Tax Talk with the Canadian Taxpayers Federation

First past the post, single transferable vote, proportional representation: how should Canadians elect MPs? And how do we approve changes to how we vote? Canadian Taxpayers Federation federal director Aaron Wudrick joined Tax Talk Live hosts Paige MacPherson and Jordan Bateman to talk electoral reform.

Despite running on a platform of openness and transparency, one of the first actions of the Trudeau government was to buckle to the pressure of a few inconvenienced chiefs and suspend the First Nations Financial Transparency Act. The Act forces every First Nations band to post the wages of their elected officials and financial statements - basic building blocks for political accountability.

CTF Prairie Director Todd MacKay and Manning Centre director of strategic communications Colin Craig have seen first hand the good this Act has done. They joined Tax Talk host Paige MacPherson to talk about this Trudeau blunder.

Big changes are in store for Canadian taxpayers in 2016, and the CTF's research director Jeff Bowes helps break them down with Tax Talk hosts Paige MacPherson and Jordan Bateman. Plus they make some 2016 predictions, including pondering the possibility of "Canadian" Ted Cruz in the White House.

To cap off 2015, Paige MacPherson (CTF Alberta director), Todd MacKay (CTF Prairie director) and Jordan Bateman (CTF B.C. director) get together to give Santa a hand on the 2015 Taxpayers' Naughty and Nice list. Who should get a big present from Santa? Who should get a lump of coal?

Tax Talk returns live Jan. 8, 2016.

For the first time in a decade, there's a new Prime Minister in Canada. Justin Trudeau has taken the big chair and that means big changes for Canadian taxpayers. CTF federal director Aaron Wudrick helps hosts Jordan Bateman and Paige MacPherson figure out what could be coming in the next four years.

Longtime activist Jodie Emery joined Paige MacPherson and Jordan Bateman to talk about new Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's promise to legalize, regulate and tax marijuana in Canada. What challenges will this pose? How do we price out the black market? What public policy implications does this create? Plus our usual features - In The News and Waste of the Week.

Our first ever live Tax Talk is in the books - Paige MacPherson, Jordan Bateman, Christine Van Geyn and Todd MacKay talked about everything from Saskatchewan liquor laws, debt clock tours, Calgary's poop palace, Ontario's union kickbacks, and tax credits for muffin stumps. Check it out below - and join us live Friday, Nov. 27, 2015 (9AM Pacific, noon Eastern) at www.taxpayer.com/taxtalk, when we talk with Jodie Emery about legalizing and taxing marijuana in Canada.

The Canadian Taxpayers Federation has a new voice in Ottawa: recovering lawyer Aaron Wudrick has taken over as the CTF’s federal director. Aaron joins Tax Talk host Jordan Bateman to share what drew him to the CTF, how his experience in law will shape his view of taxpayer issues, whether his young daughters have brainwashed him into loving the movie Frozen, and what he thinks of income splitting.

Plus our usual features – a very special Comment of the Cast featuring the late Rod Love and Ralph Klein, and our Waste of the Week!

The First Nations Financial Transparency Act, a bill fought for by Canadian aboriginals and the CTF, has been in place for several months, and more than three-quarters of bands have now filed financial statements and politician pay. What have we learned? What needs to be improved? And will the FNFTA actually help public policy? CTF Prairie Director Colin Craig joins Tax Talk host Jordan Bateman to talk about the good, the bad, and the ugly of the FNFTA.

Plus our usual features – the Comment of the Cast and our Waste of the Week!

In Canada, paying for our government requires robbing Peter to pay Paul. But what happens when Peter retires? CTF Ontario Director Candice Malcolm explores that question – and the 3-Ds of Canadian public policy (debt, demographics, and dependency) in her new book, "Generation Screwed". Candice joins Tax Talk host Jordan Bateman to talk about the book, whether it bashes Baby Boomers, and how to get out of this fiscal mess. Plus our usual features – the Comment of the Cast and our Waste of the Week!