Canadian Taxpayers Federation

The Canadian Taxpayers Federation or CTF, is a Canadian non-governmental organization that critiques and monitors spending by the federal provincial and local governments.

The CTF is a federally incorporated, non-profit and non-partisan organization that claims to have over 64,000 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. The CTF also has a working partnership with the Montreal-based Quebec Taxpayers League. Provincial offices and the League conduct research and advocacy activities specific to their provinces, and act as regional organizers of Canada-wide initiatives.

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, six times a year, and a monthly "TaxAction" update and a website/blog. CTF offices also issue weekly "Let’s Talk Taxes" commentaries to media outlets.

CTF Directors

* National Communications Director - [http://www.taxpayer.com/main/bio.php?id=7 Troy Lanigan]
*Federal Director - [http://www.taxpayer.com/main/bio.php?id=8 John Williamson]
*Ontario Director - [http://www.taxpayer.com/main/bio.php?id=41 Kevin Gaudet]
*Alberta Director - [http://www.taxpayer.com/main/bio.php?id=34 Scott Hennig]
*British Columbia Director - [http://www.taxpayer.com/main/bio.php?id=44 Maureen Bader]
*Manitoba Director - [http://www.taxpayer.com/main/bio.php?id=48 Colin Craig]
*Saskatchewan Director - [http://www.taxpayer.com/main/bio.php?id=45 Lee Harding]

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

CTF activities

Campaigns: The CTF initiatives include public relations campaigns and paid advertising. Public policy campaigns are intended to incorporate greater involvement and support from the general public.

Annual events: 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.

Reports and Submissions: 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.

Links to conservative political parties

While the group is officially non-partisan, it has links to conservative parties in Canada. Politicians with roots in the Taxpayers Federation include Conservative Party of Canada Member of Parliament Jason Kenney, 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. [cite web|url=http://www.parl.gc.ca/information/about/process/house/hfer/hfer.asp?Language=E&Search=Det&rid=877&Include=|title=History of Federal Ridings since 1867: Burnaby--Kingsway, British Columbia (1987 - 1996)|accessdate=2007-07-26] 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.

As of 2006, all of the federation's provincial directors had roots in conservative parties. Ontario director Tasha Kheiriddin was once president of the Progressive Conservative Youth Federation and later a ministerial aide in the government of Ontario Progressive Conservative premier Mike Harris. Saskatchewan director David MacLean was a staffer for Ralph Klein's Progressive Conservative government in Alberta. Adrienne Batra of the Manitoba office worked as a staff person for the Saskatchewan Party in Saskatchewan, while Alberta director Scott Hennig worked in the Alberta Progressive Conservative Government Members’ Research Branch. Sara MacIntyre, the federation's BC director, worked as a researcher in the Conservative leader's office in Ottawa. Ontario director Kevin Gaudet served as the past director of opposition research for Preston Manning, former leader of the Reform Party. During the 1995 Ottawa-Vanier byelection Mr. Gaudet was the Reform Party’s candidate, placing second.

Many people within the organization have links to conservative parties in Canada and show favour towards the conservative government. [cite web|url=http://www.taxpayer.com/main/news.php?news_id=2277|title=CTF to Alberta government: You’re going the wrong way!] [cite web|url=http://www.taxpayer.com/main/news.php?news_id=2924|title=So much for spending restraint] [cite web|url=http://www.taxpayer.com/main/news.php?news_id=2730|title=Taxpayers Release Top 100 Tory Handouts] [cite web|url=http://www.taxpayer.com/main/news.php?news_id=2515|title=Big Government Conservatism]

2006 Teddy Awards

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 award received wide coverage in the Canadian media on March 1 2006.Fact|date=August 2007 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.cite news|first=Mia|last=Rabson|title=Foolish funding? Not a bit, MDs say Botox eases MS pain, tuck stops infection|url=http://206.75.155.80/health/MainPDF/March%202006/060302.pdf|format=PDF|work= |publisher="Winnipeg Free Press" (reprinted in "Health Canada Media Monitoring Unit 2006-03-02")|page=A1|date=March 2 2006|accessdate=2007-08-09|work=] 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. [cite news|author=Troy Lanigan|title=RE: Notice of Withdrawal for Teddy Awarded March 1, 2006|publication=CTF|date=March 9 2006|url=http://www.taxpayer.com/pdf/Teddy_letter.pdf|accessdate=2007-08-09] The withdrawal cited a December 4, 2005 story in the "Winnipeg Sun" that implied that the Botox treatments and abdominoplastys were for cosmetic purposes.

References

External links

* [http://www.taxpayer.com CTF website]
* [http://www.taxpayerblog.com/ CTF Blog]