“The true measure of a nation’s standing is how well it attends to its children, including their health, safety, material security, education and socialization and their sense of being loved, valued and included in the families and societies into which they are born,” according to UNICEF. Yet how can we measure our nation’s standing when […]

A new report written by Alberta economists says the so-called head tax imposed by Lethbridge County on livestock in their jurisdiction is “not the fairest,” and could have a detrimental impact on feedlot owners. The research paper was published by the University of Calgary’s School of Public Policy and was created at the prompting of […]

It was not at all helpful that the less-than-affable Montreal mayor, Denis Coderre, declared it a “victory for Canada” when TransCanada withdrew its licence application for Energy East, a pipeline project that actually would have provided market-diversification benefits to the national economy. It would be no different than if the mayor of, say, Winnipeg — […]

New research from the University of Calgary’s School of Public Policy suggests the city’s ten-year plan to address homelessness might be working. The study tracked the number of stays in emergency shelters since Calgary embarked upon its plan in 2008. According to their data, emergency shelter stays — measured as a percentage of Calgary’s adult population — has […]

A financial panel appointed in May to advise the Yukon government on looming budget deficits says if taxes must be raised, the territory should consider a sales tax. The panel says shifting taxes from income to consumption will also create a more stable source of revenue for the territorial government. It suggests the government save […]

Perhaps it’s too early to discern, after just two negotiating sessions among the NAFTA partners, whether the United States has a game plan for reaching agreement, or whether they are just going through the motions with a view to pulling the plug on the hopeless task of a lopsided “America First” deal. Either way, the […]

Who should the schools of tomorrow be training? It’s not clear, but a new research paper is suggesting now is the time to figure it out. As the province’s economy and oil and gas industry tentatively show signs of bouncing back, a University of Calgary Public School of Policy paper explores what the next steps […]

During the 2015 election campaign, the Liberals promised to eliminate the small-business deduction, which would have meant the same, single corporate income tax rate for businesses large and small. It was a good idea. Eliminating special rates for small business, at the federal and provincial level, would reduce distortions between different-sized businesses and make the […]

Canada’s oil-producing provinces are seeing the biggest spike in insolvency in the country, according to new statistics from the Government of Canada. Alberta, Newfoundland and Labrador, and Saskatchewan had the highest percentage increases in the number of consumers and businesses unable to pay their debts in the 12-month period ending June 30, 2017, compared to the previous year, […]