The New Democrats offer up a significant and impressive list of expenditures, with no clear plan how it will pay for them
British Columbia’s NDP government has just treated residents to its first throne speech, followed by an interim budget to carry it through until February, which is the usual month for annual budgets. Looking at all the good things being promised, the budget makes one think of Christmas in September. The new government is being bountiful,…
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…
Weigh public spending on today's programs against how much those programs will cost Canadians in the longer term
Personal budgeting isn't fun. If you spend more than you make over the long haul, it will be your downfall. But do the same rules apply to government budgets? How should we judge a provincial or federal budget? Government budget items must be measured on their benefits to the individual. What we think about each item depends on…