Poll

Let’s Talk Taxes

October 22, 2008 Let's Talk Taxes: British Columbia Olympic security-cost reality means diet time The federal government has finally confirmed what most people assumed all along -- the $175 million 2010 Olympic security budget was a fantasy. The federal government now says the Games' security costs will be more than $400 million but less than $1 billion. Keeping the athletes safe is important, no question there. The question is, however, where is that money going to come from? ...Full Article

October 21, 2008 Let's Talk Taxes: Alberta Taxpayers shouldn't cover health region SERP liabilities Much has been made over the past couple of weeks about $5.9-million the provincial government has spent on severance packages for fired CEOs of the former regional health authorities. If these generous packages aren't enough to get the blood boiling, left-over deficits, bonuses and unfunded liabilities in the executives' supplementary pension plans should be. ...Full Article

October 17, 2008 Let's Talk Taxes: Ontario Playing Pan Am Games with Deficits With the Ontairo Minister of Finance suggesting the province may go into deficit, it is the wrong time to commit $1.7 billion of taxpayers money to the Pan Am Games. ...Full Article

October 16, 2008 Let's Talk Taxes: Manitoba Praise for the Premier Premier Doer took his fair share of lumps in the media during the past session at the legislature. They were well deserved as his government watered down the Balanced Budget Act, introduced a vote tax and passed unfriendly agriculture legislation. However, it is equally important to praise the government for the initiatives that it got right. ...Full Article

October 16, 2008 Let's Talk Taxes: Saskatchewan The Urban Reserve Advantage The first business is set to open on Regina's first urban reserve. Last March, eleven vacant lots at 1101 Angus Street in North Central Regina (coined by MacLean's as "Canada's Worst Neighbourhood") became the reserve land of Piapot First Nation. But what is obviously good news for Piapot is bad news for non-Aboriginal businesses, and, to a lesser extent, residents in the area. ...Full Article

October 13, 2008 Let's Talk Taxes: British Columbia The folly, and lesson, of B.C.'s carbon tax The unpopularity of British Columbia's carbon tax helped boost the opposition NDP above the ruling Liberals in the polls for the first time in years. With B.C.’s May 12th fixed-election date quickly approaching, the premier hit the panic button. The result is a confusing mix of policies and propaganda. If the premier were smart, he’d cut his losses and get rid of the carbon tax altogether. ...Full Article

October 10, 2008 Let's Talk Taxes: Federal Sound Economic Planning is No 30-Day Exercise Amidst opposition cries that the incumbent government has no plan to deal with the economy, the Conservative Party released a platform in the dying days of the campaign. It includes modest spending and tax relief measures, but nothing too flashy or too risky over the next few years. ...Full Article

October 03, 2008 Let's Talk Taxes: Manitoba Careful With Our Dimes During Uncertain Times Across the country, Canadians are watching their pennies and wondering what impact the financial crisis in the United States will have on our lives. Although many economists are optimistic that the Canadian economy can weather the slowdown that our largest trading partner is experiencing, only time will tell to what extent we'll be affected. For this reason, it is especially important that taxpayers have a say before half a billion tax dollars are used for optional government mega projects. ...Full Article

September 29, 2008 Let's Talk Taxes: Ontario Artists Versus Arteaucrats Artists have been criticizing arts funding cuts by the federal government. The facts show funding has increased during Prime Minister's Harper's tenure. With lower taxes invididuals could choose for themselves whether and how to spend money on the arts. ...Full Article

September 26, 2008 Let's Talk Taxes: Saskatchewan Right to Know Falls Short Even where good laws exist, governments can still erode transparency through generous interpretation of exemption clauses, moving slowly on requests, charging exorbitant fees, cutting funding to information offices, or by insisting a document doesn’t exist. ...Full Article

September 26, 2008 Let's Talk Taxes: Federal Fiscal Discipline and Liberal DNA The plan's whole layout is rather unorthodox. Rather than present year-by-year numbers as per government budgets and annual public accounts, the Liberal platform offers an accumulated four-year projection of how a majority Liberal government would introduce new taxes, cut existing taxes, and spend billions on a wide array of people, projects, and programs all the while balancing the books. ...Full Article

September 22, 2008 Let's Talk Taxes: Alberta Identify, don’t gag citizens during elections Musings by Premier Stelmach coupled with a report by Alberta’s chief electoral officer have added up to a rare consensus among two of Alberta’s chief political rivals. When political enemies line-up in agreement it can often spell trouble. Last spring it was the Alberta NDP joining PC MLAs to approve political pay hikes, and this fall it appears the Liberals will be helping the government legislate a monopoly for politicians during election campaigns. ...Full Article

September 10, 2008 Let's Talk Taxes: Saskatchewan Bovine Belching Latest Tax Sinkhole Federal and provincial tax dollars are going towards research into measuring and reducing greenhouse gas emissions from cows. The ultimate destination is carbon taxes, carbon credits, and increased regulation ...Full Article

In the Media:

The following links will take you to radio, television and paper interviews with CTF directors on variety of subjects.


British Columbia