Canada Should Fix Equalization and Other Regional Subsidies Now, the latest study by the Atlantic Institute for Market Studies and the Frontier Centre for Public Policy, demonstrates how equalization is unfair, diminishes productivity, holds back economic development,...
The Frontier Centre for Public Policy and The Atlantic Institute for Market Studies (AIMS) today jointly released The Size and Cost of the Public Sector in Western Canada, authored by Rodney A. Clifton, Jackson Doughart, and Marco Navarro-Génie. This study examines...
One year after liberalising the Canadian Wheat Board's lock on cereal farmers, it is time to turn on supply management and its marketing boards. Today, August 1, marks the first anniversary of the liberation of the wheat and barley (among other cereals) markets in...
David Suzuki made a statement that Canada’s immigration policy is disgusting and that the country is already full. He implies that the environment will be harmed by more people in Canada and that immigration inevitably translates into an irreplaceable loss of skill to the countries of origin. People reject newcomers for a variety of reasons, but Suzuki’s fears are not the old-fashioned xenophobia with which we are all familiar.
This past weekend, we learned of the tragic and unexpected passing of Pastor Leon Fontaine at 59 years of age. Leon was a gifted leader playing many roles both nationally and internationally. He was, with his wife Sally, the senior Pastors at Springs Church with...
Testimony before the Public Order Emergency Commission reveals the case for government invoking the Emergencies Act is either weak or very weak. The Prime Minister was, in fact, opposed to members of his cabinet or senior public health officials meeting with protest...
Jesse Kline has written an interesting piece in the Post this morning, calling into question the foolishness in many municipal expenses in Canada. Kline makes the link between bizarre and outlandish spending and the continuous search for larger revenue and increasing taxes. In other words, the greater the number of silly but highly expensive public projects, the more need for cash to pay for essential services there will be.
Kline cites examples like the $60K urinal in Victoria, and the undeterminedly pricey airport tunnel as well as the $25-million so-called peace bridge in Calgary. Typically, supporters attempt to justify these with reasons as foolish as the expenses.
For its part, the City of Calgary says its investment is well worth the money, because the bridge will attract tourists. Right, because I was going to take my Christmas vacation in Vegas, but I decided a nice stroll over a bright red bridge in -40° weather was a better idea.
An artisitic rendition of Calgary's "Peace Bridge."
Earth Hour 2011 desired goals of energy consumption and consciousness raising are not being met.
Correcting the decline in voting participation is not a job for the state. Elections Canada programs and other gimmicks are not working. The problem is one of culture, and the culture should figure ways to correct it.
Some used to complain that the federal subsidies to political parties (initiated under the Chretien regime) were artificially supporting the Bloc Quebecois.
By granting parties revenue from the public purse, the federal state kept the Bloc alive beyond its natural life, the argument went. In a well-received Frontier Centre backgrounder in October 2008 Mark Milke made the case in the language of unintended consequences:
Whether one supports of opposes the use of tax dollars to fund political parties, an unintended consequence of public financing for political parties is that the Bloc Quebecois’ finances were greatly helped out by such schemes.
I remain convinced that Milke was right then, but there is room to believe that unintended consequences have in turn further unintended consequences.
Once a happier Duceppe
This is the view that Eric Duhaime advances in this piece entitled “Fermez la shop,” suggesting that the BQ is done. Duhaime argues that Bloc dependency on federal funding created the conditions of complaisance in which the party lived of lately. Only 19% of the Bloc’s finances came from funds raised from party members and militants. The rest, 81% came from the feds.
It seems clear that the 2011 federal election is about to change significantly the electoral map of Canada, for better or for worse
A close look at the polling data by region may not warrant the excitement of a possible Layton government resulting in the upcoming election on Monday. Three days to go!
The current copyright holders of the famous Che Guevara image launched a law suit against the American satire website The Onion.
Although Che Guevara is a symbol for revolution, executions, and expropriation, as well as a pop culture icon to rebellious urban youth in industrialised societies, he owes his pop culture status to good old fashioned property rights and the pursuit of profit.
It is inappropriate for a politician to single out citizens or groups of citizens, whoever they are, for public scorn.