Time to rein in corporate-controlled federal government

Toronto – May 6, 2013 – The Canadian Taxpayers Federation is at it again: blaming workers for everything that is wrong with government and the economy while giving Government Boss Stephen Harper and his Conservatives a free pass.

The budget includes provisions that will allow Government Boss Stephen Harper to intervene in the collective bargaining negotiations of forty-seven Crown corporations, including VIA Rail, Canada Post, and the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC). It also empowers the government to tamper with the CBC's editorial approach, which is particularly alarming given that Canada is supposed to be a free and democratic country and the CBC has always operated independently.

Using its typical right-wing jargon, the CTF blames unionized government employees for virtually all of Canada's economic woes. It wants to cut public sector wages but neglects to mention that the country's largest companies could easily improve private sector wages by spending the $600 billion that they are currently sitting on.

The CTF calls for ever-increasing corporation tax cuts but fails to discuss the economic impact of the Harper government's reckless cuts to public sector jobs and wages. The CTF also ignores the $3.1 billion that the Harperites cannot find in their security budget. Losing that amount of money would be “grounds for dismissal” for any unionized worker, but not the CTF’s friend Boss Harper.

The CTF says it is time to rein in government-owned companies; however, UFCW Canada members believe it is time to rein in the corporate-controlled Conservatives and their dangerous approach to governance.