OTTAWA, ON: The Canadian Taxpayers Federation welcomes Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s admission that the carbon tax makes life more expensive, but continues to call for more action to make life more affordable for taxpayers.
The Bank of Canada lavished millions of dollars in bonuses on its executives last year amid seven interest rate hikes and the worst inflation crisis in four decades, according to access-to-information records obtained by the Canadian Taxpayers Federation.
All but two of the central bank’s 82 executives (97.5 per cent) received an “at-risk pay” bonus. Twenty-five received a “performance pay” bonus.
As Canadians across the country tightened their belts the past few years, the federal government was busy building an $8-million Barn on the grounds of Rideau Hall to serve as a storage facility.
The little-known, but pricey, pandemic-era construction project was overseen by the National Capital Commission, the feds’ supercharged parks-and-rec department responsible for maintaining Canada’s official residences.
OTTAWA, ON: The Canadian Taxpayers Federation is calling on the federal government to drop its Digital Services Tax following the Parliamentary Budget Officer’s report showing it will cost $7.2 billion.
“The feds need to stop dreaming up new taxes and new ways to make life more expensive,” said Franco Terrazzano, CTF Federal Director. “Prime Minister Justin Trudeau should be doing everything he can to make life more affordable, but this Digital Services Tax will mean higher prices for ordinary Canadians.”
OTTAWA, ON: The Canadian Taxpayers Federation is celebrating the Supreme Court of Canada’s ruling against the Impact Assessment Act. The CTF were official interveners at the Supreme Court.
OTTAWA, ON: The Canadian Taxpayers Federation is shining a light on the high cost of the federal carbon tax as the government sends out rebates tomorrow.
“The Parliamentary Budget Officer is clear: the carbon tax costs families hundreds of dollars more than the rebates they get back,” said Franco Terrazzano, CTF Federal Director. “The PBO shows politicians are using magic math to mislead Canadians.”
The prime minister’s latest Tofino vacation cost taxpayers at least $287,285, bringing the total cost to taxpayers for the three vacations Trudeau has taken this year to more than $678,000. Our Investigative Journalist Ryan Thorpe dug up the details. The full story is below. Please let me know if you have any questions.--Franco.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s vacation to Tofino, B.C., this August cost taxpayers at least $287,285, according to access-to-information records obtained by the Canadian Taxpayers Federation.
That brings the total cost for the three vacations Trudeau has taken this year to more than $678,000.
Canada’s Governor General and Rideau Hall have racked up a six-figure dry cleaning tab in recent years, according to records obtained by the Canadian Taxpayers Federation.
The Office of the Secretary to the Governor General dropped $117,566 on professional dry-cleaning services since 2018, despite having in-house staff on the payroll responsible for doing the laundry.
OTTAWA, ON: The Canadian Taxpayers Federation is calling on the governments of Canada and Quebec to cut out the corporate welfare following today’s announcement that Northvolt will receive billions in special taxpayer treatment.
OTTAWA, ON: The Canadian Taxpayers Federation is calling on Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to immediately rescind his grocery tax threat.
“The last thing Canadians need is a grocery tax,” said Franco Terrazzano, CTF Federal Director. “Instead of hammering Canadians with a grocery tax, Trudeau should scrap his carbon tax, which is making food prices more expensive.”
OTTAWA, ON: The Canadian Taxpayers Federation is demanding immediate passage of legislation in the Senate to expand carbon tax exemptions for agriculture after today’s Parliamentary Budget Officer analysis shows it would save farmers almost $1 billion through 2030.
“Making it more affordable for farmers to produce food will make it more affordable for families to buy food,” said Franco Terrazzano, CTF Federal Director. “The House of Common passed legislation to expand the carbon tax exemption for farmers. In fact, MPs have passed that legislation twice.
The Canadian Taxpayers Federation is calling on politicians to reject recent EV battery corporate welfare following today’s Parliamentary Budget Officer report showing governments won’t break even for 20 years – four times longer than originally promised.
“Politicians said they’d get the money back in five years, but the PBO report is clear: it’ll be 20 years before we see if these deals even break even,” said Franco Terrazzano, CTF Federal Director. “But the government has a terrible track record on corporate welfare so taxpayers should be worried about whether they’ll ever see a real return on investment.”
Those who believe Canada’s official residences are crumbling due to a lack of funding may have missed something: the numbers.
The National Capital Commission spent $135 million renovating and maintaining the official residences from 2006 to 2022, according to a Canadian Taxpayers Federation analysis of official reports.
“It’s a myth that official residences are falling apart because politicians are too thrifty,” said Franco Terrazzano, CTF Federal Director. “From luxury limos to extravagant hotel suites, the feds haven’t met a single thing it isn’t willing to spend big on and the official residences are no different.
OTTAWA, ON: The Canadian Taxpayers Federation hosted its annual Gas Tax Honesty press conference in the nation’s capital today to shine a light on the high cost of federal gas taxes.
OTTAWA, ON: The Canadian Taxpayers Federation is calling on the federal government to rein in overspending following the release of Parliamentary Budget Officer data showing the government won’t balance the budget until 2035.
Pizza cutters and webcam covers. Credit card sleeves and survival knives. Bookmarks and ballpoint pens. Toiletry bags and licence plate frames. Polo shirts and unisex quilted vests.
It appears there is no product the feds won’t brand with the logo of a department or emblazon with the motto of a Crown corporation, and no price too high for the privilege.
“It’s like the government had a contest to see which department could come up with the dumbest way to spend taxpayers’ money and they all won,” Franco Terrazzano, CTF Federal Director, said. “This is what happens when you have too many bureaucrats with too much money and time on their hands.”
Taxpayers were forced to pick up the tab for a $71,000 bill from “Icelimo Luxury Travel” during Governor General Mary Simon’s four-day visit to Iceland last fall.
“The governor general spent more on fancy rides in four days than the average Canadian makes in a whole year,” Franco Terrazzano, Federal Director of the Canadian Taxpayers Federation, said. “We’re not saying the governor general should be hitchhiking, but surely she could have gotten around a small island for less than the price of a brand-new BMW.”
CTF Federal Director Franco Terrazzano outside of the Bank of Canada
Bank of Canada bureaucrats got $20 million in bonuses in 2022 while the Crown corporation hiked interest rates seven times and inflation reached a 40-year high.
“Bonuses are for people who do a good job, not people who fail at their one and only job,” Franco Terrazzano, Federal Director of the Canadian Taxpayers Federation, said. “Most organizations don’t shower employees with bonuses when they have their worst year in four decades.”
The average bonus among staff was $11,200, with 80 per cent of the workforce receiving one, according to internal government records obtained by the CTF through a series of access-to-information requests.
The Canadian Taxpayers Federation is calling on Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to back away from his plan to impose a second carbon tax this week on July 1.
“Canadians need another carbon tax like we need a kick in the head,” Franco Terrazzano, Federal Director of the CTF, said. “The Parliamentary Budget Officer is clear: Trudeau’s second carbon tax will cost families hundreds of dollars.