A study published in this month’s American Economic Review demonstrates that increased federal transfers to municipalities in Brazil lead to increased corruption. While one can quibble over whether the effect is as strong in more developed countries, the results are precisely what should be expected, given the incentives facing politicians.
Year: 2013
Wireless Ad Battles
The prospect of Verizon moving into the Canadian wireless market has resulted in an unprecedented ad campaign from the Canadian Wireless Telecommunications Association (CWTA). Not since the days of the proposed “cable tax” that would have required cable, satellite...
Lessons from Uruguay’s Drug Reform
Uruguay is set to become the first country to legalize the manufacture, distribution, and sale of marijuana. This is a meaningful step toward reducing drug-related crimes, eliminating wasteful spending, and shifting the debate from criminalization to individual...
Why Municipal Politicians Shouldn’t “Climb the Ladder”
Two sitting Toronto city council members are facing off against each other in Thursday’s Ontario by-election, and a former councilor is running in another riding. Each is representing a different party. While this may seem banal, it is highly problematic.
Featured News
International Corporate Tax-Rate Fixing Will Bind Canada, Limit Choices and Harm Growth
The finance ministers of over 130 nations and territories have arrived at a tentative agreement that will create a tax floor—a minimum corporate tax rate of a proposed 15 per cent. Its proponents, including Ottawa, sadly, claim it will create a “level playing field”...
Ontario Vaccine Mandate Does not Address Concerns of Human Safety
Starting September 7th, 2021, the Ontario government required all workers in high-risk settings to either take the COVID-19 vaccine, provide a medical reason for refusing vaccination or undergo regular testing and education. This includes workers in healthcare,...
A Taste of Reality for Alberta’s Public Sector
There are more than a few politicians in Canada delighting in what’s happening in Alberta these days. For years, provincial leaders have been driven mad by the often obscene deals that Alberta has struck with its public-sector employees, making everyone from doctors to teachers the best paid in the country. Not surprisingly, those same professions in other provinces have used these wage benchmarks as targets of their own during contract negotiations.
The Red-State Path to Prosperity: Blue states with high taxes are struggling to compete for businesses and workers.
You can tell a lot about prosperity in America by observing the places people are moving to and where they are packing up and moving from. New Census Bureau data on metropolitan areas indicate that the South and the Sunbelt regions continue to grow, while the Northeast and Midwest continue to shrink.
Options for the CBC: Alternative Roles for the National Broadcaster
Based on a historical analysis of the original role for a national public broadcaster, Roland Renner assesses how improving technology has affected the CBC and takes a look at five potential alternatives for bringing the CBC in to the modern world. Renner looks at five potential proposals, ranging from abandoning the idea of a public broadcaster entirely, to making only minor changes to the current system, before making a final recommendation.
After Smoke Clears, Taxpayer-Funded Boondoggle Revealed
It was a different world in 2007 when then-B.C. premier Gordon Campbell announced that his would be the first carbon-neutral government in North America. The B.C. premier was a leader among Canadian politicians in introducing measures designed to curb carbon emissions. But like many of Mr. Campbell’s ventures, his attention and focus on the issue eventually waned and climate policy took a back seat to other matters.
Media bamboozled into promoting another climate scare story
The new scientific paper “A Reconstruction of Regional and Global Temperature for the Past 11,300 Years” attempted to show that twentieth century “global temperature” rise was unusual when seen in the context of the period since the end of the last glacial. But their research demonstrated no such thing. In fact, it was not even possible for the researchers to come to such a conclusion, based on the data they collected and the computational methods they employed.
Ralph Klein, RIP
Love him or hate him, one has to admit that Ralph Klein was a remarkable politician.
The Last Word on Crime and Police — For Now
The Frontier Centre recently released a backgrounder I co-authored over the last few months on the effect of police levels on crime. The conclusion was simple: the evidence suggests that Canadian cities have sufficient police resources. This has predictably ruffled some feathers. I’ll address some of the criticisms I’ve received, though, frankly, most of the points were already addressed in the paper.
The Manitoba Bullying Legislation is Going to be Expensive
Bill 18 is winding its way through the Manitoba legislature against considerable opposition from parents and schools. Nevertheless, the government is convinced they must have this new anti-bullying legislation. However, by examining what has happened in American universities when they enacted similar policies, we see that this could likely create a gold mine for lawyers, while not improving the situation for students.
The Future of E-Government in Saskatchewan
Introduction Progressive public policies and long-term vision have brought Saskatchewan back to the forefront of economic development. News headlines depict the province as the land of opportunity. Saskatchewan is leading the country in economic and population growth,...