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The Size of Government in Canada in 2022

The Size of Government in Canada in 2022 measures federal, provincial, and local government spending in each province as a share of the economy (GDP) from 2007 to 2022 (the most recent year of comparable data) finding that government size grew in every province except Prince Edward Island and Saskatchewan during that period. In 2022, the size of government relative to the economy as a whole across Canada ranged from a low of 26.8 per cent in Alberta to a high of 63 per cent in Nova Scotia--and was 40.5 of Canada’s total economy.

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The Role of Natural Resources in British Columbia's Economy

The Role of Natural Resources in British Columbia’s Economy, by Senior Fellow Philip Cross, is the first essay in a new series looking at public policy in B.C. This essay quantifies the important role natural resources play in British Columbia’s economy, including the impact on both gross domestic product and employment.

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School Spending and Performance in Canada and Other High-Income Countries

School Spending and Performance in Canada and Other High-Income Countries is a new study that finds higher per-student spending levels are not associated with stronger academic achievement. In fact, among the provinces, Saskatchewan was the highest per-student spender but ranked 8th out of the 10 provinces in scores on the OECD’s Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA). Manitoba was the second highest per-student spender and recorded the lowest PISA scores nationwide. Conversely, British Columbia was the lowest spender per student in Canada and achieved the fourth-highest PISA scores.

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Enhancing Economic Growth Through Federal Personal Income Tax Reform is a new study that finds the federal government can reduce the top marginal income tax rate to 29.0 per cent—where it was before the Trudeau government increased it—and completely eliminate the three middle income tax rates of 20.5 per cent, 26.0 per cent, and 29.0 per cent by reforming and simplifying the tax code and removing a host of special carve outs, credits and other tax measures.

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Electric Vehicles and the Demand for Electricity

Electric Vehicles and the Demand for Electricity is the latest installment in the Institute’s series on EVs. It finds that Ottawa’s requirement that all new vehicles sold by 2035 be electric could increase Canada’s power demands by as much as 15.3 per cent, requiring the equivalent of 10 new mega hydro dams or 13 large natural gas plants to meet the increased electricity needs.

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The Cost of Business Subsidies in Canada: Updated Edition is a new study that finds Canadian governments spent $52 billion in 2022 subsidizing businesses across all provinces—including federal, provincial, and local spending.

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Economic Freedom and Gender Norms

Economic Freedom and Gender Norms is a new study that finds that social norms concerning whether men should take priority when it comes to jobs, political leadership roles, and university enrollment are less likely to show a male bias in societies that are economically free.

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Report Card on Ontario’s Elementary Schools 2023

Report Card on Ontario's Elementary Schools 2023 ranks 2975 public, Catholic, and independent schools based on nine academic indicators derived from provincewide test results. And contrary to common misconceptions, the data suggest every school can improve regardless of type, location, and student characteristics.