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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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74 per cent of Canadians surveyed believe the average family is being over-taxed by the federal, provincial, and local governments
Polling Canadians on Taxes for the Average Family, based on a new Leger poll in early 2023 that surveyed 1,554 Canadians about their opinions on the tax burdens imposed on families, finds that 80 per cent of Canadians across the country support the average family paying 40 per cent or less of their income in total taxes to all levels of government.
Read More [[link removed]]
Ontario government spending reached highest level on record in 2020 at $11,558 per person
Ontario Premiers and Provincial Government Spending is a new study that reviews annual per-person program spending (inflation-adjusted) by Ontario premiers from 1965 to 2021, and finds that the highest single year of per-person spending on record was under Premier Doug Ford in 2020.
Read More [[link removed]]
Saskatchewan government spending reaches highest level on record in 2021 at $16,843 per person
Saskatchewan Premiers and Provincial Government Spending is a new study that reviews annual per-person program spending (inflation-adjusted) by Saskatchewan premiers from 1965 to 2021, and finds that the highest single year of per-person spending on record was under Premier Scott Moe in 2021, even excluding COVID-related spending.
Read More [[link removed]]
Environmental markets—not ESG mandates—will improve both environmental quality and economic prosperity
Environmental Markets vs. Environmental Mandates: Capturing Prosperity and Environmental Quality is a new essay in the Institute’s series on the ESG (environmental, social and governance) movement. It shows that the same institutions that promote economic growth—secure property rights and the rule of law—also promote environmental quality because the former creates the conditions for environmental improvement by raising the demand for improved environmental quality and by making resources—natural and human—more abundant.
Read More [[link removed]]
Women, Economic Progress, and Markets Podcast
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Artificial Restrictions and Hindrances to Progress [[link removed]]
Dr. Jayme Lemke joins host Rosemarie Fike to discuss the ways in which markets and economic progress can impact the lives of women, including: the difference between feminist activism and feminist philosophy, artificial restrictions created via institutional setbacks, informal institutions, and cultural failures. They even discuss the economist's opinion on household labour and matters of choice.
Commentary and Blog Posts
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Ottawa gambling on electric with taxpayer money [[link removed]]
(Appeared in the Toronto Sun) by Kenneth P. Green
Metal and mineral commodities are just as prone to boom-bust cycles as fossil fuels.
Premier Eby fails to learn from mistakes of predecessor in first budget [[link removed]]
by Jake Fuss and Tegan Hill
The province will run a $4.2 billion operating budget deficit in 2023/24.
Four in 10 Canadians prefer socialism but not higher taxes to pay for it [[link removed]]
(Appeared in the Financial Post) by Jason Clemens and Steven Globerman
Support for socialism drops from 50 per cent among Canadians 18-24 years old to 38 per cent among Canadians over 55.
Smith government takes one step forward two steps back in Budget 2023 [[link removed]]
by Tegan Hill and Milagros Palacios
Program spending is projected to be $4.2 billion higher in 2023/24 than budgeted just a few months ago.
Ottawa destroying child-care market [[link removed]]
(Appeared in the Edmonton Sun) by Matthew Lau
The government heavily tilted the field against private operators who serve the majority of the market.
B.C. lags behind neighbours on key measure of economic well-being [[link removed]]
(Appeared in Business in Vancouver) by Ben Eisen
Oregon's per-person GDP was 20 per cent higher than in B.C.
CRA finds more mismanagement with Ottawa’s COVID response [[link removed]]
(Appeared in True North) by Tegan Hill and Jake Fuss
The federal government paid $37.7 billion in wage subsidies to businesses with tax debts.
Resource revenue rescued Alberta—time for spending restraint [[link removed]]
(Appeared in the Calgary Sun) by Ben Eisen and Tegan Hill
It would be irresponsible for the Smith government to repeat the mistakes of past governments.
Reality check—foreign buyers aren’t buying up B.C.’s housing stock [[link removed]]
(Appeared in National Newswatch) by Steve Lafleur
Non-resident investors owned only 2.5 per cent of all houses in the province.
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