Kevin Gaudet

Hug-A-Thug-Athon Must End: Olson to Williams

Many Canadian citizens are understandably agitated over recent stories about how some of our most notorious criminals are getting sweet-heart treatment at taxpayers’ expense. It is past time that our criminal justice system stopped coddling wrong-doers and emphasized that prison is also about punishment. Prison should not be fun. It should not be a place for treats, ice cream and entitlement payments. It is time to end the hug-a-thug-athon that has been going on in Canada.

Taxpayers Federation testifies against payments to prisoners

OTTAWA: The Canadian Taxpayers Federation (CTF) Federal Director Kevin Gaudet appeared as a witness in Ottawa today at the federal standing committee for Human Resources Development to encourage MPs to support Bill C-31. Bill C-31 would stop prisoners over 65, like Clifford Olson, from getting Old Age Security (OAS) and Guaranteed Income Supplement (GIS) payments courtesy of the taxpayer.

30 chiefs and counting…

REGINA, SK: The Canadian Taxpayers Federation (CTF) released partial data today obtained from the Department of Indian and Northern Affairs that shows at least 30 band chiefs in Canada received more in pay than the average premier during 2008-09. The CTF is calling on the federal government to immediately release the withheld data.

Balance Budget Faster, Legislate Debt Repayment and Avoid EI Tax Hike

TORONTO: The Canadian Taxpayers Federation (CTF) responded today to the federal government’s economic update, calling for a faster plan to eliminate the deficit and for a legislated debt repayment schedule.

Avoiding the EI Tax-Hike Hammer

Imagine your neighbour hits you in the head with a hammer, and then says you should be elated that he hit you only once because originally he had planned to hit you three times. This is the kind of argument Finance Minister Flaherty is using to sell his Employment Insurance (EI) tax hike planned for January 1st next year.

Scrap $1 billion Vale ‘Loan’: Taxpayers Federation

TORONTO: The Canadian Taxpayers Federation (CTF) is calling on the federal government to scrap a $1 billion loan announced today by Export Development Corporation to Vale Inc. of Brazil. CTF Federal Director, Kevin Gaudet, said “if corporate welfare worked at creating jobs, every Canadian would have two by now. This loan should be scrapped and fast”.

Vote Today on EI Tax Hike of 24%

The federal Liberals are joining the NDP and the BQ in fighting the government again over Employment Insurance (EI). Unfortunately, they aren’t fighting the tax hike planned for January 1st: the one that will take more off pay cheques and out of the pockets of employers. Instead, they are fighting to make EI even easier to get and way more expensive for taxpayers.

Scrapping Long-Gun Registry is the Compromise

Later this afternoon, Parliamentarians will vote on a motion that seeks to kill a private members bill to end the federal long-gun registry. Bill C-391 passed second reading last November with the help of 12 New Democrats, eight Liberals and one independent. Each of those MPs has been worked over by special interests and party bosses like a piñata in an effort to get them to change their vote. Today, they stand to be counted.

Police Chiefs’ Registry Fool’s Gold

An Angus Reid poll out this week shows a vast majority of Canadians - 72 per cent - think the long-gun registry has done nothing to prevent crime. A survey of rank and file police officers is even more decisive, fully 92 per cent of them want it scrapped. Yet neither of these telling statistics will stop chiefs of police who are reportedly planning a taxpayer-funded lobbying and education campaign to defend the registry. They should stop.

Raising tobacco taxes not the answer to deficits

The growing black market for cigarettes in Canada is becoming a larger and larger problem. It is a source of violent and organized crime and it deprives governments of the full taxes from the sale of a legal product. To deal with this problem, governments must not further hike tobacco taxes, as doing so merely spurs black market trade.

Has PM Harper abandoned elected Senate?

Recently two of Stephen Harper’s 35 appointed Senators flip-flopped on what, until now, was assumed to be their raison d’être. Senator Richard Neufeld now favours an appointed Senate instead of an elected one. Another Harper Senate appointee, Pierre-Hugues Boisvenu, says he now favours a mix of appointees and elected senators.

Privatize Purolator Courier

The President of Canada Post, Moyra Green, is leaving to help new British Prime Minister David Cameron privatize the UK version of Canada Post – Royal Mail. On the way out the door Ms. Green said that Canada Post and its services ought to be reviewed every five years. Now would be a good time for Prime Minister Harper to follow Ms. Green’s advice. Canada Post’s next President should start the review by looking at the case for privatizing Canada Post’s Purolator Courier.

Canada Middle of PIGS Pack – Deficit Tough Talk Should Start at Home

The G8 and G20 summits are now over. While we are closer to knowing the final costs, it’s unclear if there will be any long-term benefits for Canadian taxpayers in exchange for the large amounts of tax dollars that were spent. That is unless Mr. Harper decides to send the same anti-deficit message to our provinces as was sent to debt-laden countries like Portugal, Italy, Greece and Spain (PIGS) during the summits.

Pension Reform Must Start with MPs’ Plan

Anxiety over retirement planning and inadequate pension security are on the minds of many Canadians these days. For about two-thirds of Canadians the focus is on how to deal with not having a pension at all, (other than the CPP). In stark contrast 75 more lucky Members of Parliament can now focus on how comfortable their retirement will be. On June 28th, 75 MPs elected in 2004 will enter the rarified pension elite. These MPs become eligible for their gold-plated pensions after having served only six years in office.

MPs’ Pension Trough Day Greeted By 75 Pink Pigs

OTTAWA: Today the Canadian Taxpayers Federation (CTF) “decorated” the lawn of Parliament Hill with 75 pink plastic pigs to highlight the number of MPs who will become pension-eligible on June 28th. The CTF also renewed its call for Parliament to reform the gold-plated MP pension plan, bringing it into line with private sector pension plans.

CTF Renews Calls for Full Public Disclosure of MP and Senate Spending

TORONTO: The Canadian Taxpayers Federation (CTF) is renewing its calls for greater transparency and accountability in spending by MPs and Senators, demanding they disclose in detail all of their spending in addition to allowing the Auditor General audit the books.

CTF Testifies Against Wasteful Long Gun Registry:

OTTAWA: The Canadian Taxpayers Federation (CTF) appeared today before the Federal Standing Committee on Public Safety regarding Private Member’s Bill C-391 to end the wasteful long-gun registry. CTF Federal Director testified on behalf of his organization’s 74,000 supporters to the waste and ineffectiveness of the long-gun registry saying, “it has cost taxpayers well over $2 billion and costs over $106 million per year to support. It is time this waste came to an end”.

CTF Highlights Government Gouging on Gas Tax Honesty Day

OTTAWA: The Canadian Taxpayers Federation (CTF) today launched its 12th Annual Gas Tax Day with press conferences in Vancouver, Calgary and Ottawa. The CTF is once again highlighting the hidden and growing level of taxes on gasoline in its latest Gas Tax Honesty report.

End MP Foxes Guarding Expense Chicken Coop

Unbelievably, MPs and Senators have refused to allow Auditor General Sheila Fraser to audit how they spend more than $500 million of taxpayer dollars. Incredibly, they suggest such an audit goes beyond her mandate. What have they got to hide? If everything is fine and money has been spent wisely, as they suggest, then they should open the books. The Auditor General (AG) should be allowed to do her audit and MPs and Senators should make their spending public.

Transparency on Reserves Desperately Needed

It is high time some light be shed upon the pay and perks of the elected officials on First Nations reserves. Currently, many band chiefs and elected council members are refusing to disclose how much they get paid. Instead, they set their own pay in secret and often hide the information from their own people. How can the citizens of Canada’s aboriginal communities judge whether they get value for money from their leadership if the leaders are hiding how much they pay themselves? It is time this changed.