VANCOUVER, B.C.: The Canadian Taxpayers Federation is calling on the city of Vancouver to reject absurd fee hikes proposals that target everyone from plumbers to parrots. 

“It defies logic and common sense for the City of Vancouver to be introducing a new tax on parrots,” said Carson Binda, B.C. director for the Canadian Taxpayers Federation. “Polly the

parrot shouldn’t be turned into a cash cow to pay for politicians' pet projects. 

“Fees are supposed to pay for cost recovery efforts, but making fees into revenue generating mechanisms turns these proposals into taxes – pure and simple.”  

A report written by city bureaucrats and approved by city council calls for the adoption of a slew of new fees across the city. The most absurd of which is a brand new, $300 tax on owners of exotic birds like parrots and cockatoos. 

Other fee hikes include: doubling trade contractor licensing taxes, increasing licensing taxes for businesses by almost 50 per cent and increasing licensing taxes for general

contractors by more than $130.

“Everyone from plumbers to parrots will feel the pinch next year, unless Mayor Ken Sim and his ABC council back down from these ridiculous new taxes,” said Binda. “It just shows how out of touch city politicians are to think that taxing family pets, tradespeople and small businesses will fix the financial situation in our city.” 

The tax hikes will cost $3.7 million. At the same time the city’s operating spending has increased by almost 13 per cent in the past year, from $1.75 billion in 2022, to $1.97 in 2023.

“Vancouver’s problem isn’t that taxpayers aren’t paying enough,” said Binda. “The problem is that city hall is spending too much money too fast.

“The solution is for the mayor and council to get spending under control and stop dressing up ridiculous tax hikes as fee increases.” 

The Canadian Taxpayers Federation is calling on city hall to immediately reverse these tax hikes. 

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