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1. What’s Wrong with Alberta Aggressively Increasing the Minimum Wage?

   Appeared in the Calgary Herald The new NDP government in Alberta has indicated that it will aggressively increase the province’s minimum wage from $10.20 to $15 per hour over the next three years. There are a number of problems with this campaign promise ...

2. The Myth of Education Spending Cuts in Alberta

   Appeared in the Fox Creek Times and Okotoks Western Wheel It’s budget season in Edmonton but Premier Prentice has already announced a five per cent across-the-board reduction in program spending to help deal with an expected $7 billion-plus deficit. Of ...

3. Government workers' compensation out of line with the private sector

   Appeared in the Calgary Herald As Alberta’s provincial and municipal governments grapple with declining oil revenues and a weakening economy, a sober review of government spending should be part of any belt-tightening initiative. One place to start is the ...

4. Comparing Government and Private Sector Compensation in Alberta

   With heightened interest in how wages and non-wage benefits in the government sector compare with those in the private sector, this study estimates wage differentials between the government and private sector in Alberta. It also evaluates four available ...

5. Myth of energy-induced booms and busts

   Appeared in the Medicine Hat News, Kelowna Daily Courier, and Penticton Herald There is a prominent view among some in Alberta’s provincial government and elsewhere in the province that believes booms and busts in government finances are a result of the ...

6. Lax Heritage Fund rules allow governments to plunder Alberta's future

   Appeared in the Red Deer Advocate and Winnipeg Free Press In 1987, the value of Alberta’s Heritage Savings and Trust Fund stood at $12.7 billion. That year, the province faced a massive budget deficit and transfers to the fund from resource revenues were ...

7. Reforming Alberta's Heritage Fund: Lessons from Alaska and Norway

   The governments of Alberta, Alaska, and Norway have all created funds in which to deposit some of the revenues they receive from non-renewable natural resource activities. Despite Alberta?s rich natural resource endowments, its Alberta Heritage Savings ...

8. The compensation gap; why it pays to be a government worker in Alberta

   Appeared in the Calgary Sun and Edmonton Sun More than three years after the end of the recession and Alberta’s provincial government continues to struggle with deficits, which as of the last quarterly update could reach $3 billion. Relying on revenues to ...