OTTAWA, ON: The Canadian Taxpayers Federation (CTF) reacted to the today’s Speech from the Throne setting out the Trudeau government’s agenda, noting that its “ambitious” rhetoric raises many questions about the eventual cost to Canadian taxpayers.
“It is the government’s prerogative to set its priorities, but they must still find a way to pay for them,” said CTF Federal Director Aaron Wudrick. “They’ve made a lot of big promises and the government will be hard pressed to find a way to pay for them all.”
Wudrick highlighted some of the larger commitments, including the negotiation of a new health accord, infrastructure investments, and military procurement, which could all prove expensive.
Wudrick also expressed concern about the government’s assertion that carbon pricing will go hand-in-hand with economic growth.
“The notion that any tax, including a carbon tax, will be a boon to the economy, defies the experience of other jurisdictions which have gone down this road, including Australia,” said Wudrick. “We need look no further than the province of Ontario for a sobering lesson on the consequences of well-meaning but failed policies geared towards creating ‘green jobs’.”
Wudrick also noted some of the positive aspects of the speech, including a cut to the middle income tax rate, more free votes in Parliament, and a commitment to end partisan advertising using tax dollars.
“A Throne Speech is not a budget, and the devil will be in the details,” said Wudrick “It is easy to make promises, but much harder to pay the bill for them. We will be watching as this government moves forward and develops a clearer picture of what it means for Canadians and their pocketbooks.”
