Unlike most nearby municipalities, the City of Vancouver is in the red, financially, and has been for more than a decade, finds a new study from the Fraser Institute. The study, Government Debt and Other Liabilities in the City of Vancouver, spotlights government liabilities (debt, employee pension obligations, etc.) in Vancouver between 2002 and 2013. … Read more
The recent Supreme Court of Canada ruling, granting a group of six B.C. First Nations title to a large piece of land outside their reserves, will have national implications and will likely stunt economic development across Canada, finds a new study released by the Fraser Institute. The study, A Real Game Changer, breaks down the … Read more
A typical Canadian family with two parents and two children will pay up to $11,786 for public health care in 2014, finds a new study released by the Fraser Institute. The study, The Price of Public Health Care Insurance, helps Canadians better understand health care costs and the value they receive for their tax dollars. … Read more
Higher levels of economic freedom can help reduce the risk of violent conflict in countries around the world, finds a new study released by the Fraser Institute. The essay, Free Markets and Civil Peace, examines the relationship between economic freedom, which is measured by several factors (trade openness, level of government involvement in the economy, … Read more
A ban on log exports would likely hurt B.C.’s forestry and logging industry, concludes a new study released by the Fraser Institute. “An outright ban on log exports from B.C., as advocated by many union leaders, environmentalists and politicians, would likely cause economic damage, particularly to B.C.’s coastal regions where the majority of B.C. log … Read more
Despite claims from critics, incremental innovations by drug companies provide great value for doctors and patients, finds a new study released by the Fraser Institute. The study, The Benefits of Incremental Innovation, spotlights the value of incremental innovations, which include relatively modest improvements to existing pharmaceutical drugs compared to dramatic breakthrough innovations. The study is … Read more
Despite similar costs, the Dutch health care system features shorter wait times than the Canadian system with similar to superior outcomes, finds a new study released by the Fraser Institute. The study, part of a series of Fraser Institute studies examining health care policies in other countries, spotlights the health care system in the Netherlands. … Read more
With municipal elections coming this fall, a new study from the Fraser Institute finds that municipal spending in Metro Vancouver ballooned over the last decade, despite cries of poverty from government officials. The study, The State of Municipal Finances in Metro Vancouver, spotlights the overall financial state of Metro Vancouver’s 21 municipalities, home to 2.4 million people. … Read more
Tax Freedom Day for the average Canadian family falls on June 9, one day later than in 2013, according to the Fraser Institute’s annual calculations. Tax Freedom Day measures the total tax burden imposed on Canadian families by the federal, provincial and local governments. If you had to pay all your taxes up front, you’d … Read more
British Columbia’s growing government debt remains hidden in the province’s capital budget-unnoticed by most taxpayers-and could pose serious fiscal challenges in the future, finds a new study released by the Fraser Institute. The study, Capital Budgeting and Fiscal Sustainability in British Columbia, examines B.C.’s capital and operating budgets, and the sustainability of provincial finances. The … Read more
