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1. Prime Ministers and Government Spending: Updated 2021 Edition

   Per-person federal program spending (adjusted for inflation) reached $17,121 in 2020-21, by far the highest level in Canada’s history. Non-COVID-related per-person spending in 2020-21 was $11,165. Moreover, federal spending is estimated to reach ...

2. The Lifetime Tax Burden for Canadians from Federal Debt Accumulation

   Federal debt has risen substantially during the COVID-19 pandemic and is projected to continue rising for the foreseeable future. Large deficits come with costs and Canadians will have to pay for our borrowing today through additional taxation ...

3. Taxes versus the Necessities of Life: The Canadian Consumer Tax Index 2021 edition

   The Canadian Consumer Tax Index tracks the total tax bill of the average Canadian family from 1961 to 2020. Including all types of taxes, that bill has increased by 1,992% since 1961. Taxes have grown much more rapidly than any other single ...

4. Measuring Progressivity in Canada’s Tax System

   There is a common misperception in Canada that top income earners do not pay their share of taxes and that increasing taxes on this income group is an effective way to generate significant additional government revenue. However, high-income ...

5. Interest Cost Risks to Government Budgets

   This essay calculates the change in government interest costs and budget balances if interest costs return to their 2019-20 levels. Estimates are calculated for 2021-22 gross debt levels for each of the provinces and the federal government. ...

6. Canadians Celebrate Tax Freedom Day on May 24, 2021

   In 2021, the average Canadian family will earn $124,659 in income and pay an estimated $48,757 in total taxes (39.1%). If the average Canadian family had to pay its taxes up front, it would have worked until May 23 to pay the total tax bill imposed on it ...

7. Prime Ministers and Government Spending: 2021 Edition

   Ottawa spent twice as much per Canadian in 2020 ($17,091) as it did at height of WWII ($7,769) ...

8. Achieving the Four-Day Work Week: Essays on Improving Productivity Growth in Canada

   Surveys of Canadians have shown a strong desire for reduced work hours with a four-day work week being a highly prized goal. This is hardly surprising given that leisure time is a valuable good for most people. To be sure, a four-day work week would be ...

9. Reforming Employment Insurance for the 21st Century

   Notwithstanding the long history of unemployment insurance programs in Canada, as well as substantial modifications to the programs over time, employers, researchers, and even the current federal government continue to express concerns about the existing ...

10. Federal and Provincial Debt-Interest Costs for Canadians

    In recent years, deficit spending and growing government debt have become a trend for many Canadian governments. Like households, governments are required to pay interest on their debt. In aggregate, the provinces and federal government are ...