Risk & Regulation

Generation and Management of Municipal Solid Waste: How’s Canada Doing?

— Jul 13, 2021

Generation and Management of Municipal Solid Waste: How’s Canada Doing? is a new study that finds Canadians, on a per-person basis, generated 959 kilograms of municipal solid waste in 2018 compared to 980 kilograms in 2002. Crucially, waste from residential or household sources is on the rise, comprising more than 40 per cent of total waste generation, while waste generated from non-residential sources—industrial, commercial, etc.—has declined in Canada.

Technology Startups and Industry-Specific Regulations

— Jul 30, 2020

Technology Startups and Industry-Specific Regulations finds that heavier regulatory burdens on technology startup companies in Canada are associated with a greater chance that startups will fail—and those burdens can also prevent prospective companies from starting in the first place.

Evaluating Alberta's Energy Regulator

— Nov 21, 2019

Evaluating Alberta’s Energy Regulator finds that any meaningful reform of the Alberta Energy Regulator (AER) must target the corporation’s regulatory objectives, decision-making process and procedures because a sleeker, more efficient AER would be a big step in the right direction for Alberta and Canada as a whole.

The Myths of Local Food Policy: Lessons from the Economic and Social History of the Food System

— Oct 8, 2019

The Myths of Local Food Policy: Lessons from the economic and social history of the food system finds that despite common misperceptions, locally-grown food isn’t better for the environment, doesn’t provide a more stable food supply and it isn’t necessarily safer to eat. And locally-grown food often increases prices for consumers since the high cost of land in or near big cities means urban agriculture is expensive.

Recent Risk & Regulation Commentaries and Blog Posts

Bill C-10 threatens freedom of expression in Canada

Bruce Pardy

Appeared in the National Post, June 7, 2021

The charter has become a judicial instrument to manage the priorities of the pervasive administrative state.

Three ways federal government can spur COVID recovery

Jake Fuss

Appeared in the Ottawa Sun, March 31, 2021

Trade liberalization could increase Canada’s economic output by up to $130 billion annually.

Rhetoric vs. reality—the Trudeau government’s dismal record on business investment

Jason Clemens, Milagros Palacios, Niels Veldhuis

Appeared in the Financial Post, February 11, 2021

On the broadest measure of investment, the Trudeau government experienced an average annual decline of 0.2 per cent before the 2020 recession.

U.S. states more attractive to energy investors than most provinces—including Alberta

Jairo Yunis, Elmira Aliakbari

Appeared in the Calgary Sun, January 20, 2021

The legislation includes subjective criteria including the “social impact” of energy investment and its “gender implications."

Freer trade will benefit Atlantic provinces more than others

Ben Eisen, Alex Whalen

Appeared in National Newswatch, December 17, 2020

COVID has interrupted the free movement of products and people.

Canadians paying implicit tax for ‘Canadian content’ entertainment

Steven Globerman

Appeared in the Ottawa Sun, November 18, 2020

The Trudeau government wants online streaming services to operate under the same rules that apply to traditional broadcasters.

Ottawa’s Clean Fuel Standard—overkill in your tank

Ross McKitrick

Appeared in the Financial Post, November 18, 2020

Tailpipe emissions of nitrogen oxides, particulates and carbon monoxide have fallen by more than half.

Mandatory switching of biologic drugs—beware of potential side-effects

Yanick Labrie

Last year, British Columbia became the first province to introduce a mandatory biosimilar switching program for non-medical reasons.

Trudeau government deals another blow to Newfoundland and Labrador

Alex Whalen, Elmira Aliakbari

Appeared in National Newswatch, October 8, 2020

Ottawa expects firms to commit to things they can’t possibly predict.

Government should allow First Nations to freely compete in gaming industry

Tom Flanagan

Appeared in the Globe and Mail, September 29, 2020

Casino revenues from remote locations are not large enough to be economically transformative.

Risk & Regulation Research Experts

Pierre Desrochers

Associate Professor of Geography, University of Toronto
Kenneth P. Green

Senior Fellow, Fraser Institute
Marc Law

Professor of Economics, University of Vermont
Ross McKitrick

Professor of Economics, University of Guelph
Finn Poschmann

Senior Fellow, Fraser Institute
Joel Wood

Associate Professor of Economics, Thompson Rivers University
Moin Yahya

Professor of Law, University of Alberta

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