It is eroding Nova Scotians’ disposable incomes
If your take-home pay was cut by $75 this year, would you notice it? It’s $2.88 per paycheque. You might not notice. But if it goes up every year, it quickly snowballs. Surely you’d notice if your take-home pay was $1,334 smaller … That’s exactly how the government of Nova Scotia has been increasing your…
The draconian lockdown policies of the Nova Scotia government have long since crossed into authoritarianism
It’s a well-known saying and a generally accepted truth that power corrupts and that absolute power corrupts absolutely. There’s much less consensus, however, about what absolute power looks like. How do we know the difference between legitimate power and when a person or institution has too much and must be resisted? The draconian lockdown policies…
Nova Scotia’s authoritarian response to the pandemic
Born and raised in Halifax, I currently live in Munich, Germany. I have been monitoring the Nova Scotian response to the pandemic from abroad by reading the news and keeping in touch with family and friends. I write this article to lend some perspective on the pandemic through the lens of a Bluenoser living much…
Needs to start to unwind emergency spending implemented early in the pandemic
By Alex Whalen and Jake Fuss The Fraser Institute Now that the dust has settled on the Nova Scotia Liberal leadership race, new Premier Iain Rankin and provincial Finance Minister Labi Kousoulis will turn their attention to the upcoming 2021-22 provincial budget. Nova Scotia already faces a projected $779-million budget deficit for 2020 and a…
Nova Scotia is envied for its commitment to the environment. But it must also more aggressively encourage resources and startups
The Nova Scotia Liberal Party has chosen a new leader so it’s important to think about the policy priorities of the province’s new premier, Iain Rankin. Although an election doesn’t need to be held until spring 2022, Elections Nova Scotia is already preparing for one as early as April 1 of this year. The premier…
With escalating spending and a shrinking private sector due to the pandemic, Nova Scotia’s large government is a growing concern
By Alex Whalen and Steve Globerman The Fraser Institute The COVID-19 outbreak and economic downturn have produced a dramatic increase in government spending across the country. The federal and provincial governments have rolled out a variety of programs aimed to support businesses and individuals through these tumultuous times, in addition to extra public health-related expenses.…
The economic recovery after the COVID-19 pandemic should include Nova Scotia and New Brunswick lifting restrictions on natural gas fracking. Natural gas prices are low but that won’t last forever. Energy industry observers say the natural gas supply glut existed even well before the pandemic. However, the oversupply problems seem to be worse for American…
Eliminating trade barriers can help accelerate the economic recovery
By Alex Whalen and Ben Eisen The Fraser Institute Earlier this summer, the four Atlantic provinces formed the “Atlantic Bubble” as the region works toward freer movement of people amid the COVID crisis. And clearly, the pandemic’s effect on the economy underscores the value of free movement of people and goods, which – on the…
The N.S. Health Authority lets an inefficient telephone system act as an important barrier to timely care
If there’s any way to inconvenience patients and embrace antiquated methods, the Nova Scotia Health Authority will find it. Ask the sick patients who are trying to arrange appointments with specialists, or for imaging tests or for blood work. Most enterprises try to encourage and support increased consumer access to worthwhile services. Not the Nova…
Attempting to fight high deficits while maintaining high tax rates will reduce the province’s economic growth prospects
By Alex Whalen and Tegan Hill The Fraser Institute Due largely to COVID-19, the big banks project negative growth for Nova Scotia’s economy in 2020, ranging from -5.5 per cent to -7.4 per cent. Without a strong rebound, such a steep recession could have a lasting impact on living standards in the province and Maritime…