A spate of bad news Tuesday reminds us that provincial governments, collectively, have a bigger impact on the national economy than Ottawa. By that measure, we’re in some trouble.
Worth A Look
The Next Supermodel: Politicians from both right and left could learn from the Nordic countries
Smallish countries are often in the vanguard when it comes to reforming government. In the 1980s Britain was out in the lead, thanks to Thatcherism and privatisation. Tiny Singapore has long been a role model for many reformers. Now the Nordic countries are likely to assume a similar role.
To Solve Native Issues, Focus more on the Indians and Less on the Chiefs
The country’s most famous hunger striker has declined to declare victory and moved the aspirational goal posts after successfully hijacking the Prime Minister’s schedule. Canadians are divided as to whether she is a Northern Ontario Mother Teresa or an incompetent small town administrator on a highly publicized weight loss program.
City politicians focus on utopian visions while citizens just want simple things, like passable roads
It’s the new urban blight. Across the country, city governments are in varying states of disarray, if not chaos. The range is wide, from the badly governed fiasco in Toronto to outright corruption in Montreal and boondoggle-prone governments in Vancouver, Calgary and other Western cities. Taxes are rising, spending is soaring, but roads are crumbling and the basics often ignored.
Featured News
Traditional Teaching is not Obsolete
Artificial intelligence has come a long way. Unlike the rudimentary software of the past, modern-day programs such as ChatGPT are truly impressive. Whether you need a 1,000-word essay summarizing the history of Manitoba, a 500-word article extolling the virtues of...
Ottawa’s Policies Defeat Its Critical Minerals Push
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau made a recent rush visit to the Saskatchewan Research Council’s experimental rare earth refining facility in Saskatoon. He touted his government’s efforts to promote rare earth discovery, development, and extraction, along with the...
Yes, the Rich May Get Richer, But So Do the Poor
What the OECD’s figures show is that we are all generally doing better – the rich are getting richer and the poor are getting richer too. Second, this is not evil. It’s one of the great things about capitalism – it allows growth for everyone.
Welcome to 2012: All Debt, All the Time
Another year older and deeper in debt. You can Google “Canada’s debt clock” for a precise reckoning. Maintained by the Canadian Taxpayers Federation, this clock now ticks off another $1,000 in federal debt every second or, more precisely, $61,454 every minute.
Progress: Canadian Senate Listens to Global Warming Skeptics: Global warming orthodoxy gets challenged in a first-of-its-kind hearing.
On December 15, four leading scientists appeared before the Canadian Senate Standing Committee on Energy, the Environment and Natural Resources to challenge global warming advocacy. The hearing was the first of its kind in Canada to officially challenge global warming orthodoxy before the Government of Canada.
Europe’s Green Airline War: A new tax on jet carbon emissions invites retaliation
Europe's anticarbon crusade failed to extend the Kyoto Protocol this month, but the boys in Brussels don't give up easily. Now Europe may kick off a trade war with its new scheme to tax airlines on carbon emissions. The rule, which goes into effect January 1, will...
By Attaching no Strings, Flaherty Binds Irate Provinces to Health Plan
Quebec Finance Minister Raymond Bachand denounced Mr. Flaherty’s new 13-year funding formula as “totally unacceptable.” But in fact Quebec and every other provincial government has no choice but to accept it, at least for now. That’s because the Conservatives are asking for nothing in return.
Rents Hit the Roof: As prices rise, city posts second-lowest vacancy rate
Winnipeg’s reputation as an affordable place to live is taking a beating, two newcomers from Eastern Canada say.
Lessons for U.S. from Canada’s ‘Basket Case’ Moment
Canada’s shift from pariah to fiscal darling provides lessons for Washington as lawmakers find few easy answers to the huge U.S. deficit and debt burden, and for European countries staggering under their own massive budget problems.
One of the Worst VATS: Canada’s GST/HST exemptions keep rates high
Canadians have been told that the GST (a value-added tax) is a far better tax than most other levies and that Canada has one of the best GSTS in the world, according to OECD analysis. The GST is not all it’s hyped up to be, due to its massive tax preferences and special provisions. In fact, Canada’s consumption tax is below average in performance.
The Death Of Global Warming Skepticism, Or The Birth Of Straw Men?
The mainstream media has been spiking the football in the proverbial end zone ever since a paper released last Friday claimed two-thirds of global temperature stations show some warming occurred during the past century. Rather than delivering a death blow to skepticism, the media has merely invented and shredded an insignificant straw man.