CALGARY, AB: The Canadian Taxpayers Federation (CTF) is awarding former Alberta Provincial Treasurer Stockwell Day with its highest honour, the TaxFighter Award, for his contribution to Alberta with the establishment of a single-rate income tax.

“Stockwell Day deserves praise for standing up for taxpayers by treating them all as equals,” said CTF Alberta Director Paige MacPherson. “Combined with a high personal exemption rate to protect low-income Albertans, the single-rate income tax was an important part of the Alberta Advantage.”

In 1999, then-Provincial Treasurer Stockwell Day introduced the single-rate income tax. The Klein government was able to reform the tax system after they made modest spending cuts between 1993 and 1999, reducing government expenditure by 20 per cent, including a 5 per cent reduction in public sector salaries.

“Stockwell Day and Premier Klein showed a strong willingness to reduce taxes for all Albertans,” continued MacPherson. “They were open to reforms and actually wanted to make government more efficient and lessen the burden on taxpayers. That’s rare in modern politics. This award is well deserved.”

The single-rate income tax was introduced after a tax review committee heard submissions from groups including the CTF, and undertook broad consultation with the public, who were largely in support of a single-rate tax. The CTF’s Alberta Director at the time, Mark Milke, made one of the strongest cases for adoption of a single-rate tax.

“Though the government has laid the single-rate income tax to rest for now, it was good policy that contributed to Alberta’s prosperity,” said MacPherson. “We hope to see its return and are delighted to give Stockwell Day our TaxFighter Award to thank him for fighting for taxpayers.”

Past TaxFighter Award honourees include former Parliamentary Budget Officer Kevin Page, tax-cutting former provincial premiers such as Alberta’s Ralph Klein and Ontario’s Mike Harris, media personalities such as Dave Rutherford, Lorne Gunter, Tom Brodbeck and more.

The CTF will honour Stockwell Day during an after-work reception on Thursday, October 22nd, 2015 at 5:30pm, at the Manning Centre in Calgary.