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Why Is Alberta’s Deficit Still So Big?

Why Is Alberta’s Deficit Still So Big? finds that the province’s $8.8 billion deficit this year is not primarily due to low oil prices, but is largely a product of the Notley government’s spending decisions. In fact, if the current government had adhered to the spending plan it inherited from its predecessor laid out in the 2015 budget, the deficit today would be approximately $3 billion—less than half of the deficit actually posted in the recent provincial budget.

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Subsidized Daycare—What British Columbia Can Learn from Quebec’s 20-Year Experiment

Subsidized Daycare—What British Columbia Can Learn from Quebec’s 20-Year Experiment finds that policymakers in B.C. should learn from Quebec’s government-subsidized daycare program, which has proven costly for taxpayers, has not paid for itself and has experienced mixed child development outcomes.

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How Canadian Health Care Differs from Other Systems

How Canadian Health Care Differs from Other Systems finds that Canada’s approach to health policy is much more restrictive than in other developed countries with more successful universal health-care systems, notably on the use of the private sector and patient cost-sharing. This is the first in a two-part series on the Canada Health Act.

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Ontario’s Lost Decade: 2007–2016

Ontario’s Lost Decade: 2007-2016 finds that, despite upbeat government rhetoric, Ontario’s economic growth in 2017 was not enough to repair the damage done during the preceding decade when the province’s economic performance was among the worst in Canada. In fact, from 2007 to 2016 Ontario was at or near the bottom on several important economic indicators compared to Canada’s other provinces, including per capita GDP growth, debt accumulation and annual private-sector job growth.

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Women and Progress: Impact of Economic Freedom and Women’s Well-Being finds that higher levels of economic freedom dramatically improve health, education and financial well-being for women around the world. The study stems from the Fraser Institute’s annual Economic Freedom of the World report, and in 2017, for the first time, the EFW ranking is adjusted for gender equality. Countries where women are less economically free than men receive lower scores.

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The Community Capitalism of the Fort McKay First Nation: A Case Study

The Community Capitalism of the Fort McKay First Nation: A Case Study finds that by seizing business opportunities, Fort McKay First Nation in northern Alberta has markedly improved the living standards of its members and raised its average after-tax income to more than $73,000—much higher than the national average.

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Designing a Referendum Question for British Columbia

Designing a Referendum Question for British Columbia finds that if the B.C. government moves forward with electoral reform, it should hold two referenda—with clear, unbiased questions—to ensure voters are fully informed, based on best practices from around the world.