| Fraser Institute

No evidence of increasing droughts, floods, hurricanes and wildfires, despite activist claims

Extreme Weather and Climate Change finds that contrary to claims by many climate activists and politicians, extreme weather events—including forest fires, droughts, floods and hurricanes—are not increasing in frequency or intensity.

Time To Reform the Canada Health Act is a new essay, part of the Institute’s series on federal policy reforms, that highlights how the act has led to poor performance and high costs in provincial health-care systems, and suggests reforms that would allow the provinces to provide better universal health care.

GDP growth rates—when not adjusted for population— provide misleading picture of Canadian economy

GDP Growth Unadjusted for Population Change—a Misleading Measure of Canada’s Economic Progress finds that due to large differences in population growth among developed countries, and Canada’s recent immigration-fuelled population surge, it’s now more useful to use per-person GDP to measure economic performance instead of overall GDP growth.

Canada’s Rising Personal Tax Rates and Falling Tax Competitiveness, 2024 is a new study that finds recent personal income tax rate increases at the federal and provincial levels have helped widen the income tax rate gap between the U.S. and Canada—among all 61 provinces and states, at $50,000 of annual income, the top 10 highest combined (federal plus provincial/state) personal income tax rates are in nine Canadian provinces—with all provinces in the top 15.

Three Non-Economic Challenges Facing the Renewable-Energy Transition is a new study that finds although some costs associated with the transition away from fossil fuels and towards renewables are declining, significant barriers still remain. For example, the large amount of land required for solar and wind power generation, and the significant increase in mining activity and refinement capabilities required to build the wind turbines, solar panels, and energy storage systems.

Read the Full Report

Flat 8 per cent personal income tax would save Albertans $1,573 a year, on average

Undoing Alberta’s Personal Income Tax Hikes is a new study that finds reversing the 2015 provincial personal income tax rate increases and instituting a flat eight per cent tax rate would help restore Alberta’s tax advantage while saving taxpayers $1,573 a year, on average.

As the federal carbon tax continues to rise, two new essays— Reforming the Federal Government's Carbon Tax Plan and Carbon Tax Is Beyond Redemption—make two opposing arguments, to retain the tax (after fixing it) and to scrap it.

1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
…
next ›
last »

Recent Commentaries & Blog Posts

New capital gains hike won’t work as claimed but will harm the economy

Alex Whalen, Jake Fuss

Appeared in the Globe and Mail, April 18, 2024

Investors may delay selling capital assets because they anticipate a change in government and a reversal back to the previous inclusion rate.

Business investment key to addressing Canada’s productivity crisis

Tegan Hill

Appeared in the Hill Times, April 17, 2024

Canada’s GDP per hour worked—a key measure of productivity growth—is among the lowest in the OECD.

Federal government remains intransigent on emissions cap despite dire warnings of harm

Kenneth P. Green

Appeared in the Calgary Sun, April 17, 2024

Any emissions reduction from the cap would likely have no detectable impact on the climate.

Federal budget fails to ‘break the glass’ on Canada’s economic growth crisis

Grady Munro, Jake Fuss

Appeared in the Toronto Sun, April 16, 2024

Per-person GDP, a common indicator of living standards, now sits below where it was at the end of 2014.

Federal government sticks to its soft fiscal targets—but this is no cause for celebration

Grady Munro, Jake Fuss

Appeared in the Western Standard, April 16, 2024

According to the budget, deficits over five years will add more than $153 billion in additional federal debt.

Federal budget’s scale of spending and debt reveal a government lacking self-control

Jake Fuss, Grady Munro

In 2024/25, federal program spending will reach a projected $483.6 billion—up $16.1 billion from the previous budget’s estimates.

B.C.’s credit downgrades reflect government’s spending and debt binge

Tegan Hill, Jake Fuss

Appeared in Business in Vancouver, April 15, 2024

The government plans to overspend by $11.2 billion relative to its 2023 budget plan.

Nova Scotia remains Canada’s most government-dominated province

Alex Whalen, Jake Fuss, Grady Munro

Appeared in the Macdonald Notebook, April 15, 2024

At 63 per cent of the economy, Nova Scotia’s government footprint is far beyond the estimated optimal level.

Ontarians face some of the highest income tax rates in North America

Jake Fuss, Grady Munro

Appeared in the Ottawa Citizen, April 15, 2024

An individual making C$50,000 per year faces a higher income tax rate in Ontario than in every U.S. state.

Solar eclipse school closures underscore impact of learning loss

Michael Zwaagstra

Appeared in the Globe and Mail, April 15, 2024

Ontario schools were closed for 135 days during the pandemic, more than any other province.

Proclaiming your government ‘fiscally responsible’ does not make it so

Jake Fuss, Grady Munro

According to projections, this federal government will possess the eight highest levels of per-person spending in Canadian history.

Ottawa touts wait lists for dysfunctional child-care program

Matthew Lau

Appeared in the Financial Post, April 11, 2024

Only public and non-profit providers have access to the billions in government grants.

Federal government should cut taxes in upcoming budget to spur economic growth

Jake Fuss, Milagros Palacios

Appeared in the Toronto Sun, April 10, 2024

From 2013 to 2022, per-person economic growth—a broad measure of living standards—was at its lowest rate since the Great Depression.

Federal debt interest will consume nearly one quarter of income tax revenue in 2024

Grady Munro, Jake Fuss

From 2015/16 to 2022/23, the government added more than $820 billion in gross federal debt.

B.C. government maintains high tax rates despite prosperity gap in region

Jake Fuss, Grady Munro

Appeared in the Vancouver Sun, April 10, 2024

The province had the fourth-highest top combined income tax rate among 61 Canadian and U.S. jurisdictions.

Federal government should tackle Canada’s productivity crisis in upcoming budget

Jock Finlayson

Appeared in the Edmonton Sun, April 10, 2024

When per-person GDP increases by 2 per cent a year, average income doubles within 35 years.

Newfoundland and Labrador must improve policies to tap oil and gas potential

Julio Mejía, Alex Whalen

Appeared in the St. John's Telegram, April 9, 2024

Investment in the province’s oil and gas sector plummeted from $4.9 billion in 2014 to $1.2 billion in 2023.

No evidence of increasing droughts, floods, hurricanes and wildfires, despite activist claims

No evidence of increasing droughts, floods, hurricanes and wildfires, despite activist claims

Reforming the Canada Health Act key to provinces providing better universal health care to patients

Reforming the Canada Health Act key to provinces providing better universal health care to patients

GDP growth rates—when not adjusted for population— provide misleading picture of Canadian economy

GDP growth rates—when not adjusted for population— provide misleading picture of Canadian economy

Across all income levels, Canadians pay higher personal income taxes than Americans

Across all income levels, Canadians pay higher personal income taxes than Americans

Land consumption, increased mining and refinement pose significant barriers to renewable energy transition

Land consumption, increased mining and refinement pose significant barriers to renewable energy transition

Flat 8 per cent personal income tax would save Albertans $1,573 a year, on average

Flat 8 per cent personal income tax would save Albertans $1,573 a year, on average

Ottawa’s carbon tax—fix it or scrap it: duelling essays make the case for and against

Ottawa’s carbon tax—fix it or scrap it: duelling essays make the case for and against

Search form

No evidence of increasing droughts, floods, hurricanes and wildfires, despite activist claims

No evidence of increasing droughts, floods, hurricanes and wildfires, despite activist claims

Reforming the Canada Health Act key to provinces providing better universal health care to patients

Reforming the Canada Health Act key to provinces providing better universal health care to patients

GDP growth rates—when not adjusted for population— provide misleading picture of Canadian economy

GDP growth rates—when not adjusted for population— provide misleading picture of Canadian economy

Across all income levels, Canadians pay higher personal income taxes than Americans

Across all income levels, Canadians pay higher personal income taxes than Americans

Land consumption, increased mining and refinement pose significant barriers to renewable energy transition

Land consumption, increased mining and refinement pose significant barriers to renewable energy transition

Flat 8 per cent personal income tax would save Albertans $1,573 a year, on average

Flat 8 per cent personal income tax would save Albertans $1,573 a year, on average

Ottawa’s carbon tax—fix it or scrap it: duelling essays make the case for and against

Ottawa’s carbon tax—fix it or scrap it: duelling essays make the case for and against