Taxpayers Federation applauds WestJet for walking away from taxpayer bailout

OTTAWA, ON: The Canadian Taxpayers Federation welcomed news that WestJet has ended talks with the federal government without taking a bailout. “It’s great to see WestJet save taxpayers a tonne of money by walking away from a potential bailout,” said Franco Terrazzano, Federal Director for the CTF. “We’re more than $1 trillion in debt. The government needs to focus on tax relief and reducing red tape, not bailouts.”

WestJet has officially walked away from negotiations with the federal government without a federal bailout. This follows the federal government handing out $5.9 billion to Air Canada mostly through low-interest loans, $700 million to Air Transat and a loan of up to $270 million for the parent company of Porter Airlines. The CTF is calling on the federal government to help businesses recover by reducing aviation fuel taxes, carbon taxes and other regulatory expenses. “Bailouts are expensive and ineffective, but lower taxes and streamlined regulations helps businesses compete and grow,” said Terrazzano.

Franco Terrazzano CTF Federal Director Email: fterrazzano@taxpayer.com Twitter: @franco_nomics