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1. Provincial finances in trouble—spotlight Central Canada

   The Parliamentary Budget Office (PBO) recently published its annual fiscal sustainability report, which provides long-term projections to assess the sustainability of public finances for the federal government and the provinces. In this ...

2. Ontario’s election—the real economic issues

   Ontario’s June 7 election may be a watershed moment as the new government will deal with an economy that, despite the recent improvement, still faces major challenges with employment and investment, given a housing boom is not a ...

3. The high cost of getting climate policy wrong

   The Internet is abuzz over a recent report by the Parliamentary Budget Office (PBO) that shines some light on the potential impact of the federal carbon tax plan on Canada’s economy. Specifically, the report shows that the carbon price ...

4. Ontario budget ignores past promises, offers no plan to enhance economic competitiveness

   Predictably, many of the headlines on Ontario’s 2018 budget, released today, focus on Premier Kathleen Wynne’s so-called “free” child care plan and other big-spending items. It is, after all, a big-spending budget. But crucially, the ...

5. GST revenues from carbon-pricing—likely another tax grab

   This week, as Canadians were sliding into their holiday mindset, the Parliamentary Budget Officer (PBO) released a report estimating the GST revenues collected by the federal government through existing carbon-pricing schemes in four ...

6. The key fiscal lesson of Canada’s first 150 years—spend prudently

   As 2017 draws to a close, Canadians can reflect not only on the outcomes of the last year, but in this milestone 150th year of the federation, also where we are headed. What shall Canada’s economic achievements be as the next 50 years ...

7. The case for federal personal income tax reform in Canada

   On the 100th anniversary of Canada’s federal personal income tax (PIT), the federal government would be wise to consider reforming personal income taxes by eliminating several “tax expenditures” (tax credits, deductions and other special ...

8. Obstacles to business investment in Ontario—uncompetitive tax rates

   A recent study from the Fraser Institute highlights a substantial problem for Ontario’s economy—the fact that business investment to the province remains weak. In fact, business investment still hasn’t recovered to pre-recession levels. ...

9. The high cost of raising revenue through Canada’s personal income tax

   The personal income tax (PIT) is the single largest source of revenue for Canadian governments, but it also has a major impact on the level and growth of personal income. The PIT influences a wide range of important economic decisions ...

10. If the Leafs and Raptors lose, you should blame… the government?

    It’s well known that high personal income tax rates discourage work, entrepreneurship, investment and other activities that contribute to economic growth. It’s also well-established that high marginal income tax rates can make it harder ...