The Canadian Taxpayers Federation rolled into Kelowna on Wednesday to bring awareness to residents about the country’s debt.
The Federal Director of the Canadian Taxpayers Federation, Aaron Wudrick, is travelling across the country with the visual representation, in the form of a truck and trailer.
“Debt is a very abstract issue and it is not very sexy, people don’t think about it. This is a way to hit people in the face with how much our federal government is borrowing, it’s $624 billion, that’s $17,000 for every Canadian,” Wudrick explained.
The debt is always rising and whenever there is a federal government in Canada running a deficit, the Taxpayers Federation drives the truck and trailer across the country to show Canadians just how much is being spent.
For six weeks Wudrick will travel from Halifax to Victoria with dozens of stops along the way. Wudrick says when people learn about the clock and see it for themselves they are usually in shock.
“People understand debt in an abstract way but it's different when they see the size of it and see the consequence. Because of course we have to pay interest on it. That is interest we then can’t use for program and services.”
Wudrick said that the federal government paid $26 billion on interest last year, that’s more than we spent on our entire military. Wudrick suggests that Canadians speak to their member of parliament and ask that they control spending and look to get back to a balanced budget.
The debt clock will continue its tour of the B.C. Interior as Wudrick is visiting Vernon and Kamloops on Wednesday before heading northwest.
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