taxpayer.com/newsroom/taxpayers-federation-secures-pledges-from-cpc-leadership-candidates-to-scrap-carbon-tax?id=18469

Deep Dive – Alberta to Vote on Equalization 5:33

Alberta Premier Jason Kenney announces a provincial referendum on the equalization program.

Link: https://www.taxpayer.com/newsroom/fair-deal-panel-confirms-tackling-equalization-top-priority-in-alberta-s-fight-for-fairness

Waste Watch – Canada’s failed UN Security Council Campaign 19:45

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau spent a lot of time and money campaigning for a seat at the United Nations Security Council, but he lost badly and it cost taxpayers a lot of money.

Link: https://www.taxpayer.com/newsroom/-24,170-put-towards-canadian-treats-for-un-diplomats?id=&idCat=

Like this show? Subscribe and give us 5-stars!

This podcast is brought to you by the Canadian Taxpayers Federation, Canada’s premier grassroots advocacy group pushing for lower taxes, less waste and accountable governments. Sign-up as a Canadian Taxpayers Federation supporter at no-charge TODAY: https://www.taxpayer.com/join.

News at the Top – Meghan and Harry’s Security Bills

The Canadian Taxpayers Federation has the exclusive report on RCMP bills to protect the pair, in what may be just the tip of the iceberg.

Link: https://www.taxpayer.com/newsroom/rcmp-bill-for-meghan-and-harry-topped-50,000?id=18453#gsc.tab=0

Deep Dive – Charmaine Stick Takes a Stand

The Canadian Taxpayers Federation has working with Onion Lake Cree Nation activist Charmaine Stick to force her band leadership to release financial information under the First Nations Financial Transparency Act. The fight is still ongoing, and she isn’t giving up.

Link: Fighting for First Nations Accountability with Charmaine Stick

Waste Watch – Quebec Government Pays Severance for Lobbyists

A pair of anti-tobacco lobbyists will be getting severance packages from the Quebec government, despite the fact that lobbying that same government is their job. Even weirder, it appears they were trying to keep people from knowing about it.

Link: https://www.journaldemontreal.com/2020/06/06/mysterieuses-indemnites-pour-un-lobby

Like this show? Subscribe and give us 5-stars!

This podcast is brought to you by the Canadian Taxpayers Federation, Canada’s premier grassroots advocacy group pushing for lower taxes, less waste and accountable governments. Sign-up as a Canadian Taxpayers Federation supporter at no-charge TODAY: https://www.taxpayer.com/join.

News at the Top – Senators Give Themselves a Pay Raise

The Senate just can’t help themselves. Even with their long history of ripping off taxpayers, senators have quietly given a $10,000 raise to the head of a committee that’s only met twice.

This is outrageous, and we’re pushing back.

Call the senators:

Senator Yuen Pau Woo – 613-995-9244
Senator Carolyn Stewart Olsen – 613-992-0121

Todd MacKay and Kris Sims

Link: https://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/senators-bonus-selection-committee-1.5598996

Deep Dive –Judges Demanding Pay Raises 4:20

The Canadian Taxpayers Federation has been intervening at the Supreme Court of Canada to make the point that governments should be able to tighten their belts and judges are not exempt from belt-tightening.

Todd MacKay and Aaron Wudrick

Link: http://worldtaxpayers.org/2019/12/canada-ctf-wins-intervener-status-at-supreme-court-of-canada/

Waste Watch – Taxpayers Billed for Hollywood Party 15:35

Former Heritage Minister Mélanie Joly went to a fancy Hollywood party back in 2017, and we all paid for it.

Todd MacKay and Kris Sims

Link: https://www.taxpayer.com/newsroom/hollywood-reception-cost-taxpayers-almost-10,000?id=18431#gsc.tab=0

Interview – New Zealand’s Gun Buyback 20:00

New Zealand Taxpayers’ Union Executive Director Jordan Williams talks to us about New Zealand’s ongoing gun buyback program and how it compares to the current plans in Canada.

Link: https://www.taxpayer.com/petitions/scrap-the-gun-ban-and-buy-back

Like this show? Subscribe and give us 5-stars!

This podcast is brought to you by the Canadian Taxpayers Federation, Canada’s premier grassroots advocacy group pushing for lower taxes, less waste and accountable governments. Sign-up as a Canadian Taxpayers Federation supporter at no-charge TODAY: https://www.taxpayer.com/join.