Jamie Nye: Potential of federal money to CFL’s American players sparks debate

The Canadian government is making it rain right now to help students, seniors, businesses, arts and culture.

Billions are being spent by Justin Trudeau’s government. And then, full stop. WHHHHHOOOOAAAA. The Canadian Football League dared come with a worst-case scenario request of $150 million.

Now some MPs are asking serious questions on how the money will be spent and it seems like the biggest stumbling block will be whether any money will go to American players living in the United States.

Should Canadian taxpayer dollars go to help out Americans? One MP says it would be ‘alarming.’ American players are punching back, detailing just how much of their paycheques were paid to the Canadian government in the form of taxes.

It’s a complex issue.

If the CFL is going to pay huge off-season bonuses with federal money, that should be a non-starter. If all CFL players get the exact same amount to help keep food on the table, it’ll be an easier sell.

But the government needs a much clearer vision from the league than what was offered by commissioner Randy Ambrosie last week.