With the federal election a month and a half away, the Canadian Taxpayers Federation has released its “policy wish list” before Election Day.
The list shares 19 policies which the federation is encouraging each party adopts during their 2019 campaigns. The proposals are spread out in three different categories: spending and management, taxation and accountability and management, covering suggestions including cutting income taxes and building pipelines.
Aaron Wudrick, the federal director for the Canadian Taxpayers Federation, explained that the list is meant to encourage federal parties to keep the public’s interests in mind during their 2019 campaigns.
One of the proposals he’d like to see the next government be committed to is balancing the budget, which he believes is the top issue when it comes to spending.
“That is something the Trudeau government promised to do and they did not do it. Everybody knows when you spend more money than you have today, that’s less tomorrow, and you have to pay for it later on,” said Wudrick.
While he acknowledged this isn’t the first government to spend money during a deficit, Wudrick feels the current government is doing it at a record pace and in record numbers over the last couple months.
Members of the CTF say their biggest fear is not wanting the country to struggle down the road and to live within their means.
One of the solutions they have proposed to balancing the budget is through a core spending review.
Wudrick thinks it’s a very realistic option.
“Governments in the past have done this where they analyze all their spending and find where the biggest waste is, then they either cut those funds or reallocate it.”
Supporters told the federation the carbon tax is the number one problem on the tax side, while many Canadians would like to see more ways to hold members of parliament accountable from the transparency category.
View the entire list by visiting the non-for-profit organization’s website. The election takes places on October 21.
