We have to start demanding that politicians start making some tough choices
Fifty-seven thousand dollars. That’s the average amount each Canadian will owe in provincial and federal government debt by the end of the year. It’s not just the rich or big corporations that will be mopping up this budget mess if politicians don’t take some air out of their bloated budgets. Politicians are already starting to…
There is no subsidy pot of gold going to oil and gas companies that can be diverted to renewable energy ventures
By Mark Milke and Lennie Kaplan Canadian Energy Centre When the issue of taxpayer subsidies for energy comes up – oil and gas and renewables alike – the public, policy-makers and media could be forgiven if they feel like they’re drowning. Endless decimal points and numbers that run into the trillions can make it near…
Manitoba’s provincial government depends on long-calcified federal transfer programs to fund 37% of its budget
Around 1915, Winnipeg was frequently described as a second Chicago, a serious transportation hub with a bustling private economy. In 1921, it was the third-largest city in Canada. In the 1960s, Winnipeg was Western Canada’s corporate headquarters city. Today, Winnipeg is Canada’s ninth-largest city, known more in the United States, if not by most Canadians,…
Before our fiscal house falls to pieces
There’s only so many times that you can superglue the same broken mug back together, and there’s only so much debt a country can pile up before there are serious consequences. COVID-19 subsidies were always supposed to be temporary and now it’s time for the feds to set a concrete end date to all this…
... and more corporate welfare
Canadian politicians like Chrystia Freeland see tax competition as a “race to the bottom.” But for the rest of us, a global tax cartel will mean an inevitable march toward higher tax bills and more pork for companies with access to politicians. Freeland agreed to the American-led proposal for a global minimum business tax of…
They are a bad idea and should be sold off
Reports, studies and analyses show that the essential character of state-owned enterprises, including Canadian Crown corporations, makes it impossible for them to have true independence or real profitability. These operations have inherent goals counter to the normal private sector pursuit of profit maximization. In the private sector, return on investment rewards shareholders for the risk…
When a new governor general takes the controls as head of state, the routine waste of money at that office needs to stop
It’s a rare event when the stars align in the cosmos of Ottawa to create the perfect opportunity for politicians to save taxpayers some money. That phenomenon is happening now. Ottawa is facing a black hole of debt. It needs to save money, and that signal needs to come from the top. When a new…
What you tax more of, you get less of
Calls by self-identified progressives and others who purport to champion equity, compelling everyone to pay their fair share, have grown louder and more strident. It seems these social justice warriors have discovered previously unknown inner fiscal conservatism, with their usual zeal for redistribution and punishment for those who they deem have excessive wealth. It’s wealth…
Government maintains its sugar tax is all about keeping you healthy
What’s all about sweets, sours your wallet and leaves a bitter taste? It’s Premier Andrew Furey’s proposal for a new Pepsi tax. This tax will increase the price of soft drinks by 20 cents a litre. By this time next year, you’ll be paying 15 per cent more for a two-litre bottle of Pepsi at…
The government requires a complete 180-degree turn in policy
By Jason Clemens Milagros Palacios and Niels Veldhuis The Fraser Institute In a recent interview, federal Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland explained the need to focus on economic growth to deal with many of Canada’s fiscal issues, including our high debt levels. Minister Freeland is correct that higher rates of economic growth would solve many of…