Quebec spending per student is 13.6% less than in Ontario yet Quebec students achieve comparable results to students in Ontario
By Tegan Hill and Jason Clemens The Fraser Institute Policy-makers in Ontario often mistakenly think more spending on public education automatically means better results. But despite relatively high and increasing levels of spending on public schools, there hasn’t been a commensurate boost in student performance. More spending on public education doesn’t always mean better results.…
Analysis shows Alberta must significantly reduce spending relative to the size of the economy or raise taxes
By Tegan Hill and Ben Eisen The Fraser Institute The Alberta government will release a three-year fiscal update later this month, and will be tempted to blame the province’s fiscal challenges on COVID-19. In reality, Alberta’s finances were unsustainable long before the pandemic hit. While the COVID-19-induced recession has certainly contributed to the province’s eye-popping…
Trudeau isn’t saying no new taxes; he’s saying we should continue to spend today and pay for it with taxes tomorrow
By Tegan Hill and Jake Fuss The Fraser Institute Despite promising significant increases to already historically high spending, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau recently pledged there will be no new taxes. This rhetoric is simply false. To pay for today’s spending, the Liberal government must either tax today or defer tax increases to the future by…
Attempting to fight high deficits while maintaining high tax rates will reduce the province’s economic growth prospects
By Alex Whalen and Tegan Hill The Fraser Institute Due largely to COVID-19, the big banks project negative growth for Nova Scotia’s economy in 2020, ranging from -5.5 per cent to -7.4 per cent. Without a strong rebound, such a steep recession could have a lasting impact on living standards in the province and Maritime…
Our high income tax rates discourage productive economic activity and put Canada at a competitive disadvantage
By Jake Fuss and Tegan Hill The Fraser Institute On July 8, the government of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau will release a “snapshot” of federal finances, the first such update since the COVID-19 crisis began. The government may also soon look to raise taxes to try to increase government revenue, either to finance new spending…
By Jake Fuss, Tegan Hill and Alex Whalen The Fraser Institute As the federal and provincial governments shift their focus to economic recovery, there will be heightened calls for fiscal stimulus in an attempt to kick-start the economy. However, a new study by the Fraser Institute demonstrates that, based on past experience, stimulus measures will…
As more resources go towards paying debt interest, the gap between what we pay in taxes and what we receive in services widens
By Tegan Hill and Milagros Palacios The Fraser Institute Federal Finance Minister Bill Morneau recently confirmed that, should a recession occur, Ottawa will turn on the spending taps using borrowed money. This government’s lack of fiscal discipline coupled with a willingness – if not outright enthusiasm – for even more deficit spending could imperil federal…
Providing greater educational diversity through independent schools helps B.C. and Quebec achieve better student performance – at a lower cost
By Tegan Hill and Ben Eisen The Fraser Institute One of the great advantages of Canada’s federation is that subnational governments can experiment with ways of providing public services and adopt the best system. In the case of public education (a provincial responsibility), the provinces can look to Quebec and British Columbia to learn about…
The federal government can’t continue to ignore the warning signs of a slowing economy. It should limit discretionary spending now
By Tegan Hill and Jake Fuss The Fraser Institute The recently-released Economic and Fiscal Update demonstrates the federal government’s proclivity for marked increases in deficit-financed spending despite warning signs of a slowing economy. New borrowing and a larger deficit increase the risk to federal finances should a recession occur. The federal update pegs the deficit…
We need smart tax cuts that improve incentives for workers, entrepreneurs and investors, along with a balanced budget
By Jason Clemens, Jake Fuss and Tegan Hill The Fraser Institute Finance Minister Bill Morneau recently confirmed the federal government’s intention to reduce personal income taxes for everyone except “higher-income earners.” With total taxes (federal, provincial and local) consuming 44.7 per cent of the average family’s income in 2019, it’s easy to see why Canadians…
By Tegan Hill and Jason Clemens The Fraser Institute Policy-makers in Ontario often mistakenly think more spending on public education automatically means better results. But despite relatively high and increasing levels of spending on public schools, there hasn’t been a commensurate boost in student performance. More spending on public education doesn’t always mean better results.…
