Once more, the joke’s on ordinary Canadians this April Fools day

Conservative Chief Pierre Poilievre has been proper on the cash when pointing to a key frustration amongst Canadians: Federal politicians, bureaucrats and particular curiosity teams near energy have made life harder for atypical Canadians, whereas enriching themselves.

The wrestle for Poilievre will probably be to show to Canadians he’s completely different from the remainder of Ottawa’s institution.

Right here’s his clearest alternative to ship that message: oppose the looming pay elevate for members of Parliament. On April 1, MPs will as soon as once more take residence larger paycheques the identical day the feds take more cash from Canadians by way of greater carbon taxes and alcohol taxes.

Poilievre clearly understands governments are inflicting the monetary pinch Canadians are going through.

“The price of authorities is driving up the price of residing,” Poilievre said on the Canadian Taxpayers Podcast. “Half-a-trillion {dollars} of inflationary deficits have despatched extra {dollars} bidding up the value of fewer items. Inflationary taxes have made it costlier for companies to provide these items.”

Poilievre’s Conservatives have additionally criticized failing authorities bureaucrats who’ve been rewarding themselves, whereas making life tougher for Canadians. The Conservatives condemned Financial institution of Canada executives for giving themselves “bonuses whereas Canadians wrestle” with decades-high inflation and rate of interest hikes.

Conservative Home Chief Andrew Scheer rightly hammered the Canada Mortgage and Housing Company for issuing $75 million in bonuses whereas numerous Canadians can’t afford a house.

Poilievre and his Conservatives are figuring out the difficulty completely.

The federal government is making life costlier whereas taking increasingly more cash from atypical working Canadians. Then, politicians and bureaucrats flip round and reward themselves with fancy journeys, pay raises and large bonuses.

What’s the one factor conveniently lacking from the Conservatives’ evaluation? Their personal MP pay. 

A backbench MP’s salary is now $194,600. A minister collects $287,400 whereas the prime minister takes residence a $389,200 annual wage.

Since 2020, MPs have taken 4 pay raises, starting from an additional $15,700 for a backbencher to an additional $31,400 for Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. They usually’re about to take one other elevate April 1.

Stopping the following pay elevate will be achieved. In reality, the Harper authorities stopped computerized MP pay hikes between 2010 and 2013 in response to the 2008/09 recession.

The raises have continued lately as a result of no political occasion has had the center to interrupt ranks and make a stink about it.

MPs have largely shrugged off the raises, with some promising to donate a bit of additional money to charity. In the meantime, polls constantly present 80% of Canadians oppose the pay raises.

The Conservatives aren’t in authorities. However they’re completely positioned to aggressively oppose this yr’s politician pay elevate. They’re the one occasion championing decrease taxes, balanced budgets and an finish to wasteful spending. In addition they have probably the most to realize by proving to their base they’re not the identical as the opposite events.

And if the Conservatives actually want to steadiness the funds by way of financial savings, they’ll want the ethical authority to promote cuts to the forms.

Earlier than occurring strike final yr, federal authorities unions pointed to “the yearly wage will increase of senators and members of Parliament” as a purpose bureaucrats ought to be given additional cash.

Former Alberta United Conservative Get together premier Jason Kenney understood this nicely. That’s why Kenney minimize his personal pay by 10% and MLA pay by 5% when promoting Albertans on the necessity to rein in authorities spending.

Poilievre is correct to level out that authorities has been making life tougher for Canadians whereas rewarding itself. However he ought to go a step additional: stroll the discuss and aggressively push to cease the upcoming MP pay elevate.

Franco Terrazzano is the Federal Director of the Canadian Taxpayers Federation