Kevin Gaudet

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.

New Site Aims to Help People on Reserves Get Info

WINNIPEG: The Canadian Taxpayers Federation (CTF) launched a new web site today to help people on reserves get answers about their band's finances - ReserveTransparency.ca.

Manitoba Reserve Chief’s Pay Rivals Premier

CTF renews call for placing all reserve council salaries on the internet WINNIPEG: The Canadian Taxpayers Federation (CTF) released more brown envelope documents today as part of its campaign for transparency of band council salaries. The documents show pay levels for the band council's four positions at the 535 person Ochi-Chak-Ko-Sipi First Nation (Crane River) ranged from $106,000-$144,000 (taxable equivalent) for 2008-09, plus travel.

The Rise of the Taxers

Nothing focuses attention better on just how high taxes are in Canada than the annual tax-filing deadline. This year, while Canadians are filing their taxes, they must also suffer through growing calls to hike taxes even further. These calls must be answered with the clear response “Canadians are taxed more than enough already!”

Alberta Reserve Chief Makes More Than Stelmach

CTF renews call for placing all reserve council salaries online WINNIPEG: The Canadian Taxpayers Federation (CTF) released brown envelope documents today which show the Chief of the 2,170 member Enoch Cree Nation, located just outside of Edmonton, is receiving more than the Premier of Alberta.

The Haves vs. the Have-Nots

There is a growing pension divide in Canada. On one side of the divide are those who enjoy a generous pension. On the other side are those who pay for them. Closing this gap is an important project that government needs to undertake.

Ontario public sector $100,000 club grows by 19%

TORONTO: The Canadian Taxpayers Federation (CTF) responded today to the release of the Ontario Sunshine list of Ontario public sector employees earning $100,000 or more. CTF Federal Director said “to understand why Ontario is running the largest deficit in its history – larger even then California’s – just look at the $100,000 club.”

Petition to end seniors’ benefits for serial killers surpasses 17,500 signatures

TORONTO: The Canadian Taxpayers Federation’s (CTF) online petition to end seniors’ benefits including Old Age Security (OAS) and the Guaranteed Income Supplement (GIS) for convicted prisoners has garnered over 17,500 signatures in less than six days.

Ontario Deficit Nightmare: Nine years of deficits add $116.6 billion to debt.

TORONTO: The Canadian Taxpayers Federation (CTF) responded to the Ontario budget today decrying the McGuinty government’s plans to run nine years of deficits. CTF Federal Director, Kevin Gaudet said “this is a never-ending deficit nightmare. Premier McGuinty is just closing his eyes and hoping it will go away. Instead, he should be taking meaningful action to get spending under control.”

Ontario Budget Balancing Act: Use the Axe

How will Ontario dig itself out of the giant fiscal mess in which it now sits? Ontarians should not hold their collective breath expecting much of an answer from the 2010 provincial budget. It is most likely Premier McGuinty will announce little more than a hope that the province will grow back to fiscal health in the distant future. Taxpayers should not accept such pap. Instead, Ontarians deserve a credible and detailed plan to fix this fiscal mess. The plan will need to involve the use of an axe – especially for spending.

Stockwell’s Day of Reckoning

The Prime Minister has invested great trust and responsibility in Stockwell Day, having given him the role of Treasury Board Minister. His primary responsibility will be to get federal spending back under control. How this job is handled will dictate, to a great extent, how this government will be judged in the future for its fiscal management. The important outcome of the fiscal day of reckoning for the Harper government will rest in the hands of Minister Day.

MPs must dump their junk mail

TORONTO: The Canadian Taxpayers Federation (CTF) is urging its 60,000 supporters and all Canadians to contact federal MPs from the Conservative and New Democratic Parties today to urge them to vote for the opposition motion to end the wasteful, partisan, junk-mail sent by MPs to Canadians who don’t even live in their ridings.

12th Annual “Teddies” Government Waste Awards

OTTAWA: The Canadian Taxpayers Federation (CTF) held its 12th annual “Teddy Waste Awards” ceremony to recognize the best of the worst government waste. CTF Prairie director, Colin Craig, acted as the master of ceremonies today at the black tie news conference on Parliament Hill. “Porky the Waste Hater” (pig mascot) and guest hostess Natasha assisted with the ceremony.

12th Annual Government Waste Awards

OTTAWA: The Canadian Taxpayers Federation (CTF) will host its 12th annual "Teddy" Waste Awards ("The Teddies") with a black tie ceremony in the Charles Lynch Press Theatre on Parliament Hill in Ottawa, Wednesday, March 10th at 10:30 a.m. Like last year, the entire announcement/ceremony will last between 8 and 10 minutes.

Harper Legacy - No end in sight to deficits

OTTAWA: The Canadian Taxpayers Federation (CTF) responded today to the 2010 Federal Budget expressing with great dismay that the Harper government continues to delay efforts to balance the federal budget.

Unicorn Sighting: Politicians Tightening Their Own Belts

OTTAWA: The Canadian Taxpayers Federation (CTF) responded to the Speech From the Throne applauding the government for adopting measures to restrict some areas of government spending starting with freezing MP and cabinet pay.