The government requires a complete 180-degree turn in policy
By Jason Clemens Milagros Palacios and Niels Veldhuis The Fraser Institute In a recent interview, federal Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland explained the need to focus on economic growth to deal with many of Canada’s fiscal issues, including our high debt levels. Minister Freeland is correct that higher rates of economic growth would solve many of…
By Niels Veldhuis and Jason Clemens The Fraser Institute Much ink has been spilled on the narrative that millennials and other future generations of Canadians may experience lower living standards than preceding generations. A recent study on wealth inequality, however, challenges this narrative. In reality, from 2010 to 2019, millennials have enjoyed greater increases in…
Increasing the federal tax would be anti-investment, anti-entrepreneurship, anti-innovation and anti-green
By Niels Veldhuis and Jake Fuss The Fraser Institute At a time when the country faces momentous economic challenges, it’s hard to think of a more damaging policy than a capital gains tax hike. Yet rumours persist that prior to the COVID-19 crisis and economic downturn, that’s exactly what the federal government planned to do.…
By Niels Veldhuis and Elmira Aliakbari The Fraser Institute After weeks of delay, the federal government finally announced its aid package for the energy sector. To say it’s underwhelming would be an understatement. More than anything, the package announced on Friday confirms that the government of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau sees one of Canada’s most…
The plan is based on unrealistic assumptions that pose real risks to Ontario finances and includes spending likely to be ineffective
By Jason Clemens and Niels Veldhuis The Fraser Institute With all the announcements last week by the federal government, and the drama surrounding the passage of the federal spending bill, the Ontario fiscal update went largely unnoticed. But since Ontario is Canada’s largest province – in population and the size of its economy – so…
Allowing employers to adjust quickly will improve the chances jobs are waiting for returning workers when the crisis subsides
By Alex Whalen and Niels Veldhuis The Fraser Institute Aside from the enormous health-related challenges due to the COVID-19 virus, employers and workers are feeling major economic pain with job loss, reduced income and revenue. The ability of businesses to adjust quickly will be key to stabilizing the economy and laying the foundation for recovery.…
There’s been a significant drop in investment across 10 of the 15 major sectors of the Canadian economy, and the federal government is to blame
By Niels Veldhuis and Ashley Stedman The Fraser Institute Canada has massive investment potential. We have an abundance of natural resources, one of the most highly-educated populations in the world, and reside next to the world’s most successful economy. We’re also among the freest countries in the world, with freedom of religion, assembly, movement and…
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is following in the footsteps of his father. That’s leading to fiscal calamity and regional dissent
By Jason Clemens, Milagros Palacios and Niels Veldhuis The Fraser Institute As the dust settles from the federal election – which further exacerbated Western frustration, if not outright separatist sentiments – it’s worth considering the policy ebbs and flows of the Liberal Party under Pierre Trudeau and his son Justin. Therein lies the explanation and…
It will require a major shift in policy at both the federal level and in many provinces
By Jason Clemens and Niels Veldhuis The Fraser Institute Anecdotes of Canadian firms leaving or diverting investments outside the country have continued unabated from 2018. The federal and many provincial governments seem reluctant to acknowledge this serious flight of capital. Reversing this trend, which is a major impediment to Canadian prosperity and well-being, will require…
Recognizing those limitations and realities will result in a more effective, focused government that uses taxpayer resources more wisely
By Jason Clemens and Niels Veldhuis The Fraser Institute There’s a gap, some might say a chasm, between what advocates for new and expanded government programs imagine government can achieve versus the day-to-day reality of government. Recent Canadian history provides no shortage of examples of ambitious, imaginative initiatives for government. The current federal government, for…