Canada: Canadian Taxpayers Federation releases opinion poll on pay hikes for MPs, tax increases

Canadian Taxpayers Federation (CTF) federal director Franco Terrazzano and Quebec director Nicolas Gagnon hold a news conference on Parliament Hill to release the results of a Léger survey on planned pay increases for MPs, as well as tax increases, that are set to take effect on April 1. On the eve of the federal budget, the CTF is calling on the government to scrap the pay raise and the tax hikes amid rising inflation. Alcohol prices will rise due to the increased federal alcohol excise duty, while the scheduled federal carbon pricing increase will raise the cost of gasoline and natural gas. Under legislation that was passed in 2005 in an effort to depoliticize pay for parliamentarians, the salaries for MPs increase automatically every year on April 1 based on the average increase negotiated by major private-sector bargaining units. (March 27, 2023)