VANCOUVER, B.C.: The Canadian Taxpayers Federation has released its New Years Taxpayers Resolutions for 2021, urging the government to lower taxes and strictly monitor spending.

“Lower taxes, less waste and more accountable government would help all British Columbians prosper better in the New Year,” said Kris Sims British Columbia director of the Canadian Taxpayers Federation.

“As we fight to recover from the damage caused by the COVID-19 crisis we need our provincial government to be running as efficiently as possible and taking less of our money.”

For the year 2021 the Taxpayers Federation is urging the government of B.C. Premier John Horgan to:

• Deliver ICBC rebates.
• Cancel the carbon tax.
• Balance the budget as soon as possible.
• Strengthen the office of the Municipal Auditor General.
• Require all of the B.C. legislature to be subject to Freedom of Information law.

“B.C. drivers should have gotten ICBC rebates in the spring when drivers in other provinces got hundreds of dollars back and the government shouldn’t be trying to douse the ICBC dumpster fire by screwing drivers out of their own money during the lockdowns,” said Sims.

“Horgan knows the carbon tax is unaffordable since he paused the tax hike in April, so he should go all the way and scrap this tax altogether.”

The Taxpayers’ Federation is also urging the government to bolster accountability in the province.

In 2020, Vancouver city hall spent more than $316,000 on luxury office furniture, the Provincial Health Services Agency is alleged to have spent more than $30,000 on catered avocado toast lunches and charges of fraud were laid against the former clerk of the legislature after a two year police investigation into the wood splitter spending scandal.

The Taxpayers Federation is calling for the office of the Municipal Auditor General to be strengthened so whistleblowers have a place to call when they see misspending at local governments and it is urging the provincial government to heed to advice of former speaker Darryl Plecas by making all facets of the legislature subject to accountability and FOI laws, including the office of the clerk and sergeant-at-arms.

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