Canada’s federal government sends cash transfers to the provinces to help pay for health care. Under the current arrangement regarding cash transfers, the federal government has committed to increasing its cash transfers for health care by 6 percent annually in addition to the provision of targeted transfers, such as those for health reform and waiting list reduction. Recently, the federal government announced that it would continue the 6 per cent annual increase to 2016-17, despite expecting to run planned budget deficits (spending exceeding revenues) until 2014-15. After that, it will change to a rate of increase matching either the nominal rate of economic growth or 3 percent, whichever is greater.

This paper responds to the criticism by Mohsen Javdani and Krishna Pendakur of our estimate of the net fiscal transfer to recent immigrants. Specifically, Javdani and Pendakur question our estimate that in fiscal year 2005/06 the average fiscal burden imposed on Canadian taxpayers was around $6,000 for each immigrant.

The Report Card on Alberta’s Elementary Schools 2012 reports a variety of relevant, objective indicators of school performance. These indicators are used to calculate an overall rating for each school. On the basis of this rating, the schools are ranked. The Report Card brings all of this information together in one, easily accessible, public document so that anyone can analyze and compare the performance of individual schools. By doing so, the Report Card assists parents when they choose a school for their children and encourages and assists all those seeking to improve their school.

In Alberta, many parents enjoy considerable choice about the school in which they will enroll their children. Where choice is available, the Report Card provides a valuable decision-making tool. Because it makes comparisons easy, the Report Card alerts parents to nearby schools that appear to have more effective academic programs. Further, parents can determine whether schools of interest are improving over time. By first studying the Report Card, parents will be better prepared to ask relevant questions when they interview the principal and teachers at the schools they are considering. Of course, the choice of a school should not be made solely on the basis of a single source of information.