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The Chopping Block: Canadians deserve more
Friday, June 3rd, 2011
Jun 2, 2011
… the government plans to find $7-billion in efficiencies, including $1-billion in 2012-13, $2-billion in 2013-14 and $4-billion in 2014-15… they amount to a mere 2% in savings from the $352.5-billion in departmental spending planned from 2012-13 to 2014-15. The Conservatives also promised an extra $4.6-billion in new spending during the election, which wipes out most of the savings. With a significant deficit and no credible plan to balance the budget, this is not the time for marginal belt-tightening. Canada needs real and substantial spending reductions…
Tags: budget, economy, ideology
Posted in Governance Debates | No Comments »
Lessons from Liberals’ 1995 budget…
Friday, February 25th, 2011
February 17, 2011
The authors maintain that, rather than trying to slow the growth in spending increases and hope for strong revenue growth over time—which in the ’80s and early ’90s left Canada with a large debt and substantial interest payments—the upcoming budget should actually reduce spending. Specifically, the budget should: Return program spending to levels prescribed in pre-stimulus budgets… [and] Marginally reduce provincial health transfer payments in exchange for granting the provinces greater flexibility and autonomy in delivering health care.
Tags: budget, Health, ideology
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Ignatieff just doesn’t get it [Corporate Tax Cuts]
Saturday, February 12th, 2011
February 11, 2011
A recent OECD study, Do Tax Structures Affect Aggregate Economic Growth?, explores the direct relationship between various taxes and economic growth for 21 developed countries over the period 1971 to 2004. While taxes on personal income, consumption and property all had negative effects on per-person income growth, corporate income taxes had the most damaging effect… Yet Michael Ignatieff believes that corporate tax cuts are “giveaways” that “fatten profits” for the “richest and most powerful corporations.”
Tags: economy, globalization, ideology, standard of living, tax
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The HST is good for you. Yes it is. Is too
Monday, June 21st, 2010
June 21, 2010
Opponents of harmonization claim that the elimination of sales taxes on business inputs and the expansion of the sales tax base would result in a shift of the tax burden from business to individuals. However, such a view ignores that the ultimate burden of all taxes falls on people in the form of higher prices, lower wages, or reduced rates of return… The HST is a significantly more efficient sales tax system that will improve the investment climates in both provinces and ultimately benefit Canadians through more opportunities, higher rates of economic growth and increased prosperity.
Tags: economy, globalization, standard of living, tax
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Harpernomics
Tuesday, March 30th, 2010
March 29, 2010
Prime Minister Stephen Harper and Finance Minister Jim Flaherty responded to our report with harsh words. Both criticized the report as being “ideologically” motivated. Minister Flaherty was “disappointed” and remarked that our report was “poorly done” and “shabby.” …
Our study, supported by a large body of academic evidence, confirms that the stimulus package didn’t work. It’s time for the government to admit its stimulus mistake and return to prudent fiscal policies.
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