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Fraser Institute

The Fraser Institute is an independent Canadian public policy research and educational organization with offices in Vancouver, Calgary, Toronto, and Montreal and ties to a global network of 86 think-tanks. Its mission is to measure, study, and communicate the impact of competitive markets and government intervention on the welfare of individuals. To protect the Institute’s independence, it does not accept grants from governments or contracts for research. Visit fraserinstitute.org. Follow the Fraser Institute on Twitter | Like us on Facebook

Most Recent Articles by Fraser Institute:

Economic Freedom of North America 2020, Results for Canada, the United States, and Mexico

Economic Freedom of North America 2020Economic Freedom of North America 2020 is the sixteenth edition of the Fraser Institute’s annual report. This year it measures the extent to which—in 2018, the year with the most recent available comprehensive data—the policies of individual provinces and states were supportive of economic freedom, the ability of individuals to act in the economic sphere free of undue restrictions. There are two indices: one that examines provincial/state and municipal/local governments only and another that includes federal governments as well. The former, our subnational index, is for comparison of individual jurisdictions within the same country. The latter, our all-government index, is for comparison of jurisdictions in different countries.
- Tuesday, November 17, 2020


Canada one of the highest spenders on health-care among universal access countries; ranks near bottom on number of doctors, hospital beds, wait times

Canada one of the highest spenders on health-care among universal access countries; ranks near bottom on number of doctors, hospital beds and wait timesVANCOUVER—Despite spending more on health care than most other developed countries with universal health care, Canada has some of the lowest numbers of doctors, hospital beds, and medical technologies—and the longest wait times, finds a new study released today by the Fraser Institute, an independent, non-partisan Canadian public policy think-tank. “Canada’s comparatively high health-care spending hasn’t reversed the country’s lack of access to medical resources and doctors available, nor the long wait times for treatment,” said Bacchus Barua, associate director of health policy studies at the Fraser Institute and co-author of Comparing Performance of Universal Health Care Countries, 2020.
- Tuesday, November 10, 2020

Canada’s unemployment higher, recession deeper than other industrialized countries, despite comparatively high spending and borrowing

Canada’s unemployment higher, recession deeper than other industrialized countries, despite comparatively high spending and borrowingVancouver—Federal and provincial governments across Canada have spent and borrowed more than many other industrialized high-income countries around the world during the COVID crisis, but Canada’s economic performance lags those other countries, finds a new analysis released today by the Fraser Institute, an independent, non-partisan Canadian public policy think-tank.
- Thursday, October 29, 2020

Federal spending on benefits for families with children up more than 68% since 2014/15, financed entirely by deficits

Financing the Canada Child BenefitVancouver—Federal spending on benefits for eligible families with children through the Canada Child Benefit increased by 68.5 per cent from fiscal year 2014/15 to 2019/20—financed entirely by borrowing, finds a new essay released today by the Fraser Institute, an independent, non-partisan Canadian public policy think-tank. “Today, parents receive cash transfers from Ottawa that the next generation, namely their own children, will pay for in the future,” said Jason Clemens, executive vice-president of the Fraser Institute and co-author of Financing the Canada Child Benefit, part two of an essay series on the Canada Child Benefit.
- Wednesday, October 28, 2020

Government spending reductions and balanced budgets will help increase productivity growth, pave way for four-day work week

TORONTO—In light of Ottawa’s huge budget deficit and mounting debt, the federal government should adopt a rule—legislated by Parliament—to push the government towards budget balance, which will help increase productivity growth and the possibility of a four-day work week, finds a new essay released today by the Fraser Institute, an independent, non-partisan Canadian public policy think-tank. “When governments rack up high levels of debt to finance spending, private investment is crowded out, which of course lowers productivity growth,” said Jack Mintz, president’s fellow at the University of Calgary and author of the essay Putting Government on a Financial Diet: The Role of Statutory Fiscal Rules.
- Thursday, October 22, 2020

Carbon taxes poorly designed in all 14 high-income countries with such taxes, including Canada

Carbon taxes poorly designed in all 14 high-income countries with such taxes, including CanadaVANCOUVER—Carbon taxes in high-income countries around the world are poorly designed, finds a new study released today by the Fraser Institute, an independent, non-partisan Canadian public policy think-tank. “Overall, no high-income OECD country with a carbon tax has implemented it based on sound design,” said Elmira Aliakbari, associate director of natural resource studies at the Fraser Institute and co-author of Carbon Pricing in High-Income OECD Countries.
- Tuesday, October 20, 2020


Households earning less than $40,000 now receive 16% of total federal child benefits—down from more than 21%

Is the Canada Child Benefit Targeted to those Most in Need?VANCOUVER—Families with less than $40,000 of annual household income receive 16.2 per cent of total benefits from the Canada Child Benefit (CCB) program compared to 21.8 per cent under two child benefit programs that were scrapped and replaced by the CCB, finds a new essay released today by the Fraser Institute, an independent, non-partisan Canadian public policy think-tank.
- Thursday, October 8, 2020

Number of new homes in Vancouver and Toronto metro areas not keeping pace with number of new jobs

VANCOUVER—Nearly half of all new jobs in Canada between 2015 and 2019 were located in the Vancouver and Toronto metropolitan areas, but the number of new housing starts did not keep pace, putting upward pressure on prices in the already expensive markets, finds a new study released today by the Fraser Institute, an independent, non-partisan Canadian public policy think-tank.
- Thursday, October 8, 2020

Municipal government spending up 51% across Canada over the last decade

Municipal government spending up 51% across Canada over the last decadeVANCOUVER—Local governments across Canada have increased spending significantly in recent years—even before the COVID-19 pandemic and recession, finds a new study by the Fraser Institute, an independent, non-partisan Canadian public policy think-tank. “Despite claims from municipal policymakers about their dire financial positions, local government revenues and spending have increased substantially,” said Livio Di Matteo, Fraser Institute senior fellow, economics professor at Lakehead University and author of Local Leviathans: The Rise of Municipal Government Spending in Canada, 1990–2018.
- Saturday, October 3, 2020

Aging population and historically high spending pre-COVID mean no balanced budget for next 30 years

[url=https://canadafreepress.com/images/uploads/fraser092320.jpg]https://canadafreepress.com/images/uploads/fraser092320.jpg[/url]Canada's Aging Population and Long-Term Projections for Federal Finances.VANCOUVER—The federal government will not balance its budget over the next 30 years as a result of Canada’s aging population and Ottawa’s historically high spending, which existed before the COVID-19 pandemic and may be increased further in the Throne Speech, finds a new study by the Fraser Institute, an independent, non-partisan Canadian public policy think-tank. “Before any potential new spending is announced in the Throne Speech, Ottawa is facing decades of red ink that will inevitably weaken Canada’s federal finances and place a real burden on future generations,” said Jake Fuss, economist at the Fraser Institute and co-author of Canada's Aging Population and Long-Term Projections for Federal Finances.
- Thursday, September 24, 2020


Guaranteed Annual Income could cost between $131.9 billion and $464.5 billion a year

VANCOUVER—If the federal government introduces a Guaranteed Annual Income program, it could cost taxpayers between $131.9 billion and $464.5 billion a year, concludes a new study released today by the Fraser Institute, an independent, non-partisan Canadian public policy think-tank. “Since the federal government introduced CERB there has been renewed interest in the idea of a Guaranteed Annual Income, but many Canadians are unaware of how much such a program could cost,” said Jake Fuss, an economist with the Fraser Institute and co-author of GAI: How Much Could A Guaranteed Annual Income Cost?
- Thursday, September 17, 2020

Canada lags behind U.S. in economic freedom, China threatens Hong Kong’s top rank in annual report

TORONTO—Canadians are less economically free than Americans for the second straight year, according to the Fraser Institute’s annual Economic Freedom of the World report released today.. The United States ranks 6th in this year’s report compared to Canada, which ranks 9th. “Due partly to higher taxes and increased regulation in Ottawa and among provinces, Canadians are less economically free than their American cousins, which means slower economic growth and less investment in Canada,” said Fred McMahon, Dr. Michael A. Walker Research Chair in Economic Freedom at the Fraser Institute.
- Thursday, September 10, 2020


Average Canadian family spent 42.6% of annual income on taxes—more than housing, food and clothing combined

VANCOUVER—The average Canadian family spent more than 42 per cent of its income on taxes in 2019—more than housing, food and clothing costs combined, finds a new study released today by the Fraser Institute, an independent, non-partisan Canadian public policy think-tank. “Taxes remain the largest household expense for families in Canada,” said Jake Fuss, economist at the Fraser Institute and co-author of The Canadian Consumer Tax Index, 2020.
- Tuesday, September 1, 2020

$22.3 billion of Ottawa’s COVID spending potentially wasted due to a lack of targeting assistance

$22.3 billion of Ottawa’s COVID spending potentially wasted due to a lack of targeting assistanceVANCOUVER—The federal government is potentially wasting more than $22 billion of $81.6 billion in COVID recession spending because the assistance is not being adequately targeted to those in need, finds a new study released today by the Fraser Institute, an independent, non-partisan Canadian public policy think-tank. “Our research shows that billions are being borrowed to finance transfers to people whose need is at least questionable, and this at a time when Ottawa is running historic deficits,” said Jason Clemens, Executive Vice President at the Fraser Institute and co-author of Federal Government Wasting Billions on Poorly Targeted Assistance.
- Thursday, August 27, 2020

Equalization discourages natural resource development in “have-not” provinces

HALIFAX—Canada’s equalization program discourages natural resource development in “have-not” provinces, including all three Maritime provinces, finds a new study released today by the Fraser Institute, an independent, non-partisan Canadian public policy think-tank. “Many problems exist within Canada’s equalization program, including how it actually discourages natural resource development in have-not provinces,” said Ben Eisen, senior fellow at the Fraser Institute and co-author of Measuring the Equalization Clawback on Natural Resource Revenue in Have-Not Provinces.
- Tuesday, August 25, 2020


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