Canadian Taxpayers Federation

Personnel

The organization has spokespeople who address issues on a regional basis: Scott Hennig (VP, Communications – Edmonton), Aaron Wudrick and Jeff Bowes (Federal), Jordan Bateman (British Columbia), Paige MacPherson (Alberta), Todd MacKay (Prairies), Christine Van Geyn (Ontario) Carl Vallée (Québec) and Kevin Lacey (Atlantic).

VP Communication Scott Hennig's previous political experience includes working as a speechwriter and public policy researcher with the Government Members' Research Branch and is a member of the Fort Saskatchewan Urban Forest Committee.

Aaron Wudrick, the federal spokesperson for CTF, is a lawyer and former lobbyist and political campaign manager and organizer.

Kevin Lacey, who works in the Atlantic office, served as an adviser for Progressive Conservative Nova Scotia Premier John Hamm from 2003 to 2006, before being employed by Prime Minister Stephen Harper's office from 2006 to 2008. Lacey has also worked for two free-market organizations, the Fraser Institute and the Atlantic Institute for Market Studies.

Alberta Director Paige MacPherson is a former Sun News Network reporter and worked in communications at the Atlantic Institute for Market Stiudies (AIMS)

Christine Van Geyn, the Ontario Director, is a lawyer and former staffer to a Conservative federal cabinet minister and has worked on various provincial and federal election campaigns.

Jeff Bowes is a former staffer for the Conservative Research Group.

Jordan Bateman, BC Director, left his position on Township Council for Langley Township, BC, to join the CTF. He is a former journalist. Jordan and his wife are both licensed wedding chaplains.

Todd MacKay is the Prairie Director. He previously worked as a journalist, staffer to a federal cabinet minister, and entrepreneur with his own concrete & construction company.

Carl Vallée is the Québec Director. He previously served as Press Secretary to Prime Minister Stephen Harper, and as Executive Director of Communications for the Canadian Olympic Committee.

Troy Lanigan is the current President and CEO, but has worked with the organization since 1992. He also serves on the board of directors for the Stockholm Sweden-based World Taxpayers Association.

CTF staff and board directors are prohibited from holding a membership in or donating funds to any political party. The CTF is independent of any institutional affiliations.

Board of Directors

The Canadian Taxpayers Federation’s has a five-member volunteer board of directors. The board's mission is to maintain the integrity of the organization, conduct, strategic planning and finances. The board must approve goals and tactics and a budget on an annual basis. Board members are prohibited from holding a membership in any political party.

The current members of the board of directors include: Adam Daifallah (Chair), Karen Selick, Ken Azzopardi, David Hunter and Peter Budreski

Former Directors

Politicians with roots in the federation include Conservative Party Member of Parliament Jason Kenney, who had previously been the federation's CEO. Former Alberta Director and National Research Director Derek Fildebrandt is the Wildrose Shadow Minister of Finance and the MLA for Strathmore-Brooks. Former Alberta director John Carpay was a Reform Party candidate in the riding of Burnaby-Kingsway in the 1993 federal election. Walter Robinson, CTF federal director from 1998 to 2004, left the position to run as a Conservative in the 2004 federal election in Ottawa-Orléans.

John Williamson, the CTF’s former Federal Director, was a Member of Parliament for the riding of New Brunswick Southwest until 2015 Adrienne Batra, the CTF’s former Manitoba Director is now the Toronto Sun’s editor-in-chief and previously worked as press secretary to then Toronto Mayor Rob Ford. John Carpay, the organization’s former Alberta Director is now President of the Justice Centre for Constitutional Freedoms. Mark Milke, the CTF’s former Alberta and BC Director is now a Senior Fellow with the Fraser Institute. David Maclean, the CTF’s former Saskatchewan Director is now Vice President with the Alberta Enterprise Group.

In 2006, many of the federation's provincial directors had roots in conservative parties. Ontario director Tasha Kheiriddin was once president of the Progressive Conservative (PC) Youth Federation and later a ministerial aide in the government of Ontario PC premier Mike Harris. The former Saskatchewan and Alberta director was David MacLean. Adrienne Batra of the Manitoba office worked as a staff person for the Saskatchewan Party in Saskatchewan. Sara MacIntyre, the federation's BC director, worked as a researcher in the Conservative Party of Canada's leader's office in Ottawa. After leaving CTF, MacIntyre became Prime Minister Stephen Harper's press secretary.

Maureen Bader, who was the spokesperson for British Columbia, parted ways with the organization in October 2010.

Activities

CTF initiatives include public relations campaigns and paid advertising. Public policy campaigns are intended to incorporate greater involvement and support from the general public. CTF representatives regularly appear before legislative hearings and committees. CTF directors publish annual detailed pre-budget submissions, as well as reports on public issues including health care, tax reform, and "whistle blower" and freedom of information legislation.

Government spending

The organization regularly comments on government spending, and in 1993 built a "debt clock" to display the per-second increase of Canadian's debt and the share owed by each family. The clock was resurrected in 2011 to show the share of debt owed by each person in Canada. The clock is still used at events across the country, most recently in the summer of 2016 when the debt clock was toured across the country by Federal Director Aaron Wudrick to raise awareness of Canada's growing debt burden. There is also an online version at debtclock.ca.

In 1995 the organization also organized 19 Tax Alert rallies to promote lower taxes. The rallies were attended by 20,000 Canadians, and gathered 233,000 petition signatures. At this time, the organization also encouraged governments to adopt legislation requiring budgets to be balanced. Ontario PC Leader Mike Harris signed the pledge drafted by CTF that stated he would not increase taxes without gaining voter approval first.

Gas Tax Honesty Day

Gas Tax Honesty Day is a day where the organization advocates for federal and provincial governments to end the practice of calculating the GST or HST after it has already levied provincial and federal excise taxes on gasoline. The organization has organized this occasion for 15 years as of 2013. CTF reported that Canada collected $1.6 billion in additional taxes due to this practice.

TaxFighter Award

The TaxFighter Award given by the organization to Canadian citizens which it believes demonstrates commitment and dedication to the cause of "taxpayer emancipation." The awards have been given since 2000.

Some of the most recent winners include Former premier Ralph Klein and his first finance minister Jim Dinning for passing balanced budgets without increasing taxes.

Other past winners include Dave Rutherford, a talk radio host, has also received the award after being on the air for 42 years.

In 2007 the TaxFighter Award was granted to three people: National Post & Edmonton Journal columnist Lorne Gunter, Winnipeg Sun columnist Tom Brodbeck, and Edmonton senior Patricia Ehli.

In 2000, CTF awarded Mike Harris the award for the passage of the Taxpayer Protection and Balanced Budget Act.

Teddy Awards

The "Teddies" are awarded to government entities and politicians wasteful spending or high taxes. Founded in 1999, The Teddies are named after Ted Weatherill, a former Chairman of the Canada Labour Relations Board who was terminated in 1998 for expenses incompatible with his position. The expenses included $150,000 in meals over eight years and over $700 for a lunch in Paris.

Three golden sows are awarded federally, provincially and a lifetime achievement to any bureaucrat, politician, government or government agency every February.

History of Award Winners

The 2006 Provincial/Municipal Teddy was awarded to the Manitoba provincial government, nominated as "Trans-Manitoba" for "Special Achievement in Cosmetic Makeover and Budget Misallocation". The CTF accused the Winnipeg Regional Health Authority of spending money on unnecessary cosmetic surgery, including $981,000 for 218 abdominoplasty and other fat-reducing surgeries, and $10,900 for 31 vials of Botox. The following day the Winnipeg Free Press printed a follow-up story ("Foolish funding? Not a bit, MDs say") with information from Manitoba doctors indicating that the expenditures were for necessary medical treatments. The abdominoplastys were performed on patients with chronic stomach infections that did not respond to antibiotics, while the botulinum toxin was used to treat spastic muscle disorders such as multiple sclerosis. Other conditions that require these treatments include cerebral palsy, cancer, and burns.

Adrienne Batra, the Manitoba director of the CTF, said that, "These types of services do not fall within public expectations." However, on March 9, 2006 the Canadian Taxpayers Federation announced a withdrawal of the Teddy Waste Award given to the government of Manitoba. The withdrawal claimed that a December 4, 2005 story in the Winnipeg Sun implied that the Botox treatments and abdominoplastys were for cosmetic purposes.

Government salaries and pensions

The CTF regularly comments on salaries and pensions of legislators, and is only organization to regularly calculate and release details about politicians’ pensions and benefits. CTF also has continually advocated against tax-free allowances, which exempt a part of legislators' salaries from income tax. CTF advocated fully taxable salaries in Ontario, BC, Manitoba, Alberta, and Saskatchewan. These provinces made salaries fully taxable, although in 2007 British Columbia reinstated tax-free allowances.

In 1995, CTF put out 242 pigs on the Parliament Hill lawn to represent MPs who said they would join the new pension plan.

In 2006, the organization advocated that Calgary also remove tax-free allowances for municipal councillors.

In 2010, the organization began publishing reports on the ratio of funding for pensions between taxpayers and legislators. In June it was released that the ratio for the members of parliament was $4 for every $1 contributed by a parliamentarian. A more recent report showed that in New Brunswick the ratio was $16 to every $1, and for Nova Scotia it was $22 to every $1. The pension plan costs taxpayers $7.5 million annually. In Nova Scotia, 24 MLA's could collect $23 million in benefits if they live till they're 75. CTF has advocated that the pension plans be changed to have equal contributions from taxpayers and legislators, and for a citizen's oversight body to make recommendations for MLA compensation.

In reaction to the report, Nova Scotia Premier Darrell Dexter has said that he's open to reviewing the process for pensions, but that he is not ready to review it currently. Dexter currently would collect $2 million in pension benefits.

During 2012, the CTF ran a national campaign to get MPs to reform their pensions. They launched billboards across the country targeting the $24 to $1 contribution ratio (taxpayers to MPs), ran a video in Toronto bar and gym bathrooms, and flew an airplane towing a banner behind it over Parliament Hill demanding pension reform. MPs reformed their pension in October 2012.

In 2013, CTF began demanding that convicted politicians lose their pensions.

Taxes

From 2003 to 2008, CTF worked to abolish the Alberta Health Premium, criticizing it for not funding health care, having high administrative costs, and for being a "regressive tax". In 2008, Premier Ed Stelmach abolished the tax, which had previously brought in $900 million to the province's general revenue fund. The tax cut saved individuals $528 and families $1,056 on average.

The organization holds an annual "Gas Tax Honesty" day where the organization reimburses some consumers the amount paid at the pump that is taxes. As of 2010, over 150,000 Canadians signed the CTF’s gas tax petition demanding lower and dedicated fuel taxes. The organization advocates that fuel taxes be dedicated to a "municipal roadway trust" and not to general spending. In 2009, Canadians paid $5.9 billion in federal gas taxes, and in 2010 32 percent of the average fuel bill was taxes. The organization has been holding "Gas Tax Honesty" day for 12 years, and Manitoba and Saskatchewan has passed legislation requiring the fuel tax be dedicated to roads.

Government transparency

In 1990 the CTF led a petition drive in Saskatchewan and Alberta which lead to the implementation of freedom of information legislation (FOI). The organization also organized advocates in British Columbia and Manitoba to oppose the weakening of existing FOI laws. CTF also participates in "Right to Know Week", where multiple organizations advocate more open government.

In 2009, CTF joined the Canadian Newspaper Association and BC Freedom of Information and Privacy Association requesting that the Prime Minister follow U.S. President Barack Obama's example and post details of stimulus spending online.

More recently, the organization demanded that Members of the Legislative Assembly of Alberta (MLAs) post their credit card receipts and expenses online, and that the Legislative Assembly's expenses be subject to the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act. This was in addition to a petition to have members of parliament (MPs) and senators be audited after audits of the British parliament and Nova Scotia members revealed wasteful and unethical spending. In June, the House of Commons agreed to allow spot audits but would not allow the release the names of those being audited.

CTF also supported Ontario PC Member of Provincial Parliament Lisa MacLeod's effort to disclose all contracts and grants over $10,000 and travel/hospitality expenses.

In 2012, the Alberta government began requiring 400 senior staff and MLAs to post expenses, including receipts, online.

Aboriginal policy reform

In 2002, Gordon Benoit went to court in Ottawa, saying that an oral promise made to his ancestors in 1899 exempted him and all Treaty 8 Indians from paying taxes. Benoit was challenged by the CTF who argued that a race-based tax exemption would violate equality provisions, international treaties and the basic principles of fairness. In March 2002, Benoit won his first case when Judge Douglas Campbell ruled in his favour. However, CTF appealed the decision and the second ruling was in CTF's favor, with the Supreme Court dismissing the case in 2004.

In December 2009, the CTF worked with a whistleblower in Manitoba to expose what it referred to as outrageous salaries on the Peguis First Nation. While disclosing the pay to the media, the CTF began a long campaign to convince the federal government to begin posting the salaries of all aboriginal politicians' pay online as well as each reserve's annual audit documents.

In November 2010, with data obtained through access to information requests, the CTF released a report that revealed for 2008-09 that over 80 reserve politicians earned more than the after-tax income of $184,000 of Prime Minister Stephen Harper in the same period. 222 reserve politicians were paid more in tax-free income in 2008-09 than their respective provincial premiers, who averaged an after-tax income of $109,893. One reserve politician in Atlantic Canada was found to have been paid a combined tax-free salary and honorarium totaling $978,468. The amounts for reserve politicians included travel and per diems in comparison to the base salary of other politicians

In 2013, the federal government passed Bill C-27 requiring all aboriginal bands to disclose on a public website their compensation amounts.

Canadian Firearms Registry

The organization has opposed the Canadian Firearms Registry, calling it "ill-conceived crime-fighting measure that did little more than add paperwork and expenses for hunters, farmers and recreational gun users." In 2010, the CTF supported private member's bill C-391 which would have eliminated the registry. The federal government eliminated the registry in April 2012 with the passing of Bill C-19.