Press Release Department: Non-Governmental - The Fraser Institute

Ontario’s poor economic performance is dragging down Canada’s economy, finds a new study released by the Fraser Institute, an independent, non-partisan Canadian public policy think-tank. The study, “Can Canada Prosper without a Prosperous Ontario?” examines Ontario’s shift from the economic engine of Canada to a “have not” province that received $3.2 billion in equalization payments from Canadian taxpayers in 2013/14. “Because … Read more

The three fastest-improving secondary schools in Vancouver are public schools on the east side of the city, finds the Fraser Institute’s annual school rankings. The Report Card on B.C.’s Secondary Schools 2014 ranks 293 public and independent secondary schools based on seven indicators using data from the annual provincewide exams administered by the B.C. Ministry of Education. The … Read more

Canada could improve its attractiveness for mining investment by allowing private ownership of mineral rights, particularly if mineral rights were given to First Nations, finds a new study released by the Fraser Institute. The study, Divergent Mineral Rights Regimes, compares mineral law and policies in Canada and the United States. Mineral rights in Canada belong … Read more

Government liabilities include much more than direct debt, and when all federal, provincial, and local government liabilities are combined, each Canadian taxpayer owes $243,476, notes a new study by the Fraser Institute. Total government liabilities in 2011/12, the latest year an estimate is possible, amounted to $4.1 trillion, up 20.9 per cent from $3.4 trillion … Read more

Canadians lost a combined $1.1 billion, or an average of $1,202 per patient, as a result of lengthy waits for medically necessary health care in 2013, finds a new study released by the Fraser Institute. The study, The Private Cost of Public Queues for Medically Necessary Care, calculates the average value of time lost during … Read more

The negative impact of a weaker loonie will likely outweigh any benefits, said Philip Cross, former chief economic analyst for Statistics Canada, in an analysis published by the Fraser Institute. “It’s a myth that devaluation of the Canadian dollar broadly stimulates the economy and leads to prosperity. In fact, a weaker loonie triggers higher domestic … Read more

By every measure, Ontario is much deeper in debt than California, the poster child for fiscal irresponsibility, finds a new study released by the Fraser Institute. “California is routinely criticized by pundits, politicians and economists for its inability to control spending and reduce deficits. Yet Ontario, with a fraction of California’s population and a significantly smaller … Read more

The CRTC’s recent crackdown on a trio of X-rated channels for not showing enough Canadian content is a classic example of how government policies supporting Canada’s entertainment industry are costly and inefficient, said Steven Globerman, author of a new Fraser Institute study on the government’s assistance to Canada’s film and television industry. The study, The … Read more

Quebec has the largest government debt relative to the size of its economy of any Canadian province, and a series of essays released by the Fraser Institute, breaks down how Quebec got to this point and where it might go from here. More information is available online. Call 604-688-0221 x 532.

Students can succeed despite perceived barriers to learning, finds the Fraser Institute’s annual school rankings. The Report Card on B.C.’s Elementary Schools 2014 ranks 982 public and independent elementary schools based on 10 academic indicators using data from the annual Foundation Skills Assessments (FSAs) administered by the B.C. Ministry of Education. According to the Report … Read more