The Canadian Taxpayers Federation handed out their annual Teddy Waste Awards in Calgary last night, with CBC President Catherine Tait walking away the big, uh, winner.Tait received the award for handing out millions in bonuses while announcing hundreds of layoffs.Other winners were the Mission Cultural fund, run by Global Affairs Canada, for its sex-themed artistic performances and the city of Regina for its Experience Regina rebrand fiasco. “Because it spent buckets of taxpayer cash funding birthday parties and photo exhibits for celebrities, and making things awkward for countries around the world with sex-themed artistic performances, the Mission Cultural Fund earned the Lifetime Achievement award for waste,” said Franco Terrazzano, CTF Federal Director. “Tait is winning a Teddy Award because she handed out millions in bonuses despite announcing hundreds of layoffs just before Christmas, only to turn around and beg for more taxpayer cash.“The Alberta Foundation for the Arts spent tens of thousands flying an artist to New York, Estonia and South Korea so she could flop around on a futon for a couple minutes and showcase a painting that can best be described as ants on a pop tart.“The city of Regina came up with snappy slogans like, ‘Show us your Regina,’ and ‘Regina: the city that rhymes with fun.’ After spending $30,000 and facing backlash, the city ditched the entire rebrand so it won a Teddy Waste Award.”The Teddy, a pig-shaped trophy the CTF annually awards to governments’ worst waste offenders, is named after Ted Weatherill, a former federal appointee who was fired in 1999 for submitting a raft of dubious expense claims, including a $700 lunch for two.This year’s winners include:Municipal Teddy winner: The city of ReginaRegina spent $30,000 rebranding Tourism Regina to Experience Regina. But after facing backlash, the city scrapped the rebrand. And Regina taxpayers are out $30,000. Provincial Teddy winner: Alberta Foundation for the ArtsThe Alberta Foundation for the Arts spent $30,000 flying an artist around the world to produce art few taxpayers would ever willingly buy or pay to see. Federal Teddy winner: CBC President Catherine TaitTait handed out $15 million in bonuses to CBC brass in 2023 as she announced hundreds of layoffs weeks before Christmas and lobbied the government for more money. Bonuses at the CBC total $114 million since 2015. Lifetime Teddy winner: The Mission Cultural Fund The Mission Cultural Fund spent $10,000 on a birthday party for Margaret Atwood in New York, $52,000 for a photo exhibit for rockstar Bryan Adams, $8,800 on a sex toy show in Germany and $12,000 for senior citizens to talk about their sex lives in front of live audiences. Last year, Teddy awards were presented in the following categories:Federal Teddy: Governor General Mary Simon for spending nearly six-figures on airplane food during a week-long trip to the Middle East.Provincial Teddy: Société de l’Assurance Automobile du Québec for launching an online software to reduce the number of bureaucrats, then hiring an extra 150 bureaucrats to fix the mess the app created.Municipal Teddy: Charlottetown councillor Alanna Jankov for building her driveway around a telephone pole then sticking taxpayers with the $4,600-tab to remove the pole.Lifetime Achievement Award: The Canada Revenue Agency for giving pandemic subsidies to ineligible businesses, people in jail, teenagers and hundreds of dead people. All told, the government handed out about $32 billion in ineligible or suspicious COVID-19 subsidies, according to the Auditor General.
