New provincial director hits the ground running

TORONTO: The Canadian Taxpayers Federation (CTF) has hired John Williamson as a full-time director and spokesman for the province of Ontario.

Over the past decade, Mr. Williamson has worked as a journalist and with various political organizations in the areas of policy development and communications. After working in Hong Kong, John returned to Toronto in 1998 to take up employment with the National Post writing editorials and serving on the paper's Editorial Board. His writing focused primarily on public policy, specifically making the case for lower taxes, smaller government, and parliamentary reform.

"John Williamson is a welcome addition to our team - arguably the most effective in the country - of communications and advocacy professionals," said CTF National Communications Director, Troy Lanigan. "And with the Eves government mired in sweetheart tax gift schemes, abandoning its tax cut schedule and searching for a vision, John's arrival on the scene is welcome news for taxpayers."

Mr. Williamson hits the ground running with the launch of a province wide petition urging the Eves government to restore planned tax reductions for January 1st, 2003, or to hold a referendum, as dictated by the Taxpayer Protection Act. "By delaying their tax relief schedule, Premier Eves is not only violating the Taxpayer Protection Act, but breaking a promise his party made in 1995 when 129 of 130 PC candidates - including Mr. Eves - signed a pledge to hold a referendum on any tax increases. We hope the premier will restore the tax schedule in the forthcoming economic statement, but if he doesn't we will work to make his broken promise an election issue."

Mr. Williamson is already engaging key public policy stakeholders in several meetings planned for the coming week. In addition, interviews are scheduled with CFRB (the Randy Taylor Show) and CTS TV (Michael Coren live) on Wednesday, October 16th, at 8PM and 10PM respectively. Mr. Williamson, along with CTF federal director Walter Robinson, will be available to media on Thursday (Oct. 17) afternoon during a walk-thru of the Queen's Park media gallery.