The Fraser Institute released a new study entitled Prime Ministers and Government Spending, Updated 2020 Edition, which tracks annual per person program spending (adjusted for inflation) by prime ministers since Confederation. The study finds that federal government spending this year, which was already on track to be a new record high before the recession, is now … Read more
The Fraser Institute released its annual rankings of Ontario secondary schools on May 24, and the findings show that more Ontario high schools declined in performance in 2019 than those that improved. The Report Card on Ontario’s Secondary Schools 2020, ranks 733 anglophone and francophone public and Catholic schools (and a small number of independent and First Nations … Read more
The Fraser Institute published a new report, The Private Cost of Public Queues for Medically Necessary Care, 2020, which found that long waits for surgery and medical treatment cost Canadians almost $2.1 billion in lost wages and productivity last year. “Once elective surgeries resume, [health care workers in Canada] could face further challenges as they tackle the ever-increasing backlog … Read more
The Fraser Institute released a book of essays, The Budget That Changed Canada: Essays on the 25th Anniversary of the 1995 Budget, looking at then-prime minister Jean Chrétien’s 1995 Budget which tackled head-on the pressing fiscal challenges facing the nation. “The 1995 federal budget was historic not just for its bold fiscal reforms, but also for the 10-plus years … Read more
The Fraser Institute released a new essay entitled “Refining Alberta’s Equalization Gambit.” The essay argues that while the Alberta governnent can hold a provincial referendum on removing equalization from the constitution, it must be followed by a legislative resolution, which would trigger the duty to negotiate. “If Alberta charts the correct course, it can bring otherwise reluctant … Read more
The Fraser Institute released a new report, Why is Equalization Still Growing? which shows Canada’s equalization program has cost taxpayers $2.1 billion more in equalization payments since 2017 due to a program design flaw. “Most Canadians likely assume that if the fiscal disparity between richer and poorer provinces shrinks, equalization payments also shrink—but currently, that’s not how the … Read more
By establishing individual property rights, the Westbank First Nation in British Columbia’s southern Interior has become entrepreneurial and prosperous, finds a new study. “Westbank has created an environment where band members can create wealth that benefits both the individual and the community,” said Tom Flanagan, Fraser Institute senior fellow, professor emeritus of political science at the … Read more
The Fraser Institute released a study, “The Price of Public Health Care Insurance, 2019,” which finds that a typical Canadian family of four (two parents, two children) will pay $13,311 for public health-care insurance in 2019. “Despite misleading claims of Canada’s ‘free’ health-care system, Canadians actually pay a substantial amount of money for health care through a … Read more
The Fraser Institute released a new report, Lessons from the Quebec Universal Prescription Drug Insurance Program, which finds that Quebec’s universal pharmacare system, which relies on both a public plan and private insurance providers, covers more drugs and provides quicker access to new medicines than other Canadian provinces. “The Quebec model is proof that you can have universal—and … Read more
Canada is successful at welcoming educated immigrants every year, but when it comes to the most educated immigrants around the world—those with PhDs—the United States remains a more attractive destination. “Canada has done a good job of attracting educated immigrants, but there’s more work to do to lure the world’s best and brightest who continue … Read more
