Canada’s economy is weakening with storm clouds on the horizon while federal finances are woefully unprepared for a recession
By Jason Clemens, Jake Fuss and Milagros Palacios The Fraser Institute It’s hard to recall a time when Canada’s finances were so perilously close to rapidly deteriorating with seemingly little or no interest in Ottawa. Federal Finance Minister Bill Morneau has been making the rounds since releasing the fall economic update last month, reassuring Canadians…
CEO pay has increased over the last decade but the increase is perfectly related to the value of their skills
In debates about inequality, some people – including some economists – claim the salaries and compensation of chief executive officers aren’t linked to performance. Essentially, they don’t really earn their money. This claim, repeated ad nauseam in recent years, is misleading to say the least. As noted in my recent study published by the Fraser…
Providing greater educational diversity through independent schools helps B.C. and Quebec achieve better student performance – at a lower cost
By Tegan Hill and Ben Eisen The Fraser Institute One of the great advantages of Canada’s federation is that subnational governments can experiment with ways of providing public services and adopt the best system. In the case of public education (a provincial responsibility), the provinces can look to Quebec and British Columbia to learn about…
When opportunities to engage in economic activity are open to all, not just the privileged classes, prosperity and opportunity abound
By Miguel Cervantes and Tanja Porčnik The Fraser Institute While tensions in the Middle East rise daily, there’s still hope for the region to liberalize and grow more prosperous. Economic liberalism in the Persian Gulf region would help unleash the effort and creativity of the whole population – not just a few at the top.…
The federal government can’t continue to ignore the warning signs of a slowing economy. It should limit discretionary spending now
By Tegan Hill and Jake Fuss The Fraser Institute The recently-released Economic and Fiscal Update demonstrates the federal government’s proclivity for marked increases in deficit-financed spending despite warning signs of a slowing economy. New borrowing and a larger deficit increase the risk to federal finances should a recession occur. The federal update pegs the deficit…
The new trade agreement represents progress for international trade, but crucially, it weakens protections for the biopharma industry
In December, the United States, Mexico and Canada signed a new trade agreement (USMCA) in Mexico City. The agreement represents progress for international trade, but crucially, it weakens protections for the biopharma industry, as the final version of the deal removed provisions that would have extended the exclusivity (essentially, the period of time when brand-name…
We need smart tax cuts that improve incentives for workers, entrepreneurs and investors, along with a balanced budget
By Jason Clemens, Jake Fuss and Tegan Hill The Fraser Institute Finance Minister Bill Morneau recently confirmed the federal government’s intention to reduce personal income taxes for everyone except “higher-income earners.” With total taxes (federal, provincial and local) consuming 44.7 per cent of the average family’s income in 2019, it’s easy to see why Canadians…
Canada’s debt has grown faster than the economy. That dangerous pattern casts a shadow over the nation’s long-term financial health
By Alex Whalen and Jake Fuss The Fraser Institute Just before the holidays, the federal government released its fall economic update. It revealed that Canada’s federal debt-to-gross-domestic-product ratio increased in 2019, meaning Canada’s debt has grown faster than the economy. This is particularly important because the government chose the debt-to-GDP ratio to guide federal fiscal…
Canada's kindergarten-to-Grade 12 system flourishes because it's controlled by the provinces, which often show great innovation and creativity
By Jason Clemens and Tegan Hill The Fraser Institute One of Canada’s great political strengths is that we’re a federalist country, meaning we have constituent provinces with significant powers that are distinguishable from the national government. This separation of powers, at least theoretically, allows the country to split the responsibility for different programs between the…
The amount we pay for health care through the tax system depends on family income and size
By Milagros Palacios and Bacchus Barua The Fraser Institute The fall federal election showed that politicians across the spectrum are happy to promise to spend more on our government-run health-care system. Whether the spending is for long-term care or pharmacare, the political solution to any health-care problem seems to be to pump more money into…
By Jason Clemens, Jake Fuss and Milagros Palacios The Fraser Institute It’s hard to recall a time when Canada’s finances were so perilously close to rapidly deteriorating with seemingly little or no interest in Ottawa. Federal Finance Minister Bill Morneau has been making the rounds since releasing the fall economic update last month, reassuring Canadians…
