Smart agriculture movement offers the perfect template: it's about building trust with consumers by telling stories about good – and improving – practices
First there was precision agriculture. Then came decision ag. Now there’s smart ag. These terms describe fundamental changes in agriculture to better produce crops or livestock. It’s all about maximizing yield while minimizing costs and environmental impact. They include everything from predictive analytics and digital technologies to soil management and crop protection strategies. Autonomous tractors. Bio-fertilizers. Variable rate inputs for applying…
Spending on exploration – the lifeblood of the industry – dropped for the fourth consecutive year and is at its lowest point since 2005
By Kenneth P. Green and Taylor Jackson The Fraser Institute In recent years, depressed commodity prices have plagued Canada’s mining industry. One recent report showed that spending on exploration – the lifeblood of the industry – dropped for the fourth consecutive year and is at its lowest point since 2005. Amid conditions like these, when…
Streamlining the log export process and reforming the PST better options to ensure a prosperous province
With the B.C. provincial election a few months away, the contentious issue of log exports has emerged once again. Some politicians, policy analysts and unions have argued for a ban on log exports. While the current government has allowed limited exports of logs, it has imposed an overly complex export approval process. Banning log exports…
Fast-growing firms, in particular, play a disproportionate role in driving job creation and economic dynamism
The B.C. government recently published its annual Small Business Profile, highlighting the role and impact of the small business sector in our economy. The table below summarizes the distribution of B.C. businesses by size category, according to the profile. Breakdown of all B.C. businesses, 2015 Businesses with no paid employees: 204,000 Other micro businesses (one to…
The sector needs someone who, like Musk, is driven by a passion for what he does and can capture the public's imagination
You can't go far on an energy journey these days without tripping over Elon Musk. And with good reason: he's something of a next-generation energy messiah. Personable and charismatic. Visionary and creative. Energetic and entrepreneurial. His very persona exudes the essence of sustainability, coupled with an upbeat hope for a future in which energy and earth…
The government could have gotten a greater economic bang by cutting other taxes instead
By Charles Lammam Hugh MacIntyre and Milagros Palacios The Fraser Institute When touting the tax cuts in B.C.’s 2017 budget this week, Finance Minister Michael de Jong said the cuts will leave money “in the pockets of British Columbians to let them make the choices that are important to them.” That’s true, but the government…
If housing costs remain high, and rental vacancy rates stay razor-thin, the region may soon be out of reach to locals and newcomers alike
By Steve Lafleur and Josef Filipowicz The Fraser Institute Many tech companies and employees are scrambling to adjust to the recent executive order issued by U.S. President Donald Trump restricting entry from seven countries, and rumours of an impending crackdown on visas for foreign workers. Giants like Google, Facebook and Apple have denounced the move,…
B.C.’s "revenue neutral" carbon tax will result in a cumulative $865 million tax increase on British Columbians between 2013/14 and 2018/19
By Charles Lammam and Taylor Jackson The Fraser Institute In a major announcement last year, the Trudeau government imposed a policy that will require all provinces to put a price on carbon emissions by 2018. As governments in Canada and elsewhere pursue carbon pricing, British Columbia’s carbon tax has received global praise as the gold…
American duties on Canadian softwood may increase the profits of U.S. lumber producers, but they also increase housing prices and reduce construction jobs
Constructing an industry without all the necessary supplies can lead to fiscal imbalance. Welcome to the post-truth world of economics. Facts are hard and certain, true and real – as opposed to opinions, beliefs or stories. Alternative facts, contradicting old-fashioned facts, are what we used to call lies. And in the midst of this new post-truth reality,…
Hopefully the movie Hidden Figures will inspire British Columbians to improve their technical skills, leading to a happy ending
Technological advances challenge economies, eliminating jobs and creating significant social problems for those displaced workers. How can we turn these negatives into positives? The first step is easy: watch the recently-released movie Hidden Figures. It has no sex, no violence, no special effects and no chase scenes. But it's entertaining and informative. It's the story of “coloured…
