Government Spending & Taxes

— Aug 1, 2024
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Ontario Premiers and Provincial Government Spending 2024

Ontario Premiers and Provincial Government Spending, 2024 finds that despite political rhetoric while in opposition, the Ontario government of Premier Doug Ford has recorded two of the three highest per person spending levels since 1965, even excluding COVID-related one-time spending. In fact, Premier Ford’s highest per person spending levels ($12,227 in 2020 and $12,081 in 2021, excluding COVID spending) surpass former Premier Kathleen Wynne’s highest spending level: $11,101 in 2017.

— Jul 30, 2024
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Taxes versus the Necessities of Life: The Canadian Consumer Tax Index 2024 edition finds that in 2023, the average Canadian family earned an income of $109,235 and paid in total taxes equaling $46,988. In other words, the average Canadian family spent 43.0 per cent of its income on taxes compared to 35.6 per cent on basic necessities.

— Jul 26, 2024
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Costs and Benefits of Reducing Nitrous Oxide Emissions from Canadian Agriculture

Costs and Benefits of Reducing Nitrous Oxide Emissions from Canadian Agriculture finds that the federal government’s plan to lower nitrous oxide emissions in the Canadian agricultural sector will impose costs in excess of $1.6 billion, but will provide no measurable benefit in lower GHG emissions. In fact, nitrous oxide emissions make up just 4.5 per cent of Canada’s total greenhouse gas emissions, and only 0.07 per cent of global GHG emissions.

— Jul 16, 2024
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New Federal Fiscal Framework for Canada

A New Federal Fiscal Framework for Canada finds that if the federal government reduced program spending by only 2.3 per cent over two years and eliminated a host of tax expenditures, it could balance the budget and reduce personal income tax rates affecting most Canadians.

— Jul 3, 2024
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Measuring Progressivity in Canada’s Tax System, 2024

Measuring Progressivity in Canada’s Tax System, 2024 finds that despite common misperception, the top 20 per cent of income-earning families pay a larger share of total taxes (54.2 per cent) than their share of income (46.4 per cent).

— Jun 28, 2024
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The Case for Replacing British Columbia’s Inefficient Provincial Sales Tax with a Made-in-BC VAT

The Case for Replacing British Columbia’s Inefficient Provincial Sales Tax with a Made-in-BC VAT is a new study that finds replacing the current B.C. Provincial Sales Tax with a Harmonized Sales Tax (or a Value Added Tax) would reduce taxes on business inputs, particularly machinery and equipment, which discourages investment, lowers productivity, and slows economic growth. Removing this tax on machinery and equipment could increase annual incomes in B.C. by an estimated $700 to $1,700 per worker.

— Jun 20, 2024
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Alberta’s ‘Spending Restraint’ in Perspective

Alberta’s “Spending Restraint” in Perspective is a new study that finds although the Alberta government’s current plan to restrain program spending increases is a constructive way to bring provincial spending more in line with sustainable revenues, doing so will be hindered by increases in per person spending introduced over the last two years. In fact, program spending this year will reach $14,334 per Albertan, which is $1,603 more per person (inflation-adjusted) than the government planned to spend this year as outlined in the 2022 mid-year budget update.

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