Petition launched to stop taxpayer money funding royals in Canada

The Canadian Taxpayers Federation has launched a petition to make sure the public doesn’t foot the bill for the Duke and Duchess of Sussex.

Prince Harry and his wife, Meghan Markle, plan to split their time between the United Kingdom and Canada after stepping back from their roles as senior royals.

The couple has announced a plan to become financially independent.

Aaron Wudrick, the federal director of the Canadian Taxpayers Federation, told Gormley he wished the couple the best but doesn’t want taxpayer money used to support them.

“If they’re going to come here to Canada, a lot of Canadians are saying they need to pay their own way,” Wudrick said.

The plan is to deliver the petition to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.

“It’s to send a direct message to the Trudeau government to say, ‘Look, we wish them well but if they come here, we don’t want to be paying the bill,’ ” he explained.

Wudrick is also hoping to get some clarity on exactly what the royal couple means when they say financial independence.

“True financial independence cannot be achieved if Canadian taxpayers are still paying the bills,” Wudrick said.