New drug price guidelines will hinder Canadians access to new and innovative treatments Cheaper prescription drugs are a bit like apple pie: sure to please just about everyone. But if lower prices come at the expense of access to potentially life-saving new medicine, that’s not quite so appetizing. Unfortunately, it seems that bureaucrats in Ottawa…
Remember, the tax collectors’ objectives are at odds with taxpayers’ interests Nobody likes filing tax returns. Tracking down pay slips, filing away proofs for every deduction and filling out forms is very few people’s idea of a fun way to spend their time. Even worse is having to do it twice, if you happen to…
Bracket creep has cost taxpayers too much for too long
If a business overcharged you by $450, you might want an explanation. The least that business could do is stop overcharging you in the future. Prices for everything from groceries to gasoline are going up fast enough without overcharges on top. Prince Edward Island MLAs owe Islanders an explanation about their income tax bills. The…
Prince Edward Island has to stop digging into Islander families’ pockets
The government of Prince Edward Island seems happier to acknowledge inflation’s impact on your wallet than to do something about it. Prince Edward Island is one of only three Canadian provinces – along with Alberta and Nova Scotia – that does not index any tax brackets to inflation. As a result, the tax code pushes…
It is eroding Nova Scotians’ disposable incomes
If your take-home pay was cut by $75 this year, would you notice it? It’s $2.88 per paycheque. You might not notice. But if it goes up every year, it quickly snowballs. Surely you’d notice if your take-home pay was $1,334 smaller … That’s exactly how the government of Nova Scotia has been increasing your…
Nearly eight in 10 Canadians want the G-G entitlement policy scrapped
Julie Payette must feel like she won the lottery. Despite resigning in shame from her posting as governor general amidst allegations of creating a toxic workplace, she is still entitled to the Cadillac of all retirement packages, courtesy of all of us taxpayers. First off, there’s the pension. At $150,000 per year, it’s generous enough…
Why are we paying for something the private sector was more than happy to pay for in the past?
Say your backyard needs a new fence and your neighbour offers to pay for it. Chances are you would take that deal. That’s what we’ve done historically with federal leaders’ debates. Large media organizations would cover the costs and haggle with the parties about how the debates should be organized. Since 2018 though, the federal government…
It doesn’t make sense to build a whole new stadium for half of a ball season
Montrealers are happy to welcome new neighbours with a bagel basket or a case of beer, but we’re not buying them a new hot tub. That’s how taxpayers in Montreal feel about the Tampa Bay Rays. They sure seem like a great team. We’d love to see them play some games in Montreal. But we’re…
Union leaders in New Brunswick demanding nothing less than a 20 per cent raise over the next four years
It seems like nothing short of their weight in gold will satisfy CUPE union leaders in New Brunswick. Over the next four years, CUPE is demanding nothing less than a 20 per cent raise. This would cost New Brunswick taxpayers an extra $158 million per year once fully implemented. It would already be an unrealistic…
A $600 million gap exists between what the province currently spends and what it can afford to spend without increasing its debt load
Based on the mood in government offices in Fredericton, you would think everything is rolling along smoothly with the top down. Yet, the province’s finances are headed straight for a brick wall. According to the independent Parliamentary Budget Officer’s latest report, there’s a $600 million gap between what New Brunswick currently spends and what it…