Executive Summary The various federal political parties are all promoting the policy agendas they believe will foster a sustainably high quality of life for all Canadians. It remains to be seen whether they will attain the success that they aim …
Smoot-Hawley Redux?
The Trump administration has unveiled a long list of punishing tariffs that will affect everyone. This time around they will not exempt Canadian steel and aluminium. Is this the beginning of a worldwide trade war, or simply a clever negotiating …
Abetting Tax Minimization is Least of Export Development Corporation’s Problems
Export Development Corporation, ‘EDC’, a Crown lending corporation owned by the federal government, has found itself in controversy by virtue of providing funding to a mining company, Turquoise Hill. This mining firm utilized offshore entities to minimize taxes it pays, …
American Job Losses and NAFTA
Decades of steady trade liberalization have served Canada’s economic development. As the Montreal Economic Institute’s Mathieu Bédard noted recently in FP Comment (“Trump’s anti-NAFTA myths spread north,” July 14), the NAFTA years have seen consistent increases in productivity and output …
Liberals and federal NDP policies restrict Alberta oil to U.S. market
During the 1988 Free Trade debate, the Liberals and NDP fought a provision that required Canada to maintain its oil export volumes to the U.S. at historical levels. So it is a remarkable irony that these two parties are now …
Derail interswitching policies
Forcing rail carriers to ship a competitor’s cars harms profitability and distorts the investment market The winter before last, Canadians endured their coldest-ever winter. On the rail lines, deliveries were slowed significantly, creating a backlog of grain and other commodities …
Alberta will pay price for Central Canada’s cap-and-trade deal
The governments of Ontario and Quebec recently announced their intention to enter into a cap-and-trade arrangement. The goal here is to put a price on carbon. The economic argument is pretty simple. Markets are an efficient manner in which to …
Cap-and-Trade: A Wynne-Lose Situation
The governments of Ontario and Quebec recently announced their intention to enter into a cap and trade arrangement. The goal here is to put a price on carbon dioxide. The economic argument is pretty simple. Markets are an efficient manner …
The Sooner CETA is Ratified, the Better
Last week the Harper Government announced that the highly anticipated Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA) between Canada and the European Union had been finalized. The ratification process could take up to two years due to the complexities involved in …