Higher corporate income tax doesn’t just impose costs on people who own corporations, but also people who work for them
The Alberta government recently announced plans to help encourage economic recovery and growth in the province, including a plan to accelerate corporate income tax reductions that were already in the works. The corporate tax rate will drop from 10 per cent to eight per cent immediately instead of gradually over the next two years. Critics…
By Jairo Yunis and Steven Globerman The Fraser Institute The Alberta government recently introduced Bill 22 (the Red Tape Reduction Implementation Act), delivering on a campaign promise to streamline regulations across the provincial government. While details aren’t yet clear, the bill proposes a whopping 14 legislative changes across six ministries. Proposed changes include removing residency…
Our high income tax rates discourage productive economic activity and put Canada at a competitive disadvantage
By Jake Fuss and Tegan Hill The Fraser Institute On July 8, the government of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau will release a “snapshot” of federal finances, the first such update since the COVID-19 crisis began. The government may also soon look to raise taxes to try to increase government revenue, either to finance new spending…
By Ashley Stedman and Elmira Aliakbari The Fraser Institute Despite widespread need, particularly in Canada’s energy sector, the federal government’s Large Employer Emergency Financing Facility (LEEFF) program, meant to provide emergency funding to large companies, has yet to approve any applications. Why? To be eligible for LEEFF support, firms must agree to several environmental goals…
By Jake Fuss, Tegan Hill and Alex Whalen The Fraser Institute As the federal and provincial governments shift their focus to economic recovery, there will be heightened calls for fiscal stimulus in an attempt to kick-start the economy. However, a new study by the Fraser Institute demonstrates that, based on past experience, stimulus measures will…
Welfare reform in the 1990s provides a starting point for reforming health care today
By Jake Fuss and Bacchus Barua The Fraser Institute On Wednesday, Alberta’s Fair Deal Panel issued its report detailing 25 policy recommendations to expand the province’s influence within the Canadian federation and enhance provincial autonomy. However, one crucial policy option was not discussed at length – the potential shift of health-care decision-making powers to the…
Rising government debt can dampen economic growth and divert billions of dollars away from important public priorities
By Jake Fuss and Alex Whalen The Fraser Institute Just three months ago, provincial Finance Minister Karen Casey released a budget projecting an operating surplus, which would have been the Nova Scotia’s fifth consecutive balanced budget. However, due to COVID-19, circumstances have changed dramatically and the province now expects to run a large deficit this…
Canada's separate environmental protection oversight unnecessarily delays development and approval
By Nigel Rawson and Mackenzie Moir The Fraser Institute The federal government plans to move ahead with major revisions in regulations governing the tribunal that sets ceiling prices for new prescription drugs in Canada. Revisions include: replacing countries with relatively higher drug prices with lower price countries in the international price-comparison analysis'; enforcing hard thresholds…
Canada needs to ensure effective use of resources. That means making certain that relief funds go to those genuinely in need
By Jason Clemens and Milagros Palacios The Fraser Institute There was a time when the policy debate in Canada focused on how generous government assistance should be for those in ‘need,’ mainly low-income Canadians. That resulted in targeted programs such as welfare for the working-age population, Old Age Security and the Guaranteed Income Supplement for…
On Tuesday, while activists reportedly tried to “arrest” Premier John Horgan at his house in British Columbia, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau spoke to the House of Commons, stressing the need for “patience” as rail blockades continue to prevent freight and passenger movement across Canada. The #ShutDownCanada movement is in full swing across the country, with…
The Alberta government recently announced plans to help encourage economic recovery and growth in the province, including a plan to accelerate corporate income tax reductions that were already in the works. The corporate tax rate will drop from 10 per cent to eight per cent immediately instead of gradually over the next two years. Critics…
