Category Archives: Equalization

“Politics Without Romance” – James Buchanan RIP

Posted on January 9, 2013 by Peter Holle

I am generally positive about the Harper Government in Ottawa but the biggest area where they fall down on policy is the failure to heed Buchanan’s observations on transfers to governments. Continue reading →

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Two billion dollars is “chump change”

Posted on October 22, 2012 by Marco Navarro-Génie

Only in Canada would an Eastern politician refer to two billion dollars of Albertans’ hard-earned money as “chump change.” Continue reading →

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Fixing Hydro Subsidies – Tip of the Equalization Reform Iceberg

Posted on October 12, 2012 by Peter Holle

While these proposed reforms will be seen as very scary by our cautious ruling political class, they must still be seen for what they are. We need to look at the tweaks purportedly being considered as more patches on a very patched up and dysfunctional transfer payment system.
Continue reading →

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Alberta and Ontario Must Work Together To Fix Fiscal Federalism in Canada

Posted on October 1, 2012 by Ben Eisen

The result has been that, in some important respects, governments of the traditional “have-not” provinces have been able to provide public services that are more expansive and accessible than what is available to residents of Alberta, BC and Ontario. Continue reading →

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PQ Secretly laughing about Harper Government’s Naive Transfers Policy?

Posted on September 21, 2012 by Peter Holle

The taxpayer should be free to withhold financial assistance to a welfare recipient who says he doesn’t want to work even if he is able to . . . Continue reading →

Posted in Equalization, Taxation, Unsorted | Comments Off

Andrew Coyne Commentary on EI

Posted on May 17, 2012 by Les Routledge

The system subsidizes jobs in seasonal industries, that is, at the expense of jobs in other industries. Continue reading →

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Carr on the Wrong Road

Posted on April 15, 2012 by Les Routledge

The Business Council of Manitoba has proposed a one per cent increase in the provincial sales tax dedicated to infrastructure. Continue reading →

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The time to re-think the Canada Health Act may be soon coming

Posted on January 17, 2012 by Marco Navarro-Génie

The price to keep pretending that the federal government can legislate in the area of health has dropped below the level of affordability for the indignity of trading a province’s constitutional autonomy. Continue reading →

Posted in Equalization, Healthcare | Comments Off

Reductions to Transfer Payments Possible

Posted on December 20, 2011 by Marco Navarro-Génie

The Minister of Finance, Jim Flaherty, introduced yesterday the idea of pegging tranfer payments to economic growth. As a result, transfer payments could be reduced by a third five years from now, assuming current rate of growth. Continue reading →

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Government Debt and Public Debt

Posted on August 7, 2011 by Les Routledge

How much debt has and will the Manitoba Government take on? Continue reading →

Posted in Energy, Equalization | Comments Off

Privatization Bogeyman Reappears in Manitoba Election La La Land

Posted on June 29, 2011 by Peter Holle

The basic lesson remains the following. If you want to expand a crown corporation, create more jobs and economic spin-offs, have a larger tax pie then you should privatize. Continue reading →

Posted in Energy, Equalization, Manitoba | 1 Comment

Glad I got Married

Posted on June 23, 2011 by Les Routledge

Single men suffer from a higher rate of poverty than women in Canada Continue reading →

Posted in Equalization, Poverty | 1 Comment