This piece was first published in the Montreal Gazette on April 1st, 2021.
The right time to close the barn door is before the cows get out and the right time to stop government waste is before the deal is announced and the cheque goes out.
In his latest column, Jack Todd is quite critical of this strategy. He suggests the Canadian Taxpayers Federation should wait until all of the detail are hammered out before it criticizes Stephen Bronfman’s proposals for getting taxpayers to pay for all or part of his new stadium.
One thing we’ve noticed at the CTF is that it’s better to advocate against a bad subsidy deal before a cheque gets sent in the mail, rather than after.
When politicians have not made up their mind or made any public statements yet, that’s when they are most open to concerns from taxpayers.
What’s the alternative? Taxpayers could stay quiet until the Bronfman releases details, but that would give him a monopoly on Economy Minister Pierre Fitzgibbon’s attention. And taxpayers deserve to have a say before the minister’s staff starts drafting a press release.
But what if the long-awaited details are full of potential economic and tax benefits that are often touted when taxpayers are asked to pay for stadiums?
The fact is that economists have already spent a lot of times looking into nearly every imaginable type of subsidy deal for professional sports facilities.
There is near unanimity in peer-reviewed economics papers that there is no substantial evidence of positive economic impacts associated with subsidies for pro-sports stadiums. Only four per cent of economists think the benefits might outweigh the costs.
Whatever the details, subsidizing pro-sports stadium just ain’t worth the money.
As you may know, we're working hard to stop Prime Minister Trudeau's attempt to add a 2nd carbon tax upon Canadian taxpayers. If you are against this tax, would you take a moment today to read and consider signing the petition below?
When you do, your name will be added to the growing list of tens of thousands across our country who want to tell the government that we are opposed to these new taxes. Please take a moment to read the petition below and consider signing it today.
To Prime Minister Justin Trudeau:
The federal government is introducing new fuel standard regulations to require industry to reduce the carbon content of fossil fuels. If industry can’t meet the standard, they’ll have to pay Trudeau's second carbon tax. This tax will ultimately hit already struggling families and businesses.
It’s bad enough that taxpayers are already paying for one carbon tax. Canadians certainly can’t afford a second carbon tax.
We, the undersigned, call on Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to scrap plans for a second carbon tax.