Houston Must Cut Up Taxpayer Credit Card

by Jay Goldberg

Nova Scotia Premier Tim Houston’s spending surge raises concerns over future taxpayer burden as deficits soar. Photo credit: Twitter/Tim Houston   Nova Scotia Premier Tim Houston is driving his province towards a fiscal cliff. If he doesn’t change course soon, taxpayers will be in for a world of hurt. Houston didn’t inherit a rosy financial […]

Premiers stand strong against Trudeau’s divisive carbon tax politics

by Jay Goldberg

Gudie Hutchings, Liberal Minister for Rural Economic Development, comments surrounding Trudeau’s carbon tax reversal sparks controversy and questions about priorities. Photo Credit: Twitter/ctvqp   Ironically, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s divisive carbon tax carve-out has united the majority of provinces. Last month, Trudeau announced his government’s plan to suspend the federal carbon tax on furnace oil. […]

Ford emulating Trudeau?

by Jay Goldberg

Fiscal update highlights shifts in debt, corporate aid, and government size. Photo credit: Twitter/Doug Ford   The Ford government tabled its fall economic update earlier this month. If anyone doubted that Ford and Trudeau were cut from the same cloth, the numbers extinguish that doubt.   It’s become clear that Ford has adopted the Trudeau government’s […]

Ford’s gas tax cut delivers meaningful relief and should be here to stay

by Jay Goldberg

Photo Credit: Facebook/FordNation   More than $800. That’s how much the Ford government’s gas tax cuts will save the average two-car Ontario family by the end of June 2024. Premier Doug Ford announced last week that his government is extending its 6.4 cent per litre gas tax cut until June 30, 2024. That is music […]

Stiles could learn from Kinew

by Jay Goldberg

Ontario NDP Leader could learn from Manitoba Premier Kinew’s affordability strategies. Photo Credit: Kevin King/Winnipeg Sun   Ontario NDP leader Marit Stiles could learn a thing or two about affordability from newly-elected Manitoba Premier Wab Kinew. The first move Stiles could make in emulating Kinew is to support gas tax relief. Premier Doug Ford cut […]

Liberal consensus on costly carbon tax cracks

by Jay Goldberg

Until recently no one in the Trudeau government’s Liberal caucus was willing to stand up and tell the truth on carbon taxes. Newfoundland and Labrador MP Ken McDonald (pictured) finally broke that trend. Photo credit: Facebook/Ken McDonald   The dam has finally broken in the Liberal caucus with some MPs starting to admit the federal […]

No, Toronto isn’t undertaxed

by Jay Goldberg

Those who argue for higher taxes to solve Toronto’s budget woes continuously claim Torontonians are undertaxed, because property tax rates are lower than in neighbouring municipalities. That argument deserves two separate responses. Photo credit: Wikimedia Commons   It’s time to finally bust a myth: Torontonians do not have a lower tax burden than taxpayers in […]

Ford’s bloated government must end

by Jay Goldberg

Doug Ford’s government is anything but the lean, efficient administration he promised taxpayers. Photo credit: Twitter/Doug Ford   The man who once promised a leaner, more efficient and effective government at Queen’s Park has instead allowed it to balloon larger than any other Ontario premier in the 21st century.   In Premier Doug Ford’s first throne […]

Brace yourself for surging heating bills

by Jay Goldberg

Thanks to Trudeau’s carbon tax, if you heat your home with furnace oil, propane, or natural gas, you will be paying a lot more just to stay warm this winter. Photo credit: Getty Images/iStock   As Ontarians continue to struggle with soaring living costs, taxpayers better brace themselves for the bruising impact of the Trudeau […]

Chow must end Tory’s secret FIFA deal

by Jay Goldberg

Based on the limited financial information the city has released, Toronto taxpayers are facing a raw deal. City bureaucrats estimate taxpayers will be on the hook for $290 million to bring five World Cup games to Toronto in 2026. Pictured is former mayor John Tory. Photo credit: The Canadian Press/Christopher Katsarov   Toronto is out […]

Houston needs to tell the truth and end his debt dive

by Jay Goldberg

Nova Scotia Premier Tim Houston. In the span of just two years, Houston managed to increase government spending by a stunning 19 per cent. Photo credit: Twitter/Tim Houston   Nova Scotia Premier Tim Houston is slamming his foot on the gas pedal and driving the province toward a fiscal cliff. For the sake of future […]

Here’s the truth about Ontario’s education spending

by Jay Goldberg

Ontario spends more now than it ever has and leads the pack per student among large provinces across the country. Plus, remember those supposed cuts you heard about? The opposite is true. Pictured is Minister of Education Stephen Lecce. Photo credit: Facebook/Stephen Lecce   As Ontario families face the possibility of a looming teachers strike […]

It’s time for school choice in Ontario

by Jay Goldberg

Spending on government-run schools has reached record highs, yet performance has worsened. Photo credit: Pexels/RDNE Stock Project   Here’s something Ontario’s education establishment doesn’t want you to hear: improving school choice would improve students’ outcomes and the province’s bottom line. Ontario students get to pick what post-secondary schools to apply for, tutors to hire and […]

Ontario’s broken health-care system needs real change

by Jay Goldberg

More money – the proposed solution of choice for virtually all provincial governments past and present – simply won’t get the job done. Pictured is Ontario’s Minister of Health Sylvia Jones. Photo credit: Twitter/Sylvia Jones   Here’s a truth most politicians will never admit: throwing money at Ontario’s health-care system won’t solve its fundamental problems. […]

Yes, Toronto can pull the plug on co-hosting next FIFA World Cup

by Jay Goldberg

If the Australian state of Victoria can withdraw from being the sole host of the 2026 Commonwealth Games, Toronto can pull out from hosting less than 10 per cent of the 2026 World Cup games. Pictured is an artist rendering of a FIFA-ready expanded BMO Field. Photo credit: BMO Field   It’s time for the […]

Taxpayers get shafted with massive auto handouts

by Jay Goldberg

Now that Stellantis and Volkswagen have negotiated a collective $31-billion handout from the feds and Ontario, no doubt other automakers will follow. Photo credit: Bloomberg/Emily Elconin   Thirty-one billion dollars. That’s how much of your money Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Premier Doug Ford are handing over to two of the world’s largest and most […]

Here’s how Chow can confront Toronto’s budget challenges

by Jay Goldberg

There’s plenty the newly elected mayor can do, from pulling the plug on the city’s costly privilege of hosting a handful of FIFA World Cup games in 2026 to opening up the tendering process. Photo credit: Twitter/Olivia Chow   Olivia Chow won Toronto’s mayoral by-election promising to spend hundreds of millions of dollars the city […]

On bracket creep, Houston stands alone

by Jay Goldberg

Nova Scotia Premier Tim Houston. From coast to coast, every other government outside of Nova Scotia has acknowledged it is wrong to punish taxpayers simply for receiving a cost-of-living pay raise. Photo credit: CBC/Robert Short   Nova Scotia Premier Tim Houston stands alone by deliberately profiting off of inflation. By failing to index income tax […]

It’s time for Toronto City Council to stand up to big unions

by Jay Goldberg

Toronto has what’s called a closed tendering approach to awarding contracts for some of the city’s most expensive construction projects. That means that only certain construction companies affiliated with a handful of unions can bid to take on those jobs. Photo credit: Archinect   Canada’s largest city has been overpaying on construction projects to the […]

Ford must be wise with revenue windfall

by Jay Goldberg

Provincial government expected to bring in over $200 billion in tax revenue for 2023. According to the FAO, Ontario is positioned to run a surplus of $3 billion this year, $7.4 billion next year and $10 billion the year after that. Photo credit: Twitter/Doug Ford   Despite increasing government spending rapidly, the Ford government has […]

Ford saving families hundreds at the pump per year

by Jay Goldberg

In total, data from the finance ministry shows Premier Doug Ford’s gas tax cut has left over a billion dollars in taxpayers’ wallets, and that tab will continue to grow for the next several months. Photo credit: Twitter/Doug Ford   Eight dollars every week. That’s how much Premier Doug Ford’s gas tax cuts have saved […]

Here’s why Ford should cut the sales tax

by Jay Goldberg

Thanks in large part to inflation, provincial government set to collect nearly $25 billion more in tax revenue this year versus last. If he’s truly a man of and for the people, the premier would share some of that windfall with the wider population by lowering Ontario’s sales tax. Photo credit: Twitter/Doug Ford   It’s […]

PBO report shows Ottawa’s carbon tax rhetoric was always bluster

by Jay Goldberg

Filling up the tank at the pumps and paying the home heating bill is set to get a whole lot more painful, with Trudeau’s second carbon tax ready to come into effect July 1. Photo credit: The Canadian Press/Ryan Remiorz   We now know how much the Trudeau government’s carbon taxes will cost Ontario families […]

Ontario political party slush fund poised for a comeback

by Jay Goldberg

Taxpayer-funded quarterly allowances haven’t been awarded since last spring, when Premier Ford gave Ontario’s political parties three payments in advance, allowing them to spend the funds on attack ads during last year’s election campaign. Come June, the political welfare payments are set to resume. Photo credit: The Canadian Press/Chris Young   Ontario’s political party slush […]

Love affair between Trudeau and Ford over corporate welfare must end

by Jay Goldberg

The Prime Minister and Premier of Ontario have found common ground in recent years as keen proponents of corporate welfare, shelling out billions of taxpayer dollars to companies like Stellantis and Volkswagen. Photo credit: The Canadian Press/Tara Walton   Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Ontario Premier Doug Ford used to be political enemies. Yet, their […]

Toronto is the only municipality in Ontario that charges a land transfer tax. Mayoral candidate Anthony Furey (pictured, right) wants to change that by phasing out the additional tax in the years ahead. Photo credit: Twitter/Anthony Furey   Here’s a novel idea: if you want to bring the price of housing down, try taxing less. […]

Ford needs to be straight with taxpayers on Ontario Science Centre plans

by Jay Goldberg

Rather than fix the present Science Centre, the Ford government is planning to build a brand-new facility on the grounds of the old Ontario Place. But building a new facility will take time and a lot of taxpayer dough. Photo credit: Twitter/Doug Ford   In trying to rationalize moving the Ontario Science Centre to the […]

Corporate welfare has consequences

by Jay Goldberg

In March, the governments of Canada and Ontario jointly announced what could turn out to be the largest corporate welfare handout in the country’s history. Experts say the governments collectively gave some $10 billion to Volkswagen to build its new electric car battery plant in St. Thomas. Photo credit: AP/Michael Sohn   Here’s a sad […]

Ford a voice of reason on carbon taxes

by Jay Goldberg

Ontario’s premier fought hard against Kathleen Wynne’s carbon tax scheme and won. Now, he continues to fight the forces that be in Ottawa. Photo credit: Twitter/Doug Ford   Ontario Premier Doug Ford has a penchant for recognizing a wolf in sheep’s clothing. When it comes to carbon taxes, Ford wasn’t fooled for a moment. Scrapping […]

Furey schools Trudeau on budgeting

by Jay Goldberg

The 2023 budget presented by the Newfoundlander and Labrador premier demonstrates clear fiscal prudence. In contrast, Trudeau’s budget spends $20 billion more this year than last. Pictured is Premier Andrew Furey. Photo credit: The Canadian Press/Andrew Vaughan   The premier and prime minister might be young Liberal pals with a lot of star power, but […]

Ford leading a spending parade at Queen’s Park

by Jay Goldberg

In 2021-22, Ontario finished the fiscal year with a $2.1 billion surplus – but instead of building on that surplus for budget 2023, Premier Ford (left) and Finance Minister Peter Bethlenfalvy (right) tore it down. Photo credit: Twitter/Peter Bethlenfalvy   Ontario Premier Doug Ford was like a rookie at a blackjack table during this budget […]

It’s time for Houston to deliver

by Jay Goldberg

As Atlantic Canadians felt the crunch from inflation last year, the region’s premiers responded in one of two ways. Three premiers chose to deliver tax relief. Only Nova Scotia’s Tim Houston failed to offer any kind of meaningful relief to taxpayers. Photo credit: Communications Nova Scotia    Nova Scotia Premier Tim Houston was Atlantic Canada’s […]

King needs to offer Islanders a bold taxpayer-first agenda

by Jay Goldberg

Going forward, the P.E.I. premier can’t count on massive revenue windfalls. His election platform should show prudence and outline a plan to stay in the black. Photo credit: The Canadian Press/Brian McInnis   Rather than present a budget, Prince Edward Island Premier Dennis King has plunged his province into an election. While the election call […]

On Bill C-11, Liberal backbenchers face rendezvous with destiny

by Jay Goldberg

With the Trudeau government’s online ‘censorship’ bill heading back to the House of Commons this week, now is the time for Liberal MPs to decide what they want their legacies to be. Photo credit: The Canadian Press/Adrian Wyld   Liberal backbenchers have a first-rate opportunity to prove that MPs are more than trained seals by […]

Trudeau’s fiscal typhoon leads to wealth tax threat

by Jay Goldberg

Instead of dreaming up new taxes to hammer Canadians, Trudeau could start looking at areas to save. Photo credit: Bloomberg/David Kawai   If you hear the sound of water about to crash ashore, that’s the sound of the Trudeau government’s tidal wave of new taxes set to wash over taxpayers in this winter’s federal budget.  […]

Tory’s reckless record

by Jay Goldberg

Former mayor of Toronto John Tory’s time in office was marked by a level of financial imprudence that rivals that of even Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. Photo credit: CBC/Evan Mitsui   It’s time to dispel a yearslong myth: former mayor John Tory was no friend to Toronto taxpayers. He shouldn’t let the door hit him […]

Houston and King living large on your dime

by Jay Goldberg

Nova Scotia Premier Tim Houston (left) and P.E.I. Premier Dennis King. Their respective provincial governments are stubbornly refusing to adjust their tax brackets to account for soaring inflation. Photo credit: Twitter and Facebook   Two Atlantic Canadian governments are cashing in on inflation and it’s time for taxpayers to stand up and demand better.  When […]

Ford faces a moment of truth

by Jay Goldberg

Although the premier has made a series of bad financial decisions of late, he has a fresh mandate and a new opportunity to return to his pro-taxpayer roots. Photo credit: Twitter/Doug Ford   Premier Doug Ford is facing a moment of truth in the next budget. After years of runaway spending, will he finally embrace […]

Ford needs to end Ontario’s political party slush fund

by Jay Goldberg

It’s time for the premier to make good on his 2018 promise to nix the per-vote subsidy. Photo credit: Twitter/Doug Ford   Ontario Premier Doug Ford’s excuses for maintaining a taxpayer slush fund are wearing thin.  A decade ago, former premier Kathleen Wynne thought it would be a bright idea to give Ontario’s political parties […]

Higgs’ masterclass on fiscal management

by Jay Goldberg

While political leaders around the country used the pandemic as an excuse to increase spending across the board, New Brunswick’s Blaine Higgs took a different approach. Photo credit: The Canadian Press/Stephen MacGillivray   If anyone is looking for an instructor to teach a masterclass on defending the public purse, New Brunswick Premier Blaine Higgs should […]

Ford needs to end the Metrolinx fiasco

by Jay Goldberg

Photo credit: The Globe and Mail/Fred Lum   Imagine you’ve hired contractors to do a home renovation project. You’ve finally saved up enough money to add that second bathroom you’ve always wanted. What would you do if, halfway through the job, the contractors came to you and said that costs had suddenly doubled, and the […]

Ford should be bold and cut the sales tax to counter inflation

by Jay Goldberg

Premier Doug Ford. Photo credit: Twitter/Doug Ford   It’s time for Premier Doug Ford to be bold. The cost of living is soaring for Ontario families. To deliver relief to every Ontarian across the province, Ford should cut the provincial sales tax. Ford owes Ontarians relief. Four years ago, he promised to cut income taxes for the […]

Bill C-11 would be a blow to Canadian content creators

by Jay Goldberg

After failing to receive Senate approval before the last federal election, Canada’s so-called ‘online censorship bill’ was reintroduced by Minister of Canadian Heritage Pablo Rodriguez (pictured) in February of this year. Photo credit: The Canadian Press/Justin Tang   Prime Minister Justin Trudeau doesn’t care about Canadian content creators. When Heritage Minister Pablo Rodriquez first tabled […]

Ford needs to make his gas tax cut permanent to avoid being the grinch

by Jay Goldberg

After a temporary six-month pause, the provincial gas excise tax is set to be reinstituted at the end of the year. Photo credit: Twitter/Doug Ford   If Ontario Premier Doug Ford doesn’t want to be the grinch who stole Christmas, he’ll start working on a plan to make Ontario’s temporary gas tax cut permanent. Ontario […]

How Trudeau’s censorship law will impact you

by Jay Goldberg

Bill C-11 would hand the CRTC, a government agency, the power to control what Canadians are exposed to online through filtering our news and streaming feeds. Photo credit: Twitter/Justin Trudeau   Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is taking Canada on a headfirst dive toward government censorship, with the Senate the only obstacle standing between Canadians and […]

The Trudeau government is on a quest for censorship

by Jay Goldberg

Minister of Canadian Heritage Pablo Rodriguez. Photo credit: The Canadian Press/Patrick Doyle    Sign first, then we’ll discuss the details. Nobody would trust a real estate agent or used car dealership with that approach, but that’s how the Trudeau government is trying to sell its plan to regulate the internet. The government is currently trying […]

Yes, deficits and debt do matter

by Jay Goldberg

This year, Ontario is set to spend over $13 billion simply servicing the provincial debt. That’s money that comes from Main Street and heads into the pockets of bondholders on Bay Street. If Ontarians didn’t have to pay interest on the $440-billion provincial debt, more money would be free for other priorities. Photo credit: Flickr/Jonathan […]

Trudeau looking at a wealth tax to pay for soaring spending

by Jay Goldberg

Photo credit: The Canadian Press/Chad Hipolito   Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is eyeing a wealth tax to pay for his government’s spending spree. Heavily redacted documents obtained by the Canadian Taxpayers Federation show Trudeau asked for analysis of a $60-billion wealth tax. With indefinite deficits looming, it must be tempting to grab that cash. But a wealth […]

After cutting license plate sticker fees, Ford must keep going

by Jay Goldberg

Premier of Ontario Doug Ford announces the removal of tolls on Highway 412 and 418, Feb. 18, 2022. Ford has revealed several cost-saving initiatives for taxpayers over the last few weeks. Photo credit: Twitter/Doug Ford   License plate stickers in Ontario are destined for the ash heap of history, thanks to the Ford government’s commitment […]

Why Trudeau should say no to a wealth tax

by Jay Goldberg

Photo credit: Reuters/Patrick Doyle    As the federal budget approaches, taxpayers are holding on to their wallets a little tighter. Even though Prime Minister Justin Trudeau declared less than two years ago that “the last thing Canadians need is to see a rise in taxes,” the government will likely have to win the support of the NDP […]

On tax cuts, Ford should go all in

by Jay Goldberg

Premier Doug Ford and Minister of Finance Peter Bethlenfalvy (back). In March, Bethlenfalvy will present the Ford government’s last budget before the provincial election. Photo credit: The Canadian Press/Frank Gunn   After fifteen years of governments pursuing high spending, run-away deficits, and no meaningful tax relief, it’s time for Ontario Premier Doug Ford to think […]

With sky-high gas prices, Ford has a political opening

by Jay Goldberg

Photo credit: The Niagara Independent/Nicholas Tibollo   The collective blood pressure of Ontario taxpayers surged over the weekend as gas prices hit record levels across the province. In large part, hardworking taxpayers can blame the federal government for soaring costs. For the first time ever, gas prices in Ontario crossed the $1.50 per litre threshold. […]

Pandemic pay hikes show a tale of two Ontarios

by Jay Goldberg

Bureaucrats are getting raises, while average Ontarians are undergoing endless pay cuts and closures. Photo credit: Associated Press/Wilfredo Lee   Ontario has been experiencing a tale of two pandemics. One is a fairy tale for bureaucrats and the other is a grim story for the rest of us. Bureaucrats working for the province and its […]

Stocking stuffers Ford can gift Ontario taxpayers this holiday season

by Jay Goldberg

Photo credit: Getty Images/Jose Luis Pelaez   In case Premier Doug Ford is one of those last-minute holiday shoppers who doesn’t like the mall, Ontario taxpayers have some stocking stuffer ideas the Ontario government needs to deliver. The best gift ideas are presents that Ford should be very familiar with, since they were in his […]

New minister needs to rethink the government’s draconian internet regulations

by Jay Goldberg

Trudeau’s newly appointed Minister of Canadian Heritage Pablo Rodriquez. Photo credit: The Canadian Press/Sean Kilpatrick   Rarely, in the history of Confederation, have so many, from so many points on the political spectrum, been so unified in opposition to one specific policy. Before the last election, the Trudeau government’s proposed internet regulations provoked opposition from journalists, academics, civil […]

Free speech can’t be filtered through a bureaucratic superstructure

by Jay Goldberg

Protesters hold a rally over motion M-103, the Liberals’ so-called ‘anti-Islamophobia motion’, on Parliament Hill in Ottawa on March 21, 2017. Photo credit: The Canadian Press/Sean Kilpatrick   Free speech ensures that Canadians have the right to tell governments when they’re wrong. While this may be unpleasant for governments, it is absolutely vital in a […]

Teachers’ compensation is the cost elephant in the room

by Jay Goldberg

Ontario Liberal Party leader Steven Del Duca. Del Duca recently announced that, if elected, he would add several billion more to the province’s already bloated education budget. Photo credit: Postmedia Network/John Lappa

While thousands of Ontario teachers are receiving six-figure salaries, a budget crunch at the Ministry of Education means it’s time to bring their sky-high pay down to earth.

The party with taxpayers’ money must be put to bed

by Jay Goldberg

Ontario Premier Doug Ford promised to end the party with taxpayers’ money. Instead, he’s replaced the iPod playlist and chip dip with the booming beats of a live DJ and a laser light show.

When he was campaigning across the province during the 2018 election, Ford promised to end the government’s free-spending ways and restore fiscal responsibility to Queen’s Park.

Taxpayers shouldn’t bailout Laurentian University

by Jay Goldberg

It’s a bad idea to keep adding water to a leaky bucket. Millions of dollars have been gushing out of Laurentian University for years. And it’s not right to plug the holes with taxpayers’ cash.

Laurentian University is facing a debt crisis of its own making, and Ontario Premier Doug Ford’s political opponents are calling on the government to come to its rescue.

Hardworking Ontarians need help, and Ford can give it to them

by Jay Goldberg

Going for a drive is one of the few things families can do to get out of the house, but now they’re being hit with gas prices that have spiked to their highest point in two years. Filling up a minivan now costs $95.

Ford, like Trudeau, bets the farm on a hope and a prayer

by Jay Goldberg

As Ontario’s finance minister rose in the legislature to present the government’s 2021 budget, it became painfully clear that the Ford government is acting like an ostrich with its head firmly buried in the sand.

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