We discourage skilled and experienced people from entering elected public life, since seeking office means forgoing significant income and often involves significant sacrifice to their families
Recently-announced pay cuts to members of Alberta’s legislature raise the important question of whether our elected representatives get paid too much or even enough. Outside of political considerations, the question of salaries is important because we link attracting talent to pay. With the new cuts, the Alberta premier will make around $167,000, cabinet ministers about…
Study finds no link between the circumstances in the local economy, student unemployment and the level of subsidies handed out. So is it all political?
Those who argue that the Canadian federation exhibits plenty of fiscal and program biases against Prairie Canadians will see further evidence in a recent study from the Halifax-based Atlantic Institute for Market Studies (AIMS). The study, Rethinking Student Job Subsidies, authored by David Murrell and Alan Chan, is subtitled The Case for Regional Equity in…
Regional reporting may come to suffer blindness similar to that in some Central Canadian media, to the disadvantage of provinces
The announced federal government subsidy for “trusted” media outlets risks undermining provincial jurisdictions. The federal lathering of a $595-million subsidy on “trusted” media over five years may encourage a regressive democratic step of making more news outlets more dependent on Ottawa, feeding a centralizing spirit. News outlets becoming openly partisan (or more partisan than some…
Investment makes workers more productive, creates better jobs and drives income growth. Fracking offers a simple, safe solution
By Matthew Lau and Marco Navarro-Genie Contributors The new government in New Brunswick faces no shortage of challenges. One of the most important to address is the dearth of business investment in the region. Hydraulic fracturing offers a solution. On a per capita basis in 2017, investment in non-residential structures, machinery, equipment and intellectual property…
Our premiers regularly meet to discuss liberalizing trade. Year after year, decade after decade, nothing concrete is ever accomplished
By Marco Navarro-Genie and Alex Whalen Atlantic Institute for Market Studies Opinions vary as to whether the meeting of Canada's premiers in mid-July in St. Andrews, N.B., was a success. The expectations for those hoping for freer trade within Canada were high. But if the expectations were high, they were largely created by some of…
P.E.I. has added itself to the list of carbon tax opponents, following Premier Doug Ford of Ontario. And the list is growing
If there ever was a federal carbon tax consensus in Canada, it's now dissolving. Rumours of its death have been floating for some time, but the recent Prince Edward Island announcement rejecting it has the feel of an unofficial invitation to its wake. Did the smallest provincial jurisdiction in the country kill Prime Minister Justin…
Supply management is protectionism by another name. And domestic protectionism shouldn’t be ignored as we seek freer trade
A significant amount of ink is being dedicated on both sides of the Canada-U.S. border to the trade conflict that President Donald Trump precipitated at the end of the G7 meetings in Charlevoix, Que. Trump wants a better trade footing for the United States, pointing out that tariffs of around 270 per cent are slapped…
The tax will slow the already-faltering New Brunswick economy and create a competitive disadvantage with U.S. businesses
While good intentions matter a great deal, results matter most. The federal government’s decision to impose a national carbon tax may be well-intentioned, but its effects may be detrimental to our economy. We’ll likely see its worst effects on New Brunswick. The idea is to give carbon a price. While there are a few ways…
A private retail model offers more entrepreneurship overall, particularly in rural areas, and better distribution
Allowing private cannabis retailers in Nova Scotia would be most consistent with the One Nova Scotia Report and good for entrepreneurs. Yet the online survey the Nova Scotia government organized to ‘consult’ the public about cannabis distribution betrayed a preference for the Nova Scotia Liquor Corp. (NSLC) to monopolize retail. New Brunswick and Ontario will…
Controls were intended to ease consumer anger over rare but large price fluctuations. But government isn’t meant to be an anger management therapist
Gasoline price controls are a major burden for the minor benefit of having less mercurial cost fluctuations. Government policies are often contradictory. This isn’t directly the result of conspiracy or ill intent. Governments are no different than individuals. We all embrace beliefs that sometimes contradict others we hold. To eliminate these contradictions, Atlantic Canadian governments…
Recently-announced pay cuts to members of Alberta’s legislature raise the important question of whether our elected representatives get paid too much or even enough. Outside of political considerations, the question of salaries is important because we link attracting talent to pay. With the new cuts, the Alberta premier will make around $167,000, cabinet ministers about…
