My third wish was for our provinces to take concrete steps to get their finances under control. Yet, once again, debt and deficits grew in every province except Saskatchewan, and Newfoundland and Labrador.
Media Appearances
Calgarians Deserve Details on Swollen Project Prices
Whatever the process for tallying up a $1.4-billion bill, the West LRT still ranks as an insanely costly project, at $190 million per kilometre of track, or $42,000 and change per estimated daily rider according to a review done by the Frontier Centre for Public Policy.
Think Tank Pushes Bus ‘Brokerage’
A new study by the Frontier Centre for Public Policy is urging Saskatchewan’s government to convert its subsidized bus company into a brokerage.
Canada to Build Oil Pipeline to Serve Asia: ‘The U.S. market will not be large enough to accommodate all of Canada’s oil exports,’ said Natural Resources Minister Joe Oliver.
Canada is scrambling to build an expansive new oil pipeline network to reach new markets including Asia as its sole customer, the United States, hikes production, aiming to become the world’s top exporter.
Featured News
Why University?
In this essay, I explain that young people should come to university to be educated, and not to become credentialed; the public should support universities because universities educate young people, not because they produce credentialled workers. Why should a...
A Lamentable Tale of Two Colonies
During the whole of recorded history, the empire has been the most constant and common form of political organization. A basic, self-evident feature of all empire-building has been the successful occupation of the lands of the local, Indigenous inhabitants by outside...
Kelowna Budget Carryover Requests Approved
More than $94.2 million in operating and capital carryover expenditures will be added to the City of Kelowna 2011 budget.
Researcher Says Alberta Lagging on Property Rights
The 2011 International Property Rights Index released this week is the fifth annual study that investigates how well countries protect property rights. Out of 129 countries, Canada ranks ninth in the world, just below Australia. Finland and Sweden are first and second, respectively, while the United States is nineteenth.
Tax Cuts Should Be Based on Efficiency: Boutique tax credits favoured by Harperites target small interest groups with special benefits at the expense of other taxpayers
Taxes inevitably take a toll on economic growth for the simple reason that each dollar in government hands is no longer available for private-sector investment. Much of the money collected through taxes may work its way back to the private sector through purchases,...
Campbell Ranked Regina’s Top High School, Only Mid-Pack in Saskatchewan
Regina’s high schools ranked mid-pack and lower based on a new marking system that evaluates how such institutions in Saskatchewan are performing.
Safe Spending Plan Could Cost Tories
It’s hard not to read between the lines of Finance Minister Lloyd Snelgrove’s comments about the provincial budget he delivers Thursday. Snelgrove describes the financial blueprint as “practical,” and “not too flashy.”
Canada ‘A Frightened Country’
Gairdner’s worry about persistent deficit spending, smothering socialism, the Charter of Rights (which granted additional rights without giving Canadians balancing responsibilities) and loss of traditions led (after five rejection letters) to The Trouble With Canada -plus a string of other books and a reputation as the guy who helped jumpstart a pendulum swing toward conservative values.
Truth or Consequences: Your Call, Saint John
Sometimes when I want to get a snapshot of what the people are thinking, I go to the newspaper’s online site. At the top of the list, both in terms of most read and most commented, was “Pothole Pandemonium” (Feb. 18) with 33 comments mostly critical of the condition of our streets with literally hundreds of thumbs-up. However, one particular comment unrelated to the public’s growing disenchantment with the condition of our streets caught my attention.
To Slay the Deficit, Trim the Fat
Civil servants are becoming Canada’s new working elite. They boast better pay, better pensions, greater benefits and shorter working hours than their private-sector counterparts.
Ontarians Get Raw Deal in Wealth-Sharing System, Study Says
Canada’s outdated and inefficient fiscal arrangements are cheating Ontario taxpayers and undermining the nation’s productivity, warns a new study.