Tax Payers Federation Wants an Office Here

NS: Scandal prompts taxpayers federation to come east
By Alex Boutilier, Metro Halifax

Source: Metro Halifax, July 21, 2010

[HALIFAX, NS] — The MLA expense scandal and the recent HST increase have a national taxpayers’ advocacy group planning to open up an Atlantic bureau.

The Canadian Taxpayers Federation is only “months” away from establishing an east coast office in Halifax, according to spokesman Scott Hennig.

The policy watchdog organization is currently in the fundraising stages for the new office, which would cover all four Atlantic Canadian provinces.

“We rely on the support of regular, taxpaying Canadians to step forward and put up the money to help us get started,” said Hennig.

Hennig pointed to the MLA expense scandal and the recent HST increase as catalysts for the decision to move forward with the office.

“In Nova Scotia, there’s been some prime examples of places where there’s been waste, places where there’s been a lack of accountability,” he said. “We’re hopeful that there’s enough Atlantic Canadians who want to see a full-time, on-the-ground presence of a taxpayer watchdog.”