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1. The provinces are lousy at controlling spending

   Appeared in the Calgary Herald Provincial cries for more federal money are as old as Confederation, and rarely have any substance to them. After all, it’s easier to demand that Ottawa ante up federal cash—to cry about some mythical “fiscal imbalance” ...

2. The federal government doesn’t owe Ontario—or Alberta—more money

   Appeared in the National Post In a year when two heavyweight provinces, Ontario and Alberta, which together constitute 55 per cent of Canada’s GDP, are running substantial deficits, there are three ways to reduce the red ink. Strategy one: cut (and reform ...

3. Money kept by Canadian taxpayers is not a “loss”

   Appeared in the Calgary Herald With tax season at hand, here’s a useful tip for any tax-weary Canadian. When some people refer to income or other money not taxed as a “loss” to government, remember that they may merely be using technical language. In ...

4. Alberta’s budget: $11.4 billion in extra taxes

   Appeared in the Calgary Herald Premier Jim Prentice dropped hints for months that the 2015 provincial budget was a once-in-a-generation chance to “fix” Alberta’s finances. That didn’t happen. Instead, the province raised taxes on Albertans in a manner ...

5. Cheer up, western prosperity will return

   Appeared in the Calgary Herald As everyone from the Manitoba-Ontario border to Tofino knows, the local and provincial economies, which depend on resource extraction, have slowed. So this is a critical time to get some perspective on the past. If ...

6. “Anti-tax” accusation based on silly and simplistic arguments

   Appeared in the Vancouver Sun In a recent column about the upcoming Metro Vancouver transit plebiscite, Vancouver Sun columnist Daphne Bramham complained about business leaders who talked “way more about cutting taxes for poor beleaguered taxpayers for ...

7. Premier Prentice is wrong about Alberta’s single tax

   Appeared in the Calgary Herald and National Post After governments abandon fiscal prudence, they will soon search for any and all ways to tax people more. This is the reality playing out in Alberta where Premier Jim Prentice has floated multiple tax ...

8. Does Alberta need a sales tax?

   Appeared in the Calgary Herald, Jan 17, 2015 With oil prices plunging and provincial resource revenues expected to drop, Alberta’s red ink will rise. In response, Premier Jim Prentice has floated the notion of a provincial sales tax and/or hikes in other ...

9. France’s failed tax and spend experiment

   Appeared in the Calgary Herald When French President Francois Hollande visited Canada recently, one hopes the Gallic leader looked around. If he did, he would have noticed a stark difference in the economic opportunities between the two countries with the ...

10. Nova Scotia opts for high taxes rather than fracking

    Appeared in the Calgary Herald, Cape Breton Post, and Moncton Times & Transcript From the fur trade to fisheries and forests, Canada was built on the toil and sweat of those who wanted to prosper. But these days, it’s harder to create opportunity. And ...