CALGARY, AB: The Canadian Taxpayers Federation (CTF) released its fifth annual ‘Taxpayer Naughty & Nice List’ today. Government ministers, mayors, MLAs and party members made the lists for either naughtily wasting tax dollars or nicely thinking of taxpayers before they swiped that charge card.
“It’s not really the season of giving when politicians are giving to themselves,” said CTF Alberta Director Paige MacPherson. “Mr. Claus asked us for some recommendations for his Naughty and Nice List, so as always, we were happy to help out.”
The list is determined by policies and communication by provincial and municipal governments, as well as a CTF assessment of MLA expense claims filed at expenses.alberta.ca.
NAUGHTY LIST HIGHLIGHTS
- Alberta government ministers
- For being carbon tax hypocrites, telling Albertans to walk or take the bus as they dash through the snow in their Chevrolet Suburbans.
- Calgary Mayor Naheed Nenshi and Edmonton Mayor Don Iveson
- For channelling Ebenezer Scrooge, asking for new tax powers without citywide referendums.
- The Sparkling Clean Car Club: PC MLA Wayne Drysdale, Wildrose MLA David Hanson and NDP MLA Shaye Anderson
- For expensing endless car washes.
- Alberta Finance Minister Joe Ceci
- For piling debt onto future generations.
- Alberta Education Minister David Eggen
- For sitting on his hands instead of holding the Alberta School Boards Association accountable for misusing tax dollars.
NICE LIST HIGHLIGHTS
- NDP MLAs David Shepherd and Trevor Horne
- For keeping their expense claims low.
- Calgary City Council
- For freezing property taxes.
- Wildrose Party members
- For voting to bring back the single-rate income tax.
- Alberta MLAs
- For rejecting the proposed taxpayer subsidy to political parties.
