Canadians know you’re paying too much for paper pushers in Ottawa.
They’re absolutely right. And now you have the exclusive polling to prove it.
The bureaucrats and big union bosses are going to need to sit down to read this one.
Plus, Alberta’s government took a leap backwards when it comes to accountability.
You’ll have to read on to get all the details.
Enjoy,
Carson
More bureaucrats? More problems!
Ottawa’s bureaucratic hiring bender is bonkers.
The federal government added 99,000 new bureaucrats since 2016. That’s enough paper pushers to fill Kamloops or Red Deer.
Ottawa’s bureaucracy cost taxpayers $40.2 billion in 2016. That number ballooned by 77 per cent to $71.2 billion last year.
And what do you have to show for that massive increase in paper pushers?
Worse service.
Half of Canadians say that federal services are worse now than they were in 2016, according to a Leger poll commissioned by the Canadian Taxpayers Federation.
Only 11 per cent of Canadians say services are better than they were in 2016, and most of those people acknowledge that services “should be better.”
This is a huge blow to the unions’ spin. Government union bosses want you to think the sky will fall if bureaucrats get fired. But the government added 99,000 bureaucrats over the last 10 years and half of Canadians still say services are worse.
When it comes to solutions, Canadians are crystal clear.
Fifty-four per cent of Canadians want to cut the size and cost of the federal bureaucracy. Just four per cent of Canadians said the bureaucracy should increase while 24 per cent want to maintain the current size of the bureaucracy.
Among Canadians with a firm opinion, two-thirds support cutting the size and cost of the
bureaucracy.
It makes sense — you shouldn’t be paying more for worse service.
The polling results are clear: Canadians want Prime Minister Mark Carney to pick up a pair of scissors and start cutting Ottawa's bloated bureaucracy.
Alberta accountability weirdness
Alberta taxpayers just took a wild ride on the government transparency front.
The Alberta government had a long-time policy of posting itemized expense receipts online. This meant that anyone could see the expense receipts for government officials without having to pay freedom-of-information fees.
If the government is spending your money to rent a car, an itemized receipt tells you if it’s on a Corvette or a Corolla.
But in a baffling move, the Alberta government stopped proactively disclosing itemized receipts for the expenses of government officials on the Friday before the August long weekend.
The Canadian Taxpayers Federation fought hard to get this level of transparency in Alberta. It became standard policy back in 2012.
The CTF immediately called on the government to reverse the change and to continue proactively posting itemized expense receipts online.
The news about the change broke on Monday, August 11, while Premier Danielle Smith was on a trade mission to Mexico.
When Smith returned to Alberta, she responded to a question about the policy change.
Smith said she was confused by the changes to the policy, saying all that was supposed to happen was for the names of frequented hotels in smaller locations to be redacted for safety reasons – not for the itemized receipts to stop being proactively posted.
Smith stated the change would be discussed and a “reversal” will be coming at the next cabinet meeting on Tuesday.
Taxpayers will be watching the cabinet meeting closely.
VIDEO: Teddy People’s Choice Awards
From government railway companies with no trains to phone lines for rivers, politicians and bureaucrats never stop dreaming up new ways to waste your money.
We asked taxfighters like you who you thought should win the award for dumbest government spending this year.
CTF Federal Director Franco Terrazzano and Alberta Director Kris Sims break down who YOU picked for the government waste awards winners. We also reacted to some of the hilarious comments and suggestions we heard from taxfighters like you.
You can watch and share the video by clicking on the YouTube link below.
Watch: taxpayer.us1.list-manage.com
Taxpayer reading list
If you’re looking for more reading on the issues, we’ve got you covered.
Chopping gun confiscation program a good place to start cutting government spending: taxpayer.us1.list-manage.com
Taxpayers score win in capital gains court fight: taxpayer.us1.list-manage.com
B.C. Bureaucrats rack up helicopter tab instead of taking the ferry: taxpayer.us1.list-manage.com
Hiding receipts? Don’t try that in Alberta: taxpayer.us1.list-manage.com
Federal bureaucracy is out of control: taxpayer.us1.list-manage.com
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