A new analysis from the Canadian Taxpayers Federation shows that political parties benefitted to the tune of $3.7-million from the Canada Emergency Wage Subsidy, including the NL Liberals.
The pandemic subsidy was first introduced to help businesses cover a portion of their employees’ wages.
The federation says Federal parties took an estimated $3.2-million through the subsidy, according to 2020 financial statements published by elections Canada. The only party in the House of Commons to not avail of the subsidy was the Bloc Quebecois.
Further, the Federation states that provincial political parties received more than $500,000 through the program. The Newfoundland and Labrador Liberal Party availed of $35,669 from the subsidy. They were the only party in this province to do so.
Renaud Brossard, Interim Atlantic Director with the Federation, says the optics of the situation are not good.
He says the program was designed to fund main street, not political parties. He says it’s bad optics for parties to benefit from a fund voted on by politicians.
Brossard says with the Newfoundland Liberals, they’re simply asking them to pay it back.
He says at the federal level when the Liberals and Conservatives were called out about this, they said they would pay it back. He says after discovering the provincial Liberals did the same, they are asking for Premier Furey to make his party do the right thing, and pay it back to taxpayers.
