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FRASER UPDATE
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A weekly digest of our latest research, commentary, and blog posts.
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Latest Research Feb 24-Mar 1, 2020
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Chrétien government’s historic 1995 budget restored sound fiscal policies in Ottawa; a stark contrast with current government
The Budget That Changed Canada: Essays on the 25th Anniversary of the 1995 Budget is a new book of collected essays celebrating Jean Chrétien and Paul Martin’s historic federal budget that tackled head-on the pressing fiscal challenges facing the nation following nearly 30 years of deficits and mounting debt. The 1995 budget, which reduced program spending and led to balanced budgets, shrinking debt and eventually broad-based tax relief, laid the foundation for more than a decade of economic prosperity and is one of the main reasons Canada weathered the 2009 global recession better than most other industrialized countries.
Read More ([link removed])

Canadian jurisdictions drop out of top 10 most attractive places for mining investment
This year’s Annual Survey of Mining Companies finds that, for the first time in 10 years, no Canadian jurisdiction ranks in the top 10 for “investment attractiveness” according to mining executives and investors.
Read More ([link removed])

Recent Commentary and Blog Posts
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Alberta on track to balance budget—but significant fiscal challenges remain ([link removed])
(Appeared in the Calgary Sun) by Jake Fuss and Tegan Hill.
The province's net debt is expected to grow by $11 billion over the next three years.

Teck withdrawal further proof of Canada’s odious investment climate ([link removed])
(Appeared in the Calgary Herald) by Ashley Stedman and Elmira Aliakbari.
Teck spent almost 10 years securing the necessary approvals from provincial and federal regulators.

Alberta Court of Appeal rejects carbon tax, protects provincial jurisdiction ([link removed])
by Bruce Pardy. 
The court concluded that Ottawa can't encroach upon provincial jurisdiction merely by citing climate change as a national concern.

Quebec’s fracking ban based more on exaggerated fears—not science ([link removed])
(Appeared in the Toronto Sun) by Robert P. Murphy.
The natural gas boom has helped reduce carbon dioxide emissions in the energy sector.

Most effective pro-housing reforms have nothing to do with more government spending ([link removed])
by Josef Filipowicz. 
Housing unit completions in B.C. have remained relatively flat over the last decade.

Atlantic Canadians carry large government debt burden ([link removed])
by Jake Fuss and Alex Whalen.
Newfoundland and Labrador has the highest per-person total government debt among the provinces at $48,478.

New book calls for decriminalizing drug use in response to opioid crisis ([link removed])
by Stephen T. Easton.
There were 4,588 overdose deaths in Canada in 2018.

The Fraser Institute is an independent Canadian public policy research and educational organization with offices in Vancouver, Calgary, Toronto and Montreal and ties to a global network of think-tanks in 87 countries. Its mission is to improve the quality of life for Canadians, their families and future generations by studying, measuring and broadly communicating the effects of government policies, entrepreneurship and choice on their well-being. To protect the Institute's independence, it does not accept grants from governments or contracts for research. For more, call (800) 665-3558 ext. 590.

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