• CTF Continues Quest for Answers to Flying Tax Policy Questions
• CTF Contrast's Martin's Flying Tax Low with his Bracket Creep High
• CTF Calls Flying Tax a Cruel April Fool's Joke

20 Questions

OTTAWA: The Canadian Taxpayers Federation (CTF) today released a list of 20 questions for Finance Minister Paul Martin to further demonstrate that the federal government's Air Travellers Security Charge (ASTC), also known as the flying tax, scheduled to take effect on April 1st, represents poor and flawed public policy.

"Since December 12th, we have been posing legitimate questions to Minister Martin with respect to this tax grab, and he refuses to answer our public or personal queries," stated CTF federal director Walter Robinson. "Worse still, even in Question Period for the past few weeks, his flying tax grab has been principally defended by junior Finance Minister John McCallum or David Collenette, the Undertaker for Airlines. Mr. Martin's silence speaks volumes."

Mr. Robinson presented the list of 20 taxpayer questions for the Finance Minister at a news conference on Parliament Hill in Ottawa. To illustrate his point about Mr. Martin's silence and inability to defend the indefensible, Robinson peppered a cardboard likeness of the Finance Minister with questions that reveal the flying tax for what it is, poor public policy designed to pad the government's bank account instead of enhancing public security.

"On February 28, 2000, Minister Martin - in the federal budget - re-indexed the tax system to inflation thereby ending bracket creep; it was the high point of his career as Finance Minister," said Robinson. "But when the flying tax goes into effect next Monday, it will represent the darkest day of the Minister's nine year tenure in the finance portfolio."

Robinson concluded: "By running away from legitimate policy questions, the feds will be inflicting the cruelest April Fool's joke on Canadians - but it won't end at noon, it will continue in perpetuity."