Canadian Taxpayers Podcast

The governor general just took another pay raise. And you paid for it! The governor general’s salary is now just shy of $400,000. Plus, you’re paying for a bunch of other extravagant perks for the governor general. A governor general can bill you for up to $130,000 for their clothes. A former governor general can also bill taxpayers like you up to $200,000 every year for the rest of their lives and up to six months after their death. A former governor general gets a $150,000 annual taxpayer-funded pension. Sign the PETITION: Rein in the governor general’s pay and perks: https://www.taxpayer.com/petitions/rein-in-governor-general-perks

The federal government finally launched its confiscation program with a six-week pilot project in Cape Breton, Nova Scotia. The government aimed to confiscate 200 firearms during the project. It spent more than $150,00 and only collected 25 from 16 different people. That’s a clear failure. Ottawa needs to scrap this scheme. Sign the petition to scrap the gun confiscation here: https://www.taxpayer.com/petitions/scrap-the-gun-ban-and-buy-back

“Taxpayers are getting SOAKED.” A new report shows the massive cost of Ottawa’s bloated bureaucracy. The cost of the federal bureaucracy increased 80% in 10 years. The government added 99,000 bureaucrats in 10 years. The government rubberstamped $1.5 billion in bonuses since 2015. Average compensation per full-time federal bureaucrat is $148,000. There are 146,786 federal employees with a six-figure salary (nearly 40 per cent of the bureaucracy). You can read (and share) the full Canadian Taxpayers Federation report here: https://www.taxpayer.com/media/ctf-report-federal-bureaucracy-2026.pdf

The Canadian Taxpayers Federation put up a billboard right out front of Parliament Hill and Carney’s office with this message: “Scrap the gun ban and confiscation.” Carney’s gun grab is a huge taxpayer boondoggle and it won’t make Canada safer. The government is going after law-abiding Canadians instead of going after criminals and illegal guns. Sign the PETITION: Scrap the gun ban: https://www.taxpayer.com/petitions/scrap-the-gun-ban-and-buy-back

Mark Carney says the consumer carbon tax is finished. At the same time, he wants to strengthen the industrial carbon tax. He’s also paused the federal electric vehicle mandate for review — without committing to scrap it. So is this a real break from Justin Trudeau’s environmental agenda, or the same policies under new management? A former Liberal MP and the president of Canadians for Affordable Energy joins Kris to unpack what a Carney-led Liberal government could mean in 2026.

You pay too much tax because governments waste too much money. But how much tax do you actually pay? What’s happening to your tax bill in 2026? And how does Canada’s tax system compare with other countries? The Canadian Taxpayers Federation breaks all that down and more!

New CRTC regulations from the Liberal government aim to apply “Canadian content” rules to online platforms like YouTube, Spotify, and Netflix. What would that mean for your online experience? Could non-CanCon content get buried, or could streaming giants leave Canada rather than comply? Host Kris Sims speaks with longtime journalist and former CRTC vice-chair Peter Menzies to break down what’s really happening.

It doesn’t matter what politicians label their carbon taxes, all carbon taxes make life more expensive and don’t work. Prime Minister Mark Carney’s hidden carbon tax on business is the worst of all worlds: Higher prices and fewer Canadian jobs. “It means more than a six times increase in the industrial price on carbon,” Carney said after signing the memorandum of understanding with the Alberta government. The Canadian Taxpayers Federation will keep fighting to scrap ALL carbon taxes! Sign the PETITION: Stop the hidden carbon tax on Canadian businesses: https://www.taxpayer.com/petitions/stop-the-hidden-carbon-tax-on-businesses

BUSTED! You wont guess which politician wasted $190,000 on three soccer balls made of wood. Plus, you already know that Ottawa is racking up huge charges on the taxpayer credit card. Some provincial governments are following that bad example.

Alberta just got a big “maybe” from Ottawa, but what’s the real price tag? In this episode of The Fighter, Kris Sims breaks down the new Ottawa–Alberta energy memorandum: promises of lifting the emissions cap, easing the tanker ban, and opening the door to new pipelines, but also the risk of much higher industrial carbon costs. Economist Dr. Jack Mintz explains how these carbon measures could raise production costs, hit taxpayers, and affect jobs and investment in Alberta. Kris also covers a major First Nations transparency victory. Frog Lake First Nation member Hans McCarthy, supported by the Canadian Taxpayers Federation, won a court case forcing Ottawa to release long-hidden financial records from a $100-million trust. CTF’s Devin Drover and Gage Haubrich explain why this ruling matters for Indigenous communities across Canada seeking real accountability.

The first budget under Prime Minister Mark Carney has officially passed — so what comes next? In today’s episode, we break down the Interim PBO’s review of the budget and explore what it all means. Spoiler: government spending is accelerating fast. Sign the petition: Stop Racking Up Debt https://www.taxpayer.com/petitions/stop-racking-up-debt

The Canadian Taxpayers Federation hosted a huge rally to protest against Carney’s gun ban and confiscation in Cape Breton. Cape Breton sent a huge message to Ottawa: We won’t be guinea pigs for the government’s gun confiscation test trial! Carney’s gun ban and confiscation is a huge taxpayer boondoggle and it won’t make Canada safer. Sign the PETITION: Scrap the gun ban and confiscation:https://www.taxpayer.com/petitions/scrap-the-gun-ban-and-buy-back

Carney’s gun ban and confiscation scheme is a huge taxpayer boondoggle. It targets law-abiding Canadians’ private property. And it won’t make Canada safe. Clayton Campbell, the President of the Toronto Police Association, joins the show to explain why the gun confiscation scheme won’t improve public safety. Plus, we have CTF’s Kris Sims on the show to breakdown the major taxpayer news you don’t want to miss!

If Trump wants to hammer Americans with new taxes, it doesn’t mean Carney should hammer Canadians with new taxes. Retaliatory tariffs are taxes on Canadian consumers and business that will make your life more expensive. The Carney government’s retaliatory tariffs could cost Canadian families hundreds of dollars this year in new taxes. We had the Montreal Economic Institute’s Vice President of Communications Renaud Brossard on the Taxpayer Podcast to make the case for free trade. Sign the PETITION: No carbon tariffs: https://www.taxpayer.com/petitions/no-carbon-tariffs Support our mission: https://www.taxpayer.com/support-the-podcast

The CBC’s bureaucracy is a bloated mess and it’s costing you big time. CBC has more than 250 directors, 450 managers and 780 producers that are paid more than $100,000 per year. The CBC also employed 130 advisors, 81 analysts, 120 hosts, 80 project leads, 30 lead architects, 25 supervisors, among other positions, that were paid more than $100,000 last year. Plus, we go after federal departments and Crown corporations that reward failure with taxpayer-funded bonuses. All that and more in this week’s Taxpayer Podcast. Sign the PETITION to defund the CBC: https://www.taxpayer.com/petitions/defund-the-cbc-and-end-media-bailout Support our mission: https://www.taxpayer.com/support-the-podcast

A family’s biggest cost is NOT food, clothes or housing. A family’s biggest cost is taxes. The average Canadian family is paying 42 per cent of its budget in taxes to all levels of government. That means Canadian families are spending more on taxes than what they’re spending on food, housing and clothing COMBINED. Plus, we break down what might be the craziest boondoggle yet: The federal ban on the sale of new gas and diesel vehicles by 2035. You have every reason to worry your tax and power bills will increase to pay for all the subsidies, charging stations, power plants and transmission lines required for the government’s ban. All that and more in this episode of the Taxpayer Podcast. Support our mission: https://www.taxpayer.com/support-the-podcast

The federal government is still imposing hidden carbon taxes on Canadian businesses! Prime Minister Mark Carney’s hidden carbon tax on businesses is the worst of all worlds: higher prices for you and fewer jobs for Canadians. Plus, bureaucrats in B.C. have been taking hundreds of luxury helicopter rides on taxpayers’ dime. All that and more in this episode of the Taxpayer Podcast. Support our mission: https://www.taxpayer.com/support-the-podcast

The federal government spending has ballooned out of control. The Canadian Taxpayers Federation breaks down the Carney government’s spending review and makes the case for serious spending cuts. Plus, mayors in British Columbia are taking extra taxpayer cash just to attend meetings. All that and more in this week’s Taxpayer Podcast. Support our mission: https://www.taxpayer.com/support-the-podcast

BEST spin off ever! Tune in to the Western Roundup from the Canadian Taxpayers Federation! How much money do we actually have in The West? Why is a Vancouver-area mayor being paid more than the President of the United States?! Support our mission: https://www.taxpayer.com/support-the-podcast

Taxpayer win! Prime Minister Mark Carney scraps the digital services tax, saving taxpayers big money on their online subscriptions. But it’s not all good news. All levels of government are shelling out bundles of taxpayer cash to host some games during the 2026 FIFA World Cup in Vancouver and Toronto. We break down the ridiculous plans and highlight polling numbers that show Canadians in those provinces don’t want to waste money on these games. Plus, we dive into why so many young Canadians are fed up with how much they pay in taxes. All that and more in this week’s Taxpayer Podcast. Support our mission: https://www.taxpayer.com/support-the-podcast

Carney is continuing Trudeau’s debt-fuelled spending spree. Debt interest charges are costing taxpayers more than $1 billion every week. The Canadian Taxpayers Federation did a deep dive through the government’s main spending plan to detail exactly how Ottawa is spending your money. All that and more in this week’s Taxpayer Podcast. Support our mission: https://www.taxpayer.com/support-the-podcast

The federal government’s gun ban and confiscation scheme will be an ineffective and costly boondoggle. But there is good news. Most Canadians want the government to go after illegal gun smugglers, not law-abiding Canadian firearms owners. Plus, we break how much the federal bureaucracy is costing you. All that and more in this week’s Taxpayer Podcast. Support our mission: https://www.taxpayer.com/support-the-podcast

Poilievre vs Carney on taxes, debt and the economy! From tax cuts to government waste, debt and the economy, the Canadian Taxpayers Federation breaks down what the major federal parties are promising taxpayers before election day. Support our mission: https://www.taxpayer.com/support-the-podcast

Get your copy of Axing the Tax: The Rise and Fall of Canada’s Carbon Tax: https://amzn.to/3QZLjgp

When politicians are dueling over who can promise the biggest tax cut, that’s good news for taxpayers. Who’s telling taxpayers the truth? Are the Liberals really abandoning their signature carbon tax? Plus, how did the B.C. Government manage to blow $118,000 on a party for bureaucrats, featuring $57 sandwiches and $21 cocktails? UPDATE: This episode was filmed on March 19, before the B.C. government announced that the provincial carbon tax would also be scrapped on April 1. Support our mission: https://www.taxpayer.com/support-the-podcast

The Canadian Taxpayers Federation is taking the CBC to court to force the state broadcaster to provide transparency regarding the money it spends on advertising. Canadians have a right to know how their tax dollars are being spent, but the CBC wants to keep taxpayers in the dark. That’s why we are going to court to compel the CBC to be transparent and release financial information that taxpayers have the right to see. Plus, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau billed taxpayers $81,000 for his household groceries in one year! All that and more in this week’s Canadian Taxpayers Podcast. Support our mission: https://www.taxpayer.com/support-the-podcast

Liberal leadership front-runner Mark Carney wants to hammer businesses with hidden carbon taxes and hopes you won’t notice when your life gets more expensive. We break down how Carney’s hidden carbon tax impacts you. Plus, the government is musing about nearly doubling the tax dollars it gives the CBC. All that and more in this week’s Canadian Taxpayers Podcast. Support our mission: https://www.taxpayer.com/support-the-podcast

Liberal leadership front-runner Mark Carney wants you to think he’s scrapping the carbon tax. But he wants to impose carbon taxes on businesses and carbon tax tariffs. Here’s the thing: a carbon tax on business is a carbon tax on consumers. Carbon taxes on refineries make gas more expensive. Carbon taxes on utilities make home heating more expensive. And Carbon taxes on fertilizer plants increase costs for farmers and make groceries more expensive. Plus, we break down how the federal government should response to potential tariffs from the United States. All that and more in this week’s Canadian Taxpayers Podcast. Support our mission: https://www.taxpayer.com/support-the-podcast

Taxpayers across Canada forced the Trudeau government to back down from enforcing the illegal and undemocratic capital gains tax hike this year. This is a huge win for taxpayers who stood up and fought back against a tax grab that would illegally take billions of dollars from Canadians. Now the fight will continue until the capital gains tax hike is permanently scrapped. We break it all down in this week’s Canadian Taxpayers Podcast. Support our mission: https://www.taxpayer.com/support-the-podcast

The Trudeau government is enforcing an undemocratic capital gains tax hike that was never approved by Parliament. Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre says he'll reverse it. We break it all down in this week’s Canadian Taxpayers Podcast. Support our mission: https://www.taxpayer.com/support-the-podcast

The carbon tax is on the edge of collapse. When will the government scrap the carbon tax? Will the Liberals beat Poilievre to the punch? Plus, who are the big names running to replace Trudeau and where do they stand on axing the tax? This episode was recorded on the afternoon of January 10, 2025 - before Christy Clark announced she was no longer pursuing the Liberal Party leadership. Support our mission: https://www.taxpayer.com/support-the-podcast

This podcast was recorded on Friday, January 3rd, before the resignation of Justin Trudeau. Looking forward: what’s ahead for taxpayers? Will we scrap the carbon tax? Can the next government balance the budget? Why should ordinary people get in the arena and fight for lower taxes, less waste and more accountable government? President and CEO of the Taxpayers Federation Scott Hennig speaks with the podcast. Support our mission: https://www.taxpayer.com/support-the-podcast

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s four-day trip to Europe in June cost taxpayers almost $1 million. Trudeau and his 40-person entourage spent $71,000 on food! That means Trudeau and his entourage spent more money on food in four days than the average family spends on groceries in four years. And they sent you the bill. Plus, we got our hands on Global Affairs Canada’s entire real estate portfolio. You won’t believe how these bureaucrats are spending your money in other countries. All that and more in this week’s Canadian Taxpayers Podcast. Support our mission: https://www.taxpayer.com/support-the-podcast

The CTF was in Parliament calling for the federal government to scrap the carbon tax. The carbon tax is making life too expensive, and punishing Canadians for the basics of life like heating their homes and driving to work. CTF Atlantic Director and General Counsel Devin Drover was in a parliamentary committee pushing politicians to scrap the federal carbon tax and make life affordable for Canadians. Support our mission: https://www.taxpayer.com/support-the-podcast

The CTF was SUMMONED to testify at the Heritage Committee on Parliament Hill in Ottawa. The topic: The CBC! The Canadian Taxpayers Federation told the committee full of politicians that it was time to DEFUND the CBC for three key reasons: The CBC costs Canadians too much money.Nearly nobody is watching it.Journalists should not be paid by the government. Most of the MPs were NOT happy to see us. Find out more with the CTF’s Federal Director Franco Terrazzano as he speaks with Alberta Director Kris Sims about what it was like to walk into the lions den. To join the Taxpayer Army – go to the website and sign the petitions that speak to you. LINK to Taxpayer Website: https://www.taxpayer.com/petitions/Support our mission: https://www.taxpayer.com/support-the-podcast

Not only does the carbon tax make almost everything more expensive, but you’re also getting soaked to pay for Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s newly added carbon tax bureaucrats. Trudeau’s carbon tax bureaucracy will cost taxpayers about $800 million by 2030. That’s just the cost of paying for all those bureaucrats to hammer you with the carbon tax. In total, the cost of federal bureaucracy has increased by 73 per cent since 2016. Plus, we break down what the temporary GST holiday means for taxpayers. All that and more in this week’s Canadian Taxpayers Podcast. Support our mission: https://www.taxpayer.com/support-the-podcast

You pay too much tax because the government wastes too much money. U.S. President-elect Donald Trump announced the creation of a Department of Government Efficiency, with a mandate to “dismantle government bureaucracy, slash excess regulations, cut wasteful expenditures and restructure federal agencies.” In this week’s Canadian Taxpayers Podcast, we break down how Ottawa should dismantle the bloated bureaucracy and cut wasteful spending to make government more efficient in Canada. #DOGE #Departmentofgovernmentefficiency Support our mission: https://www.taxpayer.com/support-the-podcast

The CTF was in Parliament pushing back against the government delaying the next election to give dozens of extra politicians a pension they don’t deserve. Delaying the election by one week would give up to 80 additional MPs a taxpayer-funded pension. Those pensions would cost taxpayers up to $120 million. CTF Federal Director Franco Terrazzano was in a parliamentary committee pushing politicians to oppose delaying the next election to give millions in pensions to extra politicians. Support our mission: https://www.taxpayer.com/support-the-podcast

Dozens of federal government departments and agencies are producing podcasts nobody is listening to and it’s costing taxpayers millions of dollars. Plus, the Alberta government launched a new court fight against the Trudeau government’s carbon tax. All that and more in this week’s Canadian Taxpayers Podcast. Support our mission: https://www.taxpayer.com/support-the-podcast

The CBC doesn’t mind taking your money. It just doesn’t want you to know how it spends your money. CBC’s CEO refuses to tell you if she will take a bonus or severance pay out when she leaves the state broadcaster in the new year. She thinks taking a taxpayer-funded bonus or severance is a “personal matter.” But you pay their bills. You deserve to how much their bonuses cost you. Plus, the number of federal government executives has increased by 42 per cent under Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. All that and more in this week’s Canadian Taxpayer Podcast. Support our mission: https://www.taxpayer.com/support-the-podcast

The carbon tax is costing average families hundreds of dollars more than what their getting back in rebates. That’s according to the government’s own independent budget watchdog. Plus, the feds are already $6 billion over budget with the deficit. In fact, the government will spend more money on debt interest charges than it sends to the provinces in health care transfers. All that and more in this week’s Canadian Taxpayer Podcast. Support our mission: https://www.taxpayer.com/support-the-podcast

It's ELECTION TIME in three provinces! What are politicians promising voters in British Columbia, New Brunswick and Saskatchewan? Is the carbon tax looming large? Are people sick of high taxes? Can we afford these promises? Find out with CTF host Kris Sims as she gets the latest from the ground from BC Director Carson Binda, Atlantic Director Devin Drover and Prairie Director Gage Haubrich To join the Taxpayer Army – go to the website and sign the petitions that speak to you. Taxpayer Website: https://www.taxpayer.com/petitions/ Support our mission: https://www.taxpayer.com/support-the-podcast

The Canadian Taxpayers Federation is joining the fight against Newfoundland and Labradors’ legal bid to increase federal equalization payments. We’re getting into this court fight to stop provinces from wasting even more taxpayers’ money through equalization. Plus, New Brunswick Premier Blaine Higgs promises to launch a renewed court challenge against the Trudeau government’s carbon tax. All that and more in this week’s Canadian Taxpayer Podcast. Support our mission: https://www.taxpayer.com/support-the-podcast

Federal bureaucrats bought hundreds of thousands of dollars in tickets to circuses and concerts, balls and ballets, galas and award shows, football and hockey games, dance festivals and musicals – then sent you. Plus, the Trudeau government blew more than $2.7 million on high-profile film and music festivals around the world, where they made taxpayer cash rain throwing expensive parties. All that and more in this week’s Canadian Taxpayer Podcast. Support our mission: https://www.taxpayer.com/support-the-podcast

Big news on the carbon tax! After pressure from Canadian Taxpayers Federation supporters, federal NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh signals his party may oppose the carbon tax. And British Columbia’s NDP government says it will scrap the provincial carbon tax if a future federal government removes the national requirement for one. We break down what this means for taxpayers like you, how much the carbon tax costs and why the tax is NOT and environmental solution. All that and more in this week’s Canadian Taxpayer Podcast. Support our mission: https://www.taxpayer.com/support-the-podcast

The Trudeau government spent $32,250 bankrolling an intersectional feminist report on the evils of outer space. The report claims current approaches to outer space are “heavily Western, state-centric, militarized, masculinized, and colonial,” and encourage practices that are “racist, exploitative, elitist, and environmentally destructive.” Plus, the feds are wasting $7 million of your money on a new ad campaign trying to convince Canadians the carbon tax is good. All that and more in this week’s Canadian Taxpayer Podcast. Support our mission: https://www.taxpayer.com/support-the-podcast

It took Parks Canada four years and $10,000 (of your tax dollars) before they captured a single frog in British Columbia. All told, Parks Canada spent 15,000 hunting 101 frogs. And don’t forget: Parks Canada also spent $800,000 getting foreign hunters to kill 84 deer out of a helicopter – that’s $10,000 a deer! You can mock Parks Canada for its frog hunt failure by picking up a brand-new t-shirt at the Canadian Taxpayers Federation’s online shop: https://shop.taxpayer.com/collections/t-shirts Support our mission: https://www.taxpayer.com/support-the-podcast

The federal government won’t balance the budget until 2040, according to data released by the Parliamentary Budget Officer. Between now and the time the budget is balanced in 2040, interest charges on the federal debt will cost taxpayers $847 billion, which amounts to more than $18,000 per Canadian. Plus, we’ve released new polling on the CBC’s bonuses and the carbon tax-on-tax. All that and more in this week’s Canadian Taxpayer Podcast. Support our mission: https://www.taxpayer.com/support-the-podcast

We take a deep dive into the CBC to tell you how much the state broadcaster is costing you and what it’s spending YOUR money on. The CBC’s ratings are plummeting, it costs Canadians more than $1.4 Billion this year, and it’s STILL handing out big bonuses. The CBC has handed out $132 million in bonuses since 2015, and THIS YEAR, it’s awarding $18.4 million in bonuses this year. Also: What would Leader of the Opposition Pierre Poilievre do about CBC bonuses if he were prime minister? Franco has his answer! Latest on the bonuses at the CBC: https://www.taxpayer.com/newsroom/feds-must-end-cbc-bonuses-now The bajillion numbers of stats on CBC’s ratings, viewership and spending on Indigenous programming: https://www.taxpayer.com/newsroom/defund-the-cbc Sign the petition to defund the CBC and to stop government payments to media: https://www.taxpayer.com/petitions/defund-the-cbc-and-end-media-bailout Buy a DEFUND THE CBC T-shirt: https://shop.taxpayer.com/collections/t-shirts/products/defund-the-cbc-t-shirt Support our mission: https://www.taxpayer.com/support-the-podcast Hosts: Canadian Taxpayers Federation’s Franco Terrazzano, Ryan Thorpe and Kris Sims.

You’re paying higher taxes because Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s bureaucrat hiring spree is out of control. Trudeau added 108,000 federal bureaucrats – a 42 per cent increase since 2015. If any politician wants to balance the budget and cut taxes, they’ll need to shrink the federal bureaucracy. All that and more in this week’s Canadian Taxpayer Podcast. Support our mission: https://www.taxpayer.com/support-the-podcast