Prolonged slow economic growth begets social and political turmoil, as the expectations of many for a better standard of living are frustrated
In this federal election campaign, the parties have proposed numerous taxpayer-funded programs to address various ostensible social problems. But no major party has made economic growth a significant focus of its election campaign. The social problem areas cited include unaffordable education from preschool to post-secondary, a tax system that’s insufficiently progressive and provides too many…
Higher taxes discourage business investment, business startups, entrepreneurialism and investment in education
By Jake Fuss and Tegan Hill The Fraser Institute Before Canadians go to the polls on Oct. 21, they should understand each party’s tax plan, which unfortunately range from bad to worse to downright naive. Let’s start with the NDP and Green Party, which have similar plans. Both propose a new “wealth tax” and would…
Lost in the click bait of this election campaign were the substantive issues that affect ordinary and everyday Canadians
The 43rd Canadian federal election has been, by any stretch of the imagination, a very strange campaign. First there was the Justin Trudeau’s blackface scandal. Then there was Andrew Scheer’s dual citizenship/resume exaggeration controversy. Finally, there was an exchange caught on video decrying Jagmeet Singh wearing a turban. Lost in the click bait were the…
How could I not be grateful that I have the freedom to question the practices of my government through direct contact with politicians and through the press?
I always get very excited at election time. This is the moment when we can freely choose who will represent us, the moment when we play a vital role in the direction of our government. As I read statistics on voter turnout, however, I’m confused as to why others don’t share my enthusiasm. Perhaps I…
Liberal and Tory proposed tax cuts insufficient to improve Canada’s diminishing tax competitiveness
By Tegan Hill and Ben Eisen The Fraser Institute With less than a week before Canadians go to the polls, there has been little focus on Canada’s tax competitiveness, which is unfortunate given the major real-life impact of tax policy on Canadians. Yes, both the Conservative and Liberal party have pledged to cut personal income…
The brutish mother of all federal elections is (mercifully) nearing its conclusion. But a few twists and turns are still possible, as the leader of the third party recently showed us. The Tories are ahead of the Liberals in most opinion polls, albeit by a narrow margin of one to two per cent. The former…
Even overlooking the personal smears, record fudging, or repressing the truth, the parties are filled with contradictions of the things they stand for
If there were any idealism left regarding the virtues of Canadian politics, the current federal election campaign is almost certain to have smashed it. Good governance and the common good were not the winners in last week’s English language debate. Thursday's French language debate was a slight improvement, but a one-off exception hardly undoes the…
Big promises by big governments cost a lot. Just like interest payments go up on an unpaid credit card, interest payments on our national debt are also going up
As a 22 year old, I’ve not been very actively politically – until now. The federal election has definitely made me more engaged. Once I join the workforce, over time, I’ll likely be investing over half of my income not into a home or family needs, but into governments through taxes. That realization has motivated…
Canadians will elect a new House of Commons on October 21. We’ve already seen the political parties and their leaders staking out positions on an array of fundamental issues. Whether it’s climate change, taxes, employment, foreign policy, immigration or health care, we have a pretty good idea where each party stands. But what if we…
No issue in Canada has been framed as more black and white than pipeline development
It’s often said that you can have it all, but not all at once. The key to finding work/life balance is to measure success not by the day or week, but over the longer term. So it is with our choices for Canada. We are often told that we have to choose between being socially…
In this federal election campaign, the parties have proposed numerous taxpayer-funded programs to address various ostensible social problems. But no major party has made economic growth a significant focus of its election campaign. The social problem areas cited include unaffordable education from preschool to post-secondary, a tax system that’s insufficiently progressive and provides too many…
