Ford rakes in more health taxes than ever

by Jay Goldberg

The Ford government is raking in $5 billion through the province’s health tax. The tax is charged on top of income taxes, so most Ontarians don’t even realize they’re paying it. Pictured: Ontario Premier Doug Ford. Photo Credit: Doug Ford/X.  There’s one statistic in Ontario budget that should raise the ire of taxpayers: a record […]

Ford’s gravy train chugs along

by Jay Goldberg

Ford’s practice of giving nearly everyone in his caucus pay bumps reflects his free spending approach to the province’s budget. Pictured: Ontario Premier Doug Ford. Photo Credit: Doug Ford/X.  It’s like a bad joke. How many politicians does it take to screw in a light blub? Nobody knows for sure, but apparently it takes more […]

Ford right on gas taxes, wrong on debt

by Jay Goldberg

To truly save money for taxpayers, Ford needs to both cut taxes and shrink the debt burden for future taxpayers. Pictured: Ontario Premier Doug Ford, Finance Minister Peter Bethlenfalvy and Health Minister Sylvia Jones. Photo Credit: Doug Ford/LinkedIn.  It was a week of ups and downs for Premier Doug Ford’s government.  Last Monday, Ford announced […]

The unfolding World Cup 2026 debacle in Toronto

by Jay Goldberg

  The reality is no politician – Tory, Chow, or anyone else – should have saddled Toronto taxpayers with this burden. Pictured: Toronto Mayor Olivia Chow. Photo Credit: Olivia Chow/X. Toronto taxpayers recently received news as predictable as the sun rising in the east: the price tag for hosting a handful of 2026 World Cup […]

Ford should follow Furey and extend gas tax cut

by Jay Goldberg

Ford’s gas tax cut has meant real relief for Ontario families. The typical two-car Ontario family has saved about $8 per week at the pumps since July 2022. Pictured: Premier Doug Ford. Photo Credit: Doug Ford/X Premier Doug Ford has delivered real relief to Ontario families through his temporary 6.4 cent per litre gas tax […]

Here’s how Bethlenfalvy can fix the budget in 2024

by Jay Goldberg

If the Ford government addresses three key points – spending control, tax relief and structural change – it will begin to earn back the trust of disappointed Ontario taxpayers. Pictured: Ontario Finance Minister Peter Bethlenfalvy. Photo Credit: The Canadian Press/Chirstopher Katsarov.    Finance Minister Peter Bethlenfalvy has a chance to turn the page on six […]

Taxpayers want Houston to end bracket creep

by Jay Goldberg

The truth is that Nova Scotia Premier Tim Houston is using health care as an excuse to continue profiting off inflation at taxpayers’ expense. Photo Credit: X/Tim Houston. Nova Scotia Premier Tim Houston is the only first minister in all of Canada deliberately profiting off inflation at taxpayers’ expense.  By refusing to adjust income tax […]

Ford schools Trudeau on affordability

by Jay Goldberg

When it comes to affordability, Ford has shown he understands what families are going through. Trudeau, on the other hand, has shown just how out of touch he is with the lives of everyday Canadians. Photo Credit: Reuters/Cole Burston.    When it comes to making life more affordable for struggling families, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau […]

Chow must call for pay freeze in future contract negotiations

by Jay Goldberg

If Toronto really is broke, as Chow keeps telling taxpayers, she should insist the salaries of city employees are frozen in all future contract negotiations until the city gets back on sound financial footing. Pictured: Toronto Mayor Olivia Chow. Photo Credit: The Canadian Press/Tjana Martin.   Toronto Mayor Olivia Chow says the city is broke. […]

It’s time for Ford to make a budget U-turn

by Jay Goldberg

Ford has made his fair share of mistakes over the past six years. But with two years left in his mandate, Ford still has a chance to right his wrongs. That starts with this year’s budget. Pictured: Ontario Premier Doug Ford. Photo Credit: Twitter/Doug Ford.    Premier Doug Ford created a financial mess over the […]

It’s time to axe Ontario’s health tax

by Jay Goldberg

Putting the health tax on the chopping block would be a boon for taxpayers and show Ontarians that Ford is serious about helping families make ends meet. Pictured: Premier Doug Ford and Finance Minister Peter Bethlenfalvy Photo Credit: The Canadian Press/Frank Gunn.    There’s one tax in particular Ontario taxpayers want to see on the […]

Toronto isn’t broke and tax hikes don’t have to be inevitable

by Jay Goldberg

When Chow was asked if she was prepared to commit to Carroll’s property tax hike plans, Chow responded by saying she needed to consult with and hear from Toronto taxpayers first. Toronto taxpayers need to give Chow exactly what she’s asked for. Photo Credit: Twitter/Olivia Chow.    Toronto taxpayers were barely given time to enjoy […]

Newfoundlanders and Labradorians face major gas tax hike

by Jay Goldberg

Without action from the province, the combined impact of the end of the gas tax cut and the increase in the federal carbon tax would be a stunning 11.8 cents per litre. That would drive up the cost of filling up a minivan by nine dollars overnight. Photo Credit: The Canadian Press/Andrew Vaughan.    Forty […]

Start the Countdown to the end of political welfare in Ontario

by Jay Goldberg

Ford should seize the moment and end political welfare now. Photo Credit: Twitter/Doug Ford.    Ontario’s political welfare system will finally be relegated to the ash heap of history a year from now. But that’s not nearly soon enough. Political parties in Ontario have gotten millions of taxpayer dollars four times a year with no […]

Look out for major tax hikes in 2024

by Jay Goldberg

Trudeau’s 2024 tax hikes, including increased payroll taxes and higher CPP contributions, will cost the average $80,000 earner an extra $507 annually. Meanwhile, Ontario’s promised income tax cut by Premier Doug Ford remains undelivered, leaving taxpayers grappling with increased financial strain amid rising expenses. Photo credit: The Canadian Press/Tara Walton   Prime Minister Justin Trudeau […]

Islanders Set for Major Tax Relief to Ring in New Year

by Jay Goldberg

P.E.I. residents set to benefit from Premier Dennis King’s 2024 tax relief, potentially saving households $400 in provincial taxes, but concerns arise over bracket creep’s long-term impact Photo Credit: Facebook/Dennis King   Imagine what your family could do with an extra $400. Thanks to Prince Edward Island Premier Dennis King, Islanders won’t be imagining what […]

Ford’s five-year report card

by Jay Goldberg

Photo credit: Twitter/Doug Ford   It’s time to grade Ontario Premier Doug Ford’s record after half a decade in office.  No matter how you slice it, Ford isn’t coming anywhere close to the taxpayer honour roll.  Ford deserves a failing grade on taxes, deficits and debt.   But with more than two years left in his […]

Houston Must Cut Up Taxpayer Credit Card

by Jay Goldberg

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 situation. In the previous Liberal government’s final budget before Houston won the 2021 election, former premier […]

Ford emulating Trudeau?

by Jay Goldberg

Fiscal update highlights shifts in debt, corporate aid, and government size. Photo credit: Twitter/Doug FordPhoto 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 […]

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 […]

Hamilton shifting away from Eisenberger’s careful budgeting

by Jay Goldberg

Current mayor Andrea Horwath has increased Hamilton’s city spending more in her first year as head of council than former mayor Fred Eisenberger (pictured here alongside Premier Doug Ford) did in his final four years in office. Photo credit: Premier of Ontario    The budget Hamilton City Council passed this spring, under the leadership of […]

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 […]

 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 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 […]

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 […]

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 […]

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