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1. Less Ottawa, More Province, 2021: How Decentralized Federalism is Key to Health Care Reform

   A significant body of research suggests that Canada’s health care system consistently underperforms relative to most peer jurisdictions with universal health care systems. This underperformance continues despite the fact that Canada is one of the world’s ...

2. 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. ...

3. A New (Old) Fiscal Rule for Non-Renewable Resource Revenue in Alberta

   Alberta’s government finances are once again in a perilous state with ongoing deficits, mounting debt and near record levels of spending. One of the greatest contributors to Alberta’s fiscal instability is the provincial government’s treatment of non ...

4. Caution Required When Comparing Canada’s Debt to that of Other Countries

   The federal government continues to rationalize its debt-financed spending based on international comparisons showing Canada with the lowest level of debt in the G7. Of the two broad measures of debt, gross debt includes most forms of debt while ...

5. Comparing Economic Performance in Five Pre-Recession Periods

   This study contrasts the economic performance in the last five pre-recession periods: 1986–1989 (Mulroney), 1997–2000 (Chrétien), 2005–2008 (Martin-Harper), 2011–2014 (Harper), and 2016–2019 (Trudeau). It includes multiple measures for income, labour, and ...

6. Correcting Common Misunderstandings about Capital Gains Taxes

   This essay reviews some of the common misunderstandings related to capital gains and their taxation. First, a significant body of research concludes that taxes on capital are among the most economically damaging. Two of the more important adverse effects ...

7. Financing the Canada Child Benefit

   This essay examines the extent to which current versus future taxes (i.e., borrowing) are being used to finance the expanded Canada Child Benefit (CCB). Prior to the Liberals’ introduction of the CCB in 2016, in 2015 the previous federal government had ...

8. Is the Canada Child Benefit Targeted to those Most in Need?

   This essay assesses the federal government’s multiple claims that the Canada Child Benefit (CCB) is targeted to those who need it most. Any program providing benefits to 90 percent or so of families will struggle to be targeted to only those in need. Of ...

9. Federal Government Wasting Billions on Poorly Targeted Assistance

   The federal government has introduced a number of new programs and ad hoc additions to existing programs in response to the COVID recession. Unfortunately, much of this spending appears to have been poorly targeted towards those in genuine need, ...

10. Distribution of CERB: Estimating the Number of Eligible Young People Living with Parents

    The Canada Emergency Response Benefit (CERB) is a flat, taxable $2,000 monthly benefit provided to eligible Canadians. The initial 16-week program was estimated to cost $53.4 billion after cost recoveries from taxation. The program was recently ...