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FRASER UPDATE
A weekly digest of our latest research, commentary, and blog posts
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Latest Research
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Business investment in Canada propped up by housing in B.C. and Ontario; sharply declines in AB and SK; Quebec, Maritimes consistent laggards
Capital Investment in Canada's Provinces: A Provincial Report measures growth in investment at the provincial level from 1990 to 2014 and from 2014 to 2018, the most recent year of comparable data. It finds that many of the provinces that historically enjoyed strong levels of investment—such as Alberta and Saskatchewan—have seen investment stall as a result of low oil prices. While British Columbia and Ontario remain strong performers, largely as a result of strong housing and finance sectors, Quebec, Nova Scotia, New Brunswick and Prince Edward Island have consistently lagged the national average over the 30-year period. Newfoundland and Labrador has enjoyed some of the highest investment growth in the country because of large hydroelectric projects currently underway in the province.
Read More [[link removed]]

1% increase in red tape on businesses results in 5% reduction in business startups
Technology Startups and Industry-Specific Regulations finds that heavier regulatory burdens on technology startup companies in Canada are associated with a greater chance that startups will fail—and those burdens can also prevent prospective companies from starting in the first place.
Read More [[link removed]]


Commentary and Blog Posts
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Alberta taxpayers on the hook for growing government debt interest payments [[link removed]]
(Appeared in the Edmonton Sun) by Ben Eisen
According to the Kenney government, debt interest costs will hit $3 billion by 2022/23.

History is clear—the Trudeau government needs to change direction [[link removed]]
(Appeared in the Financial Post) by Jason Clemens, Milagros Palacios, and Niels Veldhuis
More than 60 per cent of families in the bottom 20 per cent pay higher income taxes today because of the discontinued tax credits.

U.S. cities increase affordability while housing costs rise in Canada’s major centres [[link removed]]
(Appeared in the Toronto Sun) by Josef Filipowicz and Steven Globerman
In some Canadian cities, housing costs grew more than 50 per cent faster than incomes.

Ontarians—today and in the future—will pay the price for Ottawa’s debt [[link removed]]
by Ben Eisen and Jake Fuss
Ontario entered this recession with an already elevated government debt burden.

McNeil government should reduce income tax rates to spur Nova Scotia’s COVID recovery [[link removed]]
(Appeared in National Newswatch) by Alex Whalen and Tegan Hill
High rates can influence people’s decisions on where to work or start new businesses.

Trudeau government—and provincial governments across Canada—can learn from past fiscal consolidations [[link removed]]
by Ben Eisen
The Trudeau government’s recent fiscal update forecasted a $343 billion deficit this year.

Premier Ford should look west for tax advice [[link removed]]
by Ben Eisen and Tegan Hill
Alberta will reduce its corporate income tax rate to 8 per cent.


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