In his novel 1984, George Orwell envisioned a future that is arguably unfolding before our eyes where government authority was supreme and truth and freedom were not to be found. Perhaps he should have named his novel 2021 because our times seem more like his novel...
If a public inquiry found that hundreds of millions of dollars was being funnelled by foreign entities to undermine Canadian industry, should we conclude there is nothing wrong? Remarkably, the public inquiry’s final report into anti-Alberta energy campaigns did the...
When Artur Pawlowski came to Canada in 1995, he did not think it would turn out as it has. The pastor of Calgary’s Street Church, famous for his confrontations with police, says Canada looks too much like the Communist Poland he grew up in. “I grew up seeing police...
Some of Canada's best doctors have suffered undue trouble for sharing their concerns with lockdowns, masks, social distancing and COVID-19 vaccines. Authorities in the medical profession have treated these physicians like apparent heretics under the threat of...
A few weeks ago, Albertans voted to reduce the inequities in the federal equalization program. The deficit between the dollars that leave to and come back from Ottawa has recently been as high as $27 billion in one year. During times of crisis, it feels like salt in...
One of the most widespread economic myths is that inflation—the reduced purchasing power of a currency—is a win for a nation, a sign of a booming economy. For the privileged classes in government and with initial access to monetary expansion, it is a win. For everyone...
Governments always want to look like they are implementing good ideas and accomplishing important things. For the Trudeau government, the latest razzle-dazzle is the Innovation Superclusters Initiative (ISI). Here, the federal government will throw almost a billion...
In Canada, Airbnb is getting...well...deflated. The ironic reason is that it has become too popular. Airbnb is an online service for “Air bed and breakfast.” It's for guests who want a cheap place to stay the night, even if it's on an air mattress. Since its 2008...
“She's got a ticket to ride and she don't care,” says the old Beatles song. And when it comes to Uber, most riders would sing it. If consumer demand was the only issue, the ride-sharing service would probably be operating across Canada by now, just like it does in...
First Nations populations and on-reserve commerce are growing faster than the Canadian average. This growth should be welcomed by the rest of the Canadian family, save for one problem: unjustified tax exemptions for on-reserve commerce and individuals. Loopholes in...
All Canadian provinces face mounting health expenditures, owing in part to smoking. Yet, tobacco products sold on First Nations reserves is not subject to taxes, unlike off-reserve sales. Even though exemptions are not enshrined in the Indian Act, the constitution, or...
The Frontier Centre for Public Policy today released a study about treaty land entitlement and urban reserves in Saskatchewan. The study was conducted by Dr. Tom Flanagan, Professor Emeritus, University of Calgary, and Mr. Lee Harding, who was a M.A. student in the...
Tom Flanagan and Lee Harding / November 2016 This paper examines 21 First Nations in Canada who scored highly on the 2011 Community Well-being Index (CWB), which is computed by researchers at the Department of Indian and Northern Affairs (INAC) after each census. The...