Canadian Taxpayers Federation
Encyclopedia
The Canadian Taxpayers Federation (CTF) is a Canadian
federally incorporated, non-profit organization and taxpayers union
that claims to have over 70,000 supporters across Canada. The organization advocates lower taxes, and a reduction of what it considers to be waste in government. It was founded in Saskatchewan
in 1990 through a merger of the Association of Saskatchewan Taxpayers and the Resolution One Association of Alberta
.
The CTF maintains a federal office in Ottawa
, and offices in Vancouver
, Edmonton
, Regina
, Winnipeg
and Toronto
. Provincial offices conduct research and advocacy activities specific to their provinces, and act as regional organizers of Canada-wide initiatives. The group opened an office in Halifax, Canada, partly due to recent pension scandal, in September 2010.
The Federation uses a combination of media interviews, press conferences, speeches, presentations, petitions and publications to advocate its political views. The CTF publishes The Taxpayer magazine, its flagship publication, four times a year, and a regular e-mail Action Updates and a website/blog. CTF offices also issue weekly Let’s Talk Taxes commentaries to media outlets.
Kevin Gaudet, the federal spokesperson for CTF, has worked in both the private and public sector. In the public sector he served as Director of Opposition Research for Preston Manning
, Leader of the Reform Party of Canada.
Kevin Lacey, who works in the Atlantic office, served as an adviser for Nova Scotia Premier John Hamm
from 2003 to 2006, before being employed by 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.
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.
The National Research Director, Derek Fildebrant, has been a policy analyst for the Forum of Labour Market Ministers in Victoria, and has worked for a national security think-tank and leading the Reagan-Goldwater Society, a free market-oriented student group.
Troy Lanigan is the current President and CEO, but has worked with the organization since 1992. Unlike other CTF employees, he's not worked in partisan politics, instead working with reform advocacy groups and 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.
, who had previously been the federation's CEO. 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.
In 2006, all 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, left the organization in October 2010.
legislation.
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.
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 antibiotic
s, 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.
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 their 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.
". 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.
. 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 for 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.
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 of 2002, Benoit won his first case when Judge Douglas Campbell ruled in his favor. However, CTF appealed the decision and the second ruling was in CTF's favor, with the Supreme Court dismissing the case in 2004.
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
C-391 which would eliminate the registry and is scheduled to be voted on in November. However, during a meeting for the Standing Committee on Public Safety and National Security, many of the members supported for the registry, which may stop the bill from coming to a vote.
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
federally incorporated, non-profit organization and taxpayers union
Taxpayer groups
Taxpayer groups, also known as taxpayers union, are formal nonprofit or informal advocacy groups that promote lower taxation, reductions in government spending, and limits to government debt. Many United States cities and countries have taxpayer groups...
that claims to have over 70,000 supporters across Canada. The organization advocates lower taxes, and a reduction of what it considers to be waste in government. It was founded in Saskatchewan
Saskatchewan
Saskatchewan is a prairie province in Canada, which has an area of . Saskatchewan is bordered on the west by Alberta, on the north by the Northwest Territories, on the east by Manitoba, and on the south by the U.S. states of Montana and North Dakota....
in 1990 through a merger of the Association of Saskatchewan Taxpayers and the Resolution One Association of Alberta
Alberta
Alberta is a province of Canada. It had an estimated population of 3.7 million in 2010 making it the most populous of Canada's three prairie provinces...
.
The CTF maintains a federal office in Ottawa
Ottawa
Ottawa is the capital of Canada, the second largest city in the Province of Ontario, and the fourth largest city in the country. The city is located on the south bank of the Ottawa River in the eastern portion of Southern Ontario...
, and offices in Vancouver
Vancouver
Vancouver is a coastal seaport city on the mainland of British Columbia, Canada. It is the hub of Greater Vancouver, which, with over 2.3 million residents, is the third most populous metropolitan area in the country,...
, Edmonton
Edmonton
Edmonton is the capital of the Canadian province of Alberta and is the province's second-largest city. Edmonton is located on the North Saskatchewan River and is the centre of the Edmonton Capital Region, which is surrounded by the central region of the province.The city and its census...
, Regina
Regina, Saskatchewan
Regina is the capital city of the Canadian province of Saskatchewan. The city is the second-largest in the province and a cultural and commercial centre for southern Saskatchewan. It is governed by Regina City Council. Regina is the cathedral city of the Roman Catholic and Romanian Orthodox...
, Winnipeg
Winnipeg
Winnipeg is the capital and largest city of Manitoba, Canada, and is the primary municipality of the Winnipeg Capital Region, with more than half of Manitoba's population. It is located near the longitudinal centre of North America, at the confluence of the Red and Assiniboine Rivers .The name...
and Toronto
Toronto
Toronto is the provincial capital of Ontario and the largest city in Canada. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. A relatively modern city, Toronto's history dates back to the late-18th century, when its land was first purchased by the British monarchy from...
. Provincial offices conduct research and advocacy activities specific to their provinces, and act as regional organizers of Canada-wide initiatives. The group opened an office in Halifax, Canada, partly due to recent pension scandal, in September 2010.
The Federation uses a combination of media interviews, press conferences, speeches, presentations, petitions and publications to advocate its political views. The CTF publishes The Taxpayer magazine, its flagship publication, four times a year, and a regular e-mail Action Updates and a website/blog. CTF offices also issue weekly Let’s Talk Taxes commentaries to media outlets.
Personnel
The organization has five spokespeople who address issues on a regional basis: Kevin Gaudet (Federal/Ontario), Scott Hennig (Alberta), Derek Fildebrandt (National), Colin Craig (Prairies) and Kevin Lacey (Atlantic).Kevin Gaudet, the federal spokesperson for CTF, has worked in both the private and public sector. In the public sector he served as Director of Opposition Research for Preston Manning
Preston Manning
Ernest Preston Manning, CC is a Canadian politician. He was the only leader of the Reform Party of Canada, a Canadian federal political party that evolved into the Canadian Alliance...
, Leader of the Reform Party of Canada.
Kevin Lacey, who works in the Atlantic office, served as an adviser for Nova Scotia Premier John Hamm
John Hamm
John Frederick Hamm, is a Canadian physician and politician and was the 25th Premier of Nova Scotia, Canada.Hamm, a graduate of the University of King's College and Dalhousie University, was a family doctor in his hometown of Stellarton, Nova Scotia, and the president of the Nova Scotia Medical...
from 2003 to 2006, before being employed by Harper's office from 2006 to 2008. Lacey has also worked for two free-market organizations, the Fraser Institute
Fraser Institute
The Fraser Institute is a Canadian think tank. It has been described as politically conservative and right-wing libertarian and espouses free market principles...
and the Atlantic Institute for Market Studies.
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.
The National Research Director, Derek Fildebrant, has been a policy analyst for the Forum of Labour Market Ministers in Victoria, and has worked for a national security think-tank and leading the Reagan-Goldwater Society, a free market-oriented student group.
Troy Lanigan is the current President and CEO, but has worked with the organization since 1992. Unlike other CTF employees, he's not worked in partisan politics, instead working with reform advocacy groups and 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.
Former directors
Politicians with roots in the federation include Conservative Party Member of Parliament Jason KenneyJason Kenney
Jason T. Kenney, PC, MP is Canada's current Minister of Citizenship, Immigration and Multiculturalism. He has represented the riding of Calgary Southeast in the Canadian House of Commons since 1997....
, who had previously been the federation's CEO. Former Alberta director John Carpay was a Reform Party
Reform Party of Canada
The Reform Party of Canada was a Canadian federal political party that existed from 1987 to 2000. It was originally founded as a Western Canada-based protest party, but attempted to expand eastward in the 1990s. It viewed itself as a populist 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
Canadian federal election, 2004
The Canadian federal election, 2004 , was held on June 28, 2004 to elect members of the Canadian House of Commons of the 38th Parliament of Canada. The Liberal government of Prime Minister Paul Martin lost its majority, but was able to form a minority government after the elections...
in Ottawa-Orléans.
In 2006, all 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
Progressive Conservative Party of Ontario
The Progressive Conservative Party of Ontario , is a right-of-centre political party in Ontario, Canada. The party was known for many years as "Ontario's natural governing party." It has ruled the province for 80 of the years since Confederation, including an uninterrupted run from 1943 to 1985...
premier Mike Harris
Mike Harris
Michael Deane "Mike" Harris was the 22nd Premier of Ontario from June 26, 1995 to April 15, 2002. He is most noted for the "Common Sense Revolution", his Progressive Conservative government's program of deficit reduction in combination with lower taxes and cuts to government...
. The former Saskatchewan and Alberta director was David MacLean. Adrienne Batra of the Manitoba office worked as a staff person for the Saskatchewan Party
Saskatchewan Party
The Saskatchewan Party is a conservative liberal political party in the Canadian province of Saskatchewan. The party was established in 1997 by a coalition of former provincial Progressive Conservative and Liberal party members and supporters who sought to remove the Saskatchewan New Democratic...
in Saskatchewan. Sara MacIntyre, the federation's BC director, worked as a researcher in the Conservative Party of Canada
Conservative Party of Canada
The Conservative Party of Canada , is a political party in Canada which was formed by the merger of the Canadian Alliance and the Progressive Conservative Party of Canada in 2003. It is positioned on the right of the Canadian political spectrum...
'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, left 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 informationFreedom of information
Freedom of information refers to the protection of the right to freedom of expression with regards to the Internet and information technology . Freedom of information may also concern censorship in an information technology context, i.e...
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 is still used at events across the country, and 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
Mike Harris
Michael Deane "Mike" Harris was the 22nd Premier of Ontario from June 26, 1995 to April 15, 2002. He is most noted for the "Common Sense Revolution", his Progressive Conservative government's program of deficit reduction in combination with lower taxes and cuts to government...
signed the pledge drafted by CTF that stated he would not increase taxes without gaining voter approval first.
Teddy Awards
Each year the CTF holds three events:- A spoof of the Oscars, the "Ted Weatherill Award" (or "Teddy") is named after a former chairman of the Canada Labour Relations Board who was dismissed in 1998 for excessive spending. "Teddies" recipients are awarded "golden sows" for the best of the worst in high taxes and government waste.
- The CTF’s TaxFighter Award is given to a Canadian who the federation believes has demonstrated "outstanding commitment to the cause of taxpayer emancipation".
- "Gas Tax Honesty Day" is an annual event addressing rising gas prices.
2006 Teddy Awards
The 2006 Provincial/Municipal Teddy was awarded to the Manitoba
Manitoba
Manitoba is a Canadian prairie province with an area of . The province has over 110,000 lakes and has a largely continental climate because of its flat topography. Agriculture, mostly concentrated in the fertile southern and western parts of the province, is vital to the province's economy; other...
provincial government, nominated as "Trans-Manitoba" for "Special Achievement in Cosmetic Makeover and Budget Misallocation". The CTF accused the Winnipeg Regional Health Authority
Winnipeg Regional Health Authority
The Winnipeg Regional Health Authority is the governing body for healthcare regulation in an area of the Canadian province of Manitoba. Established in December 1999, the WRHA is one of 12 Regional Health Authorities in Manitoba responsible for coordinating health services in designated regions...
of spending money on unnecessary cosmetic surgery, including $981,000 for 218 abdominoplasty
Abdominoplasty
Abdominoplasty or "tummy tuck" is a cosmetic surgery procedure used to make the abdomen more firm. The surgery involves the removal of excess skin and fat from the middle and lower abdomen in order to tighten the muscle and fascia of the abdominal wall...
and other fat-reducing surgeries, and $10,900 for 31 vials of Botox
Botulinum toxin
Botulinum toxin is a protein produced by the bacterium Clostridium botulinum, and is considered the most powerful neurotoxin ever discovered. Botulinum toxin causes Botulism poisoning, a serious and life-threatening illness in humans and animals...
. The following day the Winnipeg Free Press
Winnipeg Free Press
The Winnipeg Free Press is a daily broadsheet newspaper in Winnipeg, Manitoba. Founded in 1872, as the Manitoba Free Press, it is the oldest newspaper in western Canada. It is the newspaper with the largest readership in the province....
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 antibiotic
Antibiotic
An antibacterial is a compound or substance that kills or slows down the growth of bacteria.The term is often used synonymously with the term antibiotic; today, however, with increased knowledge of the causative agents of various infectious diseases, antibiotic has come to denote a broader range of...
s, while the botulinum toxin was used to treat spastic muscle disorders such as multiple sclerosis
Multiple sclerosis
Multiple sclerosis is an inflammatory disease in which the fatty myelin sheaths around the axons of the brain and spinal cord are damaged, leading to demyelination and scarring as well as a broad spectrum of signs and symptoms...
. 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
Winnipeg Sun
The Winnipeg Sun is a daily tabloid-sized newspaper in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada.It is owned by Sun Media, a subsidiary of Quebecor Media, and shares many characteristics typical of Sun Media tabloids, including an emphasis on local news stories, extensive sports coverage, a Canadian conservatism...
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 for 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
Calgary
Calgary is a city in the Province of Alberta, Canada. It is located in the south of the province, in an area of foothills and prairie, approximately east of the front ranges of the Canadian Rockies...
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 their 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
Darrell Dexter
Darrell Dexter is a Canadian lawyer, journalist and former naval officer who is serving as the 27th and current Premier of the Canadian province of Nova Scotia. A member of the New Democratic Party, he has led the Nova Scotia NDP since 2001. He was elected Premier in 2009 after defeating...
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.
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 taxRegressive tax
A regressive tax is a tax imposed in such a manner that the tax rate decreases as the amount subject to taxation increases. "Regressive" describes a distribution effect on income or expenditure, referring to the way the rate progresses from high to low, where the average tax rate exceeds the...
". In 2008, Premier Ed Stelmach
Ed Stelmach
Edward Michael "Ed" Stelmach, MLA is a Canadian politician and served as the 13th Premier of Alberta, Canada, from 2006 to 2011. The grandson of Ukrainian immigrants, Stelmach was born and raised on a farm near Lamont and speaks fluent Ukrainian. He spent his entire pre-political adult life as a...
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 legislationFreedom of information legislation
Freedom of information legislation comprises laws that guarantee access to data held by the state. They establish a "right-to-know" legal process by which requests may be made for government-held information, to be received freely or at minimal cost, barring standard exceptions...
. 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 for more open government
Open government
Open government is the governing doctrine which holds that citizens have the right to access the documents and proceedings of the government to allow for effective public oversight. In its broadest construction it opposes reason of state and racist considerations, which have tended to legitimize...
.
In 2009, CTF joined the Canadian Newspaper Association
Canadian Newspaper Association
The Canadian Newspaper Association is the national organization of daily newspapers in Canada, founded in 1996. It is a non-profit trade association and lobby organization, which represents more than 100 Canadian English and French newspapers...
and BC Freedom of Information and Privacy Association requesting that the Prime Minister follow U.S. President Barack Obama
Barack Obama
Barack Hussein Obama II is the 44th and current President of the United States. He is the first African American to hold the office. Obama previously served as a United States Senator from Illinois, from January 2005 until he resigned following his victory in the 2008 presidential election.Born in...
's example and post details of stimulus spending online.
More recently, the organization demanded that Members of the Legislative Assembly of Alberta
Legislative Assembly of Alberta
The Legislative Assembly of Alberta is one of two components of the Legislature of Alberta, the other being the Queen, represented by the Lieutenant-Governor of Alberta. The Alberta legislature meets in the Alberta Legislature Building in the provincial capital, Edmonton...
(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
Parliament of the United Kingdom
The Parliament of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is the supreme legislative body in the United Kingdom, British Crown dependencies and British overseas territories, located in London...
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
Lisa MacLeod
Lisa MacLeod is a Canadian politician, who was first elected to the Legislative Assembly of Ontario on March 30, 2006 and subsequently re-elected on October 10, 2007...
's effort to disclose all contracts and grants over $10,000 and travel/hospitality expenses.
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 8Treaty 8
Treaty 8 was an agreement signed on June 21, 1899, between Queen Victoria and various First Nations of the Lesser Slave Lake area. The Treaty was signed just south of present-day Grouard, Alberta.-Treaty:...
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 of 2002, Benoit won his first case when Judge Douglas Campbell ruled in his favor. However, CTF appealed the decision and the second ruling was in CTF's favor, with the Supreme Court dismissing the case in 2004.
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
Stephen Harper
Stephen Joseph Harper is the 22nd and current Prime Minister of Canada and leader of the Conservative Party. Harper became prime minister when his party formed a minority government after the 2006 federal election...
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
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." As of 2010, the CTF supports private member's billPrivate Member's Bill
A member of parliament’s legislative motion, called a private member's bill or a member's bill in some parliaments, is a proposed law introduced by a member of a legislature. In most countries with a parliamentary system, most bills are proposed by the government, not by individual members of the...
C-391 which would eliminate the registry and is scheduled to be voted on in November. However, during a meeting for the Standing Committee on Public Safety and National Security, many of the members supported for the registry, which may stop the bill from coming to a vote.