Was the prime minister simply late to a critical meeting on the trade deal or did he attempt to sabotage it?
Did Prime Minister Justin Trudeau intend to cause an international incident? That’s what many columnists and pundits are still trying to figure out after our national leader’s confusing absence, and sudden reappearance, at the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation Forum (APEC). Let’s go back a few steps. Trudeau was in Danang, Vietnam, last week to meet with…
Private businesses and international investors have lost confidence in Canada as a competitive place to do business
By Niels Veldhuis and Jason Clemens The Fraser Institute It’s an old joke: Why did God create economists? To make weathermen look good. At times like this, nothing could be closer to the truth (full disclosure, we’re economists). Statistics Canada recently released its August economic growth numbers. They show that the economy contracted. Lo and behold,…
More seniors means slower economic growth and more spending on programs like health care. But some careful fiscal management can save us
By Taylor Jackson, and Jason Clemens The Fraser Institute The latest Finance Department fiscal update signals the federal government’s continued preference for running budget deficits, regardless of the state of the economy. Similarly, eight of 10 Canadian provinces are running budget deficits in 2016-17. The lack of fiscal prudence coast to coast raises serious concerns about…
Little wonder that the CRTC has been the focus of so much public contempt
Forget for a moment that roughly five per cent of your cable bill goes to subsidize films and shows that not enough people watch: the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission is about to dip back into the 20th century and tell you what to watch and make you pay for it. The federal regulator announced last month…
This year’s uptick in economic growth has nothing to do with current government policy that is expected to hamper future business expansion
By Charles Lammam and Hugh MacIntyre The Fraser Institute During the recent federal fiscal update, Finance Minister Bill Morneau said higher-than-expected economic growth for 2017 is evidence that the government’s plan is working. In reality, however, little of what’s driving growth for this year has anything to do with government policy. And economic storm clouds remain for…
Alberta has become less attractive for investment while the U.S. is drawing more attention, thanks to Trump's policy changes
By Kenneth P. Green, Elmira Aliakbari and Ashley Stedman The Fraser Institute TransCanada Corp. recently pulled the plug on Energy East, its proposed 1.1-million-barrel-per-day oil pipeline between Alberta and New Brunswick, a month after the company said it would conduct a “careful review” of the cost impacts of changes in National Energy Board regulations. It…
Wouldn’t it be better to encourage small business ownership than punish it?
Chris clobbered me on the side of the head and then swam over me. Coughing and sputtering I came up for air and yelled foul. The referee blew his whistle and Chris was sent off to the side of the pool. I laughed and played on. It was all part of the game of water…
While telling people that they understand the importance of the pipelines, Notley and Trudeau piled up the regulatory bricks to ensure they were not viable
TransCanada’s withdrawal of its proposal to build the Energy East and Eastern Mainline oil pipelines is a huge loss to Canada and Canadian workers – a $16 billion project regulated to death. Let’s get the red herring out of the way up front. Yes, the low world price of oil was surely part of this…
With the number of seniors living off retirement income rising, increasing interest rates no longer a precursor to a cooling economy
Canadians are constantly reminded that we’ve let ourselves get too deeply into debt and if the cost of that debt – interest rates – increases, we’ll be in deep yogurt. To the extent that such debt is mortgage-based and the average price of homes has been rising, this debt should be manageable. I don’t expect…
By electing Jagmeet Singh as their new leader, the federal NDP have signalled that they understand the escalating importance of inclusivity
The election of Jagmeet Singh as the new federal New Democratic Party leader is a game changer for the Canadian political landscape. Singh, a 38-year-old lawyer, has his feet firmly planted in Canada’s multicultural community. He’s a bearded, turban-wearing Sikh who carries a kirpan, and speaks English, French and Punjabi fluently. New Democrats have astutely…
Did Prime Minister Justin Trudeau intend to cause an international incident? That’s what many columnists and pundits are still trying to figure out after our national leader’s confusing absence, and sudden reappearance, at the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation Forum (APEC). Let’s go back a few steps. Trudeau was in Danang, Vietnam, last week to meet with…
