CALGARY, AB: CBC President and CEO Catherine Tait tops the Taxpayer Naughty List for announcing hundreds of layoffs weeks before Christmas without cancelling bonuses for executives. 

“It takes a special type of Scrooge to lay off hundreds of employees weeks before the holidays and not be willing to give up your own bonus, but that’s exactly what taxpayers heard from CBC big shots,” said Franco Terrazzano, CTF Federal Director. “Meanwhile, Senator Pierre Dalphond delayed and watered-down carbon tax relief for farmers and now Santa’s furious because the bills for his candy cane farm and reindeer barn are through the chimney.”

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau made the Taxpayer Naughty List for removing the carbon tax from furnace oil for three years while leaving 97 per cent of Canadian families out in the cold. Nova Scotia Premier Tim Houston also found himself in Santa’s bad books for taking more money from taxpayers through the sneaky income tax hike known as bracket creep. 

Manitoba Premier Wab Kinew made the Taxpayer Nice List for providing taxpayers with Santa-sized fuel and income tax relief. The Parliamentary Budget Officer also made Santa’s good books for improving accountability and transparency in Ottawa. 

“‘Tis the season for giving, but Calgary Mayor Jyoti Gondek and Edmonton Mayor Amarjeet Sohi shouldn’t be giving their residents steep tax hikes while they give themselves a raise,” said Kris Sims, Alberta Director of the CTF. “The entire Alberta village of Ryley made Santa’s good books for using recall legislation to boot a big-spending politician.”

You can find the entire 2023 Taxpayer Naughty and Nice List here.

Taxpayer Naughty List:

• CBC President and CEO Catherine Tait
• Prime Minister Justin Trudeau
• Senator Pierre Dalphond
• Mayor of Quebec City Bruno Marchand and Vancouver Mayor Ken Sim
• Federal Minister of Industry François-Philippe Champagne
• Mayor of Calgary Jyoti Gondek and Edmonton Mayor Amarjeet Sohi
• Nova Scotia Premier Tim Houston
• University of Manitoba’s former law dean Jonathan Black-Branch

Taxpayer Nice List:

• Manitoba Premier Wab Kinew
• Liberal MP Ken McDonald
• Parliamentary Budget Officer Yves Giroux
• Alberta’s Village of Ryley