15-second digital ads playing in Toronto washrooms

TORONTO, ON: The Canadian Taxpayers Federation (CTF) kicked-off phase two of its advertising campaign calling for the reform of the MP pension plan with a 15-second digital ad starting to appear in washrooms across Toronto this week.

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The ad carries a similar message to the billboards launched by the CTF in July – showing an MP’s hand grabbing $24 from a taxpayer’s hand. “We want to make sure that every Canadian knows that for every $1 an MP puts into the parliamentary pension plan, taxpayers are kicking in $24,” said CTF-Federal and Ontario Director Gregory Thomas. The ad also encourages Canadians to text “MP” to either 212121 or 393939 to sign the petition calling for the lucrative pension plan to be scaled back. Tech-savvy washroom-goers can also scan the QR code to be taken directly to the mobile-friendly petition page. “We’re not looking to cause any accidents, but we’re hoping angry taxpayers have at least one free hand to sign the petition on their smart-phone after seeing the digital ad,” continued Thomas. The digital ad will air every 90 seconds in both men’s and women’s washrooms in restaurants, bars and fitness centres all across Toronto. In total the CTF is expecting 3,499,200 impressions over the duration of the campaign. “This fall the Harper government is promising finally to flush the platinum-plated MP pension scheme, once and for all,” said Thomas. “We want everyone in the GTA to give MP pensions a flush of their own, to send the message to Ottawa that it’s MPs who will be getting flushed at the next election if they don’t clean up their act.” The 15-second digital ad:

The CTF’s report on MP pensions, including the pension calculation for all 308 MPs can be read here.

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