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1. Talks of a Trudeau mandate ignore reality and history

   Appeared in the Edmonton Sun, October 30, 2019 Based on the prime minister’s speech on election night and the ensuing media coverage, one might assume that the new minority Liberal government has a mandate to govern based on their campaign platform. This ...

2. No mistaking it now—the federal government has no interest in balancing the budget

   If there were any lingering doubts about the federal government’s commitment to balance the budget in the near term or next year as they originally promised, they should be put to rest with the release of the fall economic update on ...

3. Federal government doesn’t seem to recognize the hole it’s digging

   If you were already worried about the Trudeau government’s persistent increases in government spending and debt, then today’s Fall Fiscal Update will only compound your concerns. But for those not already anxious about the state of ...

4. The finance minister said what?

   Coming out of an emergency cabinet meeting earlier this week, ostensibly called to deal with the watershed announcement that Kinder Morgan was halting all “non-essential” spending on its Trans Mountain pipeline despite regulatory and ...

5. Trump reforms lay bare Canadian policy missteps

   Prime Minister Trudeau has stated unequivocally that he won’t reduce Canadian taxes to remain competitive. ...

6. 2016 census—Canadians are living and working longer

   Statistics Canada recently released the latest data from the 2016 census. One of the biggest takeaways: seniors are working later in their lives and living longer than ever. Indeed, in 2015, the labour market participation among seniors ...

7. Morneau’s tax changes—another missed opportunity as Ottawa searches for revenue

   Federal Finance Minister Bill Morneau (pictured above) today proposed a series of tax changes intended to crackdown on tax-planning strategies involving the use of private corporations that can “result in high-income individuals gaining ...

8. Prime ministers and government spending in Canada—a retrospective

   As Canada celebrates its 150th birthday, it’s worthwhile to retrospectively look at the spending records of the country’s various prime ministers. The following blog discusses some important aspects of our recently released study ...

9. Personal income taxes and the capital gains tax

   Numerous studies have demonstrated the high costs imposed on economies that maintain capital gains taxes, particularly those such as Canada that are relatively small and trade-oriented. The source of these costs is that capital gains ...

10. Budget season—Alberta and Ottawa must revert back to proven fiscal policies

    Budget season in Canada is now in full swing as governments unveil their tax and spending plans for the coming year and beyond. Two upcoming budgets deserve special attention: Alberta’s (March 16) and the federal government’s (March 22), ...