Billions of Canadian taxpayers’ dollars go into ventures that don’t need or waste the money. And there is little oversight
What do the federal government, responsibility and transparency have in common? When it comes to handing money to corporations, not much. Working-class Canadians watch helplessly as their hard-earned money is taxed away to be put into the laps of large businesses – often the same ones that receive it year after year. These dollar amounts…
There will be immediate tax relief. The size and scope of government will decrease. The CEO of Hydro One will be fired
Ontarians have been ready for a while to turf out Premier Kathleen Wynne and the Liberals, after 15 years of ineffective political rule and economic mismanagement. The only uncertainty was whether they would choose Progressive Conservative Leader Doug Ford or New Democrat Leader Andrea Horwath to lead the province in a new direction. After an…
It’s time to remove the rot at the core of province's management and begin to reverse the damage
In April of AD 527, a peasant from what is now Macedonia became emperor of the Romans. His name was Justinian and he left a surprising legacy. At the time of his accession, the Roman empire was more than 1,000 years old and was in terrible shape. The old city of Rome was a backwater.…
Instead of going nuts with other people's money, Ontario's premier should be looking for a narrative to sell to voters
There are all kinds of clichés about how and why governments lose elections. That they defeat themselves. That they die by degrees. That they become the very thing they once pledged to always oppose. Mostly, though, governments forget the plot. All of governing – all of the politics – is telling a story, every single…
Ontario's premier has been brought back from the dead more than once. But her competitors now seem more legitimate and committed
For a while there, Kathleen Wynne looked like the luckiest politician alive. Just six weeks ago, as she surveyed the political landscape, this is what the Liberal premier of Ontario saw: Andrea Horwath's New Democrats had been in a witness protection program for months. And, when they were finally starting to show signs of life,…
Free prescription drugs skew people away from healthy lifestyles and spread the financial burden to taxpayers who don’t qualify for the drug plans
Ontario taxpayers receive nothing but bad news from their politicians on drugs. In April 2017, both the Liberal government and the opposition NDP proposed expensive drug plans. The one proposed by Liberals took effect on Jan. 1, to the detriment of the public purse. It isn’t a prescription for affordable public health, it’s a prescription…
The Ontario PCs have a legitimate chance to form the next provincial government, despite Patrick Brown's distracting presence in the leadership race
The Patrick Clown Show continues to be the biggest political story in Canada – but the biggest provincial conservative party, the Ontario PCs, are still competitive. How come? The papers are brimming with stories about Patrick Brown. For instance: on Wednesday morning of last week, out of 13 provincial-politics-related clippings landing on staffers’ desks at…
The discrimination against human capital is one of capitalism's most egregious errors. It’s an error Tim Hortons’ franchise holders are making now
Governments in Alberta and Ontario have finally taken the plunge – starting on Jan. 1, they've raised minimum wages. Predictably, the pushback from business has been ferocious. You'd think aliens had landed. Provincial politicians are perceived to be either dangerous anti-business zealots or champions of the little guy, depending on which side of the capital/labour…
As the world’s fastest growing economies expand fossil fuels usage, carbon dioxide emissions, jobs and growth, Canada is going the opposite direction
Canadians have generally accepted that carbon pricing is necessary to save the planet. But as taxes and consumer costs rise, promised green jobs fail to materialize and few others in the world seem serious about staying the course, it’s time for a rethink. Rising population and prosperity in the developing world will grow global demand…
Government generally has little or no understanding of franchising, how food distribution forces play out or even simply how small businesses operate
Dramatically increasing minimum wages in the food industry is irresponsible and even reckless. On Jan. 1, Ontario’s minimum wage increased by 22 per cent, to $14 an hour. It will go to $15 on Jan. 1, 2019. That’s almost a 32 per cent increase in 12 months. Other provinces, such as Alberta and B.C., will follow…
What do the federal government, responsibility and transparency have in common? When it comes to handing money to corporations, not much. Working-class Canadians watch helplessly as their hard-earned money is taxed away to be put into the laps of large businesses – often the same ones that receive it year after year. These dollar amounts…
