• Long-nosed, honesty-in-politics mascot, Fibber, to make regular appearances

OTTAWA, ON: The Canadian Taxpayers Federation today launched a new campaign calling on the Trudeau government to honour its 2015 election promise to balance the federal budget. The CTF’s long-nosed, honesty-in-politics mascot, Fibber, has been assigned a key role in the campaign and plans to make regular public appearances.

“Justin Trudeau was crystal clear when running for office: he said that, if elected, he would balance the budget in 2019,” said CTF Federal Director Aaron Wudrick. “Even after becoming prime minister, he insisted that this promise was ‘very’ cast in stone. Now is the time for him to honour his commitment.”

The 2015 Liberal platform promised three deficits totalling $26 billion followed by a $1 billion surplus for 2019-20. In reality, the Liberals have run three deficits totalling $56 billion and are currently projected to run a $20 billion deficit in 2019-20.

“The prime minister’s failure to stick to his plan has meant sticking our children and grandchildren with an extra $50-billion bill,” said Wudrick. “It is a betrayal of the trust Canadians placed in the prime minister. We’re going to work hard to remind Canadians just how badly this important promise is on track to be broken.”

The CTF’s campaign features the website wontbalanceitself.ca, where Canadians can send a message to the prime minister and Finance Minister Bill Morneau asking them to balance the budget as promised.