Who was Barbara Mitchell?
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Local Leviathans: The Rise of Municipal Government Spending in Canada, 1990–2018

Local Leviathans: The Rise of Municipal Government Spending in Canada, 1990–2018 finds that local governments across Canada have increased spending significantly in recent years—even before the COVID-19 pandemic and recession. In fact, from 2008 to 2018, total municipal spending in Canada increased 51 per cent, from $68.4 billion to $103.3 billion. And total municipal government revenues—including taxes, user fees and grants from other levels of government—increased 54 per cent over the same recent 10-year period.

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Cartels and Casinos: First Nations’ Gaming in Canada

Cartels and Casinos: First Nations’ Gaming in Canada finds that if Canadian policymakers want to help First Nations generate more revenue and improve living standards, they should reduce regulation of the gaming industry and allow entrepreneurs—not regulators—to make decisions about casino locations and other key industry factors.

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Canada’s Aging Population and Long-Term Projections for Federal Finances

Canada's Aging Population and Long-Term Projections for Federal Finances finds that the federal government is not on track to balance the budget anytime over the next 30 years as a result of Canada’s aging population and Ottawa’s historically high spending pre-COVID.

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How Much Could a Guaranteed Annual Income Cost?

How Much Could A Guaranteed Annual Income Cost? finds that if the federal government introduces a Guaranteed Annual Income program, it could cost taxpayers between $131.9 billion and $464.5 billion a year. This study estimates the potential costs of four different potential GAI programs including different options for reducing program costs by “phasing out’ the benefit as an individual’s income rises.

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Illustrating the Tax Implications of a Guaranteed Annual Income

Illustrating the Tax Implications of a Guaranteed Annual Income finds that the federal Goods and Services Tax (GST) would have to increase from the current five per cent to between 26.25 and 105.35 per cent in order to cover the cost of potential Guaranteed Annual Income programs.

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The Changing Size of Government in Canada, 2007–2018

The Changing Size of Government in Canada is a new study that finds the combined size of the federal, provincial and municipal governments increased in every province, relative to the size of their economies, except Saskatchewan and Prince Edward Island over the past 10 years.

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Economic Freedom of the World: 2020 Annual Report

Economic Freedom of the World: 2020 Annual Report is the world’s premier measurement of economic freedom, ranking countries based on five areas—size of government, legal structure and property rights, access to sound money, freedom to trade internationally, regulation of credit, labour and business. In this year’s report, which compares 162 countries and territories, Hong Kong is again number one and Canada (9th) trails the United States (6th).

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