Vast majority do not use public transit but are expected to pay for it with higher taxes
By Charles Lammam and Josef Filipowicz The Fraser Institute The current transit plebiscite, conducted by mail-in ballot across Metro Vancouver, asks whether residents are willing to support a 0.5 percentage point increase to the Provincial Sales Tax, which would generate an extra $250 million to help fund $7.5 billion worth of transportation projects tabled by…
Work still needs to be done on improving its tax competitiveness and reducing government debt
By Charles Lammam and Hugh MacIntyre The Fraser Institute The day before delivering his budget speech, Quebec Minister of Finance Carlos Leitão called the budget a “good news budget.” Indeed, Quebec’s 2015 budget continues to make progress on tackling deep-rooted fiscal problems. But given the extent of the problems, the province needs bolder reforms to…
It is simplistic to equate higher taxes with better government services
By Mark Milke and Charles Lammam The Fraser Institute In a recent column about the upcoming Metro Vancouver transit plebiscite, Vancouver Sun columnist Daphne Bramham complained about business leaders who talked “way more about cutting taxes for poor beleaguered taxpayers for the past 30 years than they have about the valuable services tax money provides.”…
Hopefully, the upcoming budget will tackle the province’s deep-rooted fiscal problems
By Charles Lammam and Hugh MacIntyre The Fraser Institute Quebec Premier Philippe Couillard recently declared that government finances and the economy are his top priorities. The goal” he stated, “is clear: consolidation of public finances and economic re-launch.” This is laudable. Whether it’s economic growth, job creation, the unemployment rate, or investment growth, Quebec over…
The upcoming budget is an opportunity for the province to begin changing the way it spends money
By Charles Lammam and Jason Clemens The Fraser Institute The severity of Alberta’s fiscal problems hit home with many Albertans this week as Premier Jim Prentice announced that the upcoming provincial budget will include an across-the-board 5 per cent spending cut. In light of falling oil prices and the growing deficit, tough choices had to…
By Charles Lammam and Josef Filipowicz The Fraser Institute The current transit plebiscite, conducted by mail-in ballot across Metro Vancouver, asks whether residents are willing to support a 0.5 percentage point increase to the Provincial Sales Tax, which would generate an extra $250 million to help fund $7.5 billion worth of transportation projects tabled by…
