April 1 is just around the corner, and a google search notes it is a day that has been celebrated for several centuries by different cultures, though its exact origins remain a mystery.
But for Canadians this year, April 1 means our federal Liberal government, under the “leadership” of Justin Trudeau plan to increase the carbon tax by another $15 per tonne, going from the current $65 per tonne to $80 per tonne. And if Canadians are fools enough to continue with this Liberal government, the carbon tax will continue to rise annually by $15 until it reaches $170 per tonne by 2030.
Prime Minister Trudeau and his Minister of Environment and Climate Change Steven Guilbeault are fixated on the idea that Canada is going to eliminate climate change all by itself, it seems. In reality, as I see it, climate change is to a large extent a natural occurrence that has been ongoing since the beginning of time.
And they and the Liberals intend to go ahead with this idea and their April 1 increase in spite of protests from seven of Canada’s Premiers and many thousands of Canadians.
April 1 is also the day that the “salaries” of Canada’s current 338 Members of Parliament (MPs) including the Prime Minister and cabinet ministers. And those automatic increases have taken place since it was first introduced by parliament back in 2005 under then Liberal PM Paul Martin.
The Canadian Taxpayers Federation (CTF) estimates this year’s “pay” raise will amount to a 4.2 per cent increase, using contract data published by the government of Canada.
Figures I found show the current backbench MP “salary” is $194,600, while a minister collects $287,400 and the PM takes home $389,200.
Using the data they have found, the CTF says this year’s automatic increase, they estimate each MP will take home an extra $8,100, while ministers will collect another $11,900 and Trudeau will collect another $16,200 more than last year. CTF says after this year’s pay raise, backbench MPs will receive $202,700 “salary” and a minister will collect $299,300 and Trudeau will take home $405,400.
Again, using CTF figures, MPs will receive an annual salary $15,700 higher and the PM will receive an extra $31,400 more than they did pre-pandemic. They also suggest too that MP salaries are double that of the average Canadian household income, and I think most of us are far below that so-called “average.”
Those automatic raises stopped from 2010 to 2013 under the Conservative government of Stephen Harper. In reality, I think they should have been permanently stopped.
“The federal government is currently more than $1 trillion in debt, taxpayers are struggling to afford basic necessities and MPs don’t deserve raises, so this is the perfect time to stop rubber stamping the pay raises politicians give themselves every year,” said Franco Terrazzano, CTF Federal Director. “MPs stopped pay raises in the past and they should stop this year’s pay raise.”
And I think most Canadians would agree. Many in the private sector have not seen a pay raise for several years. Some have had to take pay reduction to keep their jobs and some have even lost their jobs or businesses in recent times. So while the average Canadian struggles just to make ends meet, our elected government people who are supposed to represent us keep their hands in the public trough and collect this automatic continued “pay”increase. And I wonder what many of them do to justify what is termed as a “salary.”
Here’s a question for readers: How many of the 336 federal MPs can you name? How many cabinet ministers can you name and what their cabinet post is?
I am betting most can’t name more than a half dozen, and that might include provincial MLAs as well. In fact, I know some people have trouble distinguishing between an MP and an MLA, and some probably don’t even know who their representatives in parliament or the provincial legislature are.
It’s high time we took an interest in those who are supposed to represent us and let them know we care, instead of being dictated to by a federal government that has a one-track agenda and seem to know only how to spend.
April 1 is coming, and I suggest we are the fools!
Les Dunford
Clyde, Alberta
