Canada and the money factory

by Maj (ret'd) CORNELIU. CHISU, CD, PMSC, FEC, CET, P. Eng. Former Member of Parliament Pickering-Scarborough East We are experiencing interesting times when taxpayers' money is spent recklessly by the Liberal government as never before seen in our country's history, and this spending is done without any accountability. The variety of taxes levied upon ordinary Canadians is increasing at an exponential rate at all levels of government. In case you haven't noticed, we are paying more taxes municipally, provincially and federally. And for what? The health care services are in shambles, the standard of education is at an all time low, and the infrastructure is a disaster. However, the federal, provincial and municipal governments are eager to spend on corporate welfare without thinking. It isn't their money so let's spend, spend, spend…. Just consider that by 2030, the current federal carbon taxes will cost the average Ontario family $1,820 more than they get in rebates, according to the Parliamentary Budget Officer (PBO). Starting this July, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is bringing in a second carbon tax through fuel regulations. When companies can't meet Trudeau's fuel requirements, they'll have to pay this second carbon tax. Naturally, those costs will be passed down to you, the consumer. The second carbon tax will cost the average Ontario family $495 by 2030, according to the PBO. Can your family afford to pay $2,315 for Trudeau's two carbon taxes? Never mind that right now, your federal taxes are spent by the Trudeau government in a hurry, without any consideration for you, the Canadian taxpayer. How can this be justified when we have severe problems in our country with poor people who need real assistance. Instead of considering them, the Trudeau government spends more than 12 billion dollars in foreign aid, basically to promote himself and obscure globalist driven objectives. And remember, this is only the federal government. When you take a look at how the provincial governments and municipal governments are spending their money, you'll have a very dark and depressing picture about how your hard earned taxes are spent. If only this were all. Recently the Trudeau government showered its under performing public service employees with 1.3 billion dollars. It is not new news, and certainly not fake news, that the Trudeau administration has been accused of abusing taxpayer funds ever since it took office, infuriating the average Canadian. However, the most recent information raises the stakes significantly by showing that $1.3 billion is being lavished on ineffective workers. Let's examine this costly purchase. Information received through an access-to-information request reveals how Canadian public monies have been misappropriated. Surprisingly, between 2015 and 2022, federal executives got astounding incentives totaling $1.3 billion. Taxpayers are perplexed and incensed by this enormous payment, especially in light of criticism over failures to meet performance goals. Executive-level staff received $147 million worth of incentives, with lower-level employees receiving the remaining funds. The Canadian Taxpayers Federation has received fresh records that indicate average yearly incentives for CEOs from 2015 to 2022 that range from $15,550 to $18,252. Yet, these people recently went on strike and got an unreasonably high settlement. What a wonderfully equitable world we live in! "Bonuses are for when you do a good job, they shouldn't be handed out like participation ribbons," said the federation's federal director Franco Terrazzano. "Taxpayers can't afford to bankroll big bonus cheques each and every year for highly paid government executives." The Canadian Taxpayers Federation claims that since 2015, the annual cost to taxpayers to pay for these bonuses has climbed by 46%. Examinations of departmental outcomes from across the public sector over the past four years show that, over that time, roughly a quarter of yearly performance targets weren't fulfilled, according to a study released in March and submitted by Canada's Parliamentary Budget Officer Yves Giroux. Less than half of internal performance targets are not fulfilled as a result. How can one reward incompetence with taxpayers' hard-earned capital? With a flick of his pen and a smile on his face, he decided to bestow bonuses upon the federal workforce, a move that left many in a disgruntled chase. So let us pause and question this lavish display, for it is the taxpayers' sweat that sustains the dismay. Well done Canada! However, this is something that precisely suits the persona of the Canadian Prime Minister. It is unfortunately impossible to talk about Trudeau's wasteful spending without bringing up his sky high travel expenses. It is clear that these luxuries come at a significant cost. Taxpayers can't forget Prime Minister Trudeau's Christmas holiday in Jamaica, which cost them almost $160,000. And that's not the only one. The list goes on and on. Trudeau's holiday spending adds to growing worries about how public money is being used. While most Canadians struggle to make ends meet, concerns about the prudent use of public monies are raised by the Prime Minister's exorbitant costing trips. The luxurious vacations and bonuses are a depressing reflection of taxpayers' reality. While industrious people fight to make every dollar count, the government appears to spend with a different mindset. As people see their money being wasted on dubious bills and bonuses for failed staff, Canadians' resentment is growing. The admission that $1.3 billion in bonuses was given to unproductive employees adds fuel to the fire as the Trudeau administration continues to draw criticism for squandering taxpayer funds. This, along with the Prime Minister's excessive travel expenses, presents a picture of financial irresponsibility and impending disaster for the country. The question now, is this: how long can we sustain this irresponsible attitude? It is up to you to find a solution before it is too late.