Tom Flanagan, the University of Calgary professor who has worked for Wildrose and the federal Conservatives, has called Alberta’s election finance law “embarrassing … the fiscal foundation of the one-party system.” The Frontier Centre of Public Policy argued for more transparency. The Parkland Institute wants the donation limit slashed to something like the federal limit of about $1,100.
Municipal Government
Media Release – Empower Local Voters to Increase Government Accountability and Efficiency: Strengthening Fiscal Responsibility Through Decentralization
This study proses a way to develop greater spending transparency by way of enhancing fiscal autonomy for the provinces and municipalities
The Father of Managed Competition
The beauty of this system is that it puts cost cutting pressure on the vast layers of middle managers and supervisors that are a fixture of the traditionally rule bound, bureaucratic and process-oriented government systems we still see mostly everywhere in the public sector, cities no exception.
Let’s Focus on Transparency First: Without transparency reducing political donations limits is a red herring
Instead of focusing on reducing the limits on political donations, Alberta should strive to raise their transparency.
Featured News
Demand Fairness from Ottawa and Edmonton
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...
Inflation: They Win, You Lose: Politicos, Cronies Fleece Canadians with Monetary Expansion
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...
More Jobs and Better Taxi Service
Why Canada should follow New Zealand and Ireland and deregulate taxis.
The Case for Taxi Deregulation
Market failure, regulatory failure, and how to make taxi markets function for more jobs and better service.
Canada’s Taxi Markets: Market Failure or Regulatory Failure?
A new Charticle compares Calgary, Winnipeg and Regina population growth to the number of taxi licenses and observes we have many fewer taxis than we might expect based on population and employment growth in the past two decades. FC047
A Comical Look at the U.S. TARP Program
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Good Local Government. What is it?
If good local government is to be achieved a better standard of performance must be mandated for municipalities within Canadian local government empowering legislation.
Per-Vote Subsidies Still Provoking Debate
However, Canadians are divided about whether they want to support political parties with their tax dollars. And they are particularly unclear about whether the per-vote subsidies, which were introduced by the Liberals in 2003 to offset a ban on corporate and union donations, are a good thing.
Chalk or Cheese?
Unlike the obvious difference between those two items, Canadian municipalities often mix up two very different accounting categories—operating and capital expenditures. The result is that an educated reader is left to guess about municipal financial statements.
City Debt, Taxes Higher Than Average — Report
The Frontier Centre for Public Policy released last week a financial analysis of 79 Canadian cities. The report, which calls for greater consistency among municipal financial reporting, found St. Albert property owners paid 18 per cent more in taxes per household last year compared to 10 other prairie cities.
Calgary Taxpayers Bear Heavier Burden
Calgary's total tax burden per capita last year was almost a third higher than the average Prairie city, according to a new report released by a right-leaning think-tank. The report by the Frontier Centre for Public Policy drew swift criticism from aldermen on both...