Fraser Institute

While Canada signs international trade deals, work still needed to eliminate interprovincial trade barriers

TORONTO--Canada can improve its domestic economy and increase its global competitiveness by eliminating interprovincial trade barriers, finds a new study released today by the Fraser Institute, an independent, non-partisan Canadian public policy think-tank.

Despite common misperceptions, for-profit health care compatible with universal health care

VANCOUVER—Based on the experiences of other countries, for-profit hospitals and insurers are compatible with universal health care, finds a new study released today by the Fraser Institute, an independent, non-partisan Canadian public policy think-tank.

School choice can be expanded in Ontario’s public education system

TORONTO—While school choice exists for some Ontario families, it’s not widely available in the public school system to all parents, finds a new study released today by the Fraser Institute, an independent, non-partisan Canadian public policy think-tank.

Excessive concerns over fracking-related seismic activity, water contamination not supported by research

CALGARY—The risks of hydraulic fracturing — the practice of injecting sand, water, and a relatively small quantity of chemicals deep underground at high pressures to extract fossil fuels — are readily manageable with existing technologies and best practices, finds a new study released today by the Fraser Institute, an independent, non-partisan Canadian public policy think-tank.

High levels of red tape stifling residential development in Oakville, Oshawa, Toronto and other communities in Ontario’s Greater Golden Horseshoe

TORONTO—An excess of regulations has made Oakville and Toronto among the most difficult communities in which to build new housing in the Greater Golden Horseshoe, according to a survey of homebuilders released today by the Fraser Institute, an independent, non-partisan Canadian policy think-tank.

More students attending independent schools as public school enrolment drops

TORONTO—Private school enrolment across Canada is up by almost 17 per cent while public school enrolment has decreased eight per cent, according to a new study released today by the Fraser Institute, an independent, non-partisan Canadian public policy think-tank.

Failed government policies ultimate cause of Ontario’s dismal fiscal, economic performance

TORONTO—The roots of Ontario’s decline from economic powerhouse to economic laggard can be found in a decade of failed government policies, concludes a new study released today by the Fraser Institute, an independent, non-partisan Canadian public policy think-tank.

Legal and economic uncertainty stemming from courts’ interpretation of Aboriginal rights in Yukon

VANCOUVER— The legal certainty established by modern land claim agreements in Yukon — once seen as an advantage in attracting new investment — is now being undermined by Canadian courts, according to a new study released today by the Fraser Institute, an independent, non-partisan Canadian policy think-tank.

Canada ranks among top 10 jurisdictions worldwide for economic freedom

TORONTO—Once again, Canada ranks among the world’s most economically free countries, ranking ninth overall according to the Fraser Institute’s annual Economic Freedom of the World report.

Salaries, pensions and benefits consume 72 per cent of increased spending on public schools in Canada

TORONTO—Compensation costs—including salaries, benefits and pensions—consume almost three quarters of all increases in spending on public schools, finds a new study released today by the Fraser Institute, an independent, non-partisan Canadian public policy think-tank. “Despite claims to the contrary, education funding is not being cut—spending on public schools has increased, with the additional money paying mainly for salaries, pensions and benefits,” said Deani Van Pelt, director of the Fraser Institute’s Barbara Mitchell Centre for Improvement in Education and co-author of Understanding the Increases in Education Spending in Public Schools in Canada.

Worker choice the next logical step in reforming Canada’s labour relations laws

VANCOUVER — While new federal legislation improves union accountability, unionized workers in Canada’s private sector still face a lack of choice when it comes to joining and financially supporting a union, finds a new report released today by the Fraser Institute, an independent, non-partisan Canadian public policy think-tank.

Average Canadian family spends more on taxes than basic necessities

VANCOUVER--The average Canadian family spends more on taxes than on food, clothing and shelter combined, finds a new study released today by the Fraser Institute, an independent, non-partisan Canadian public policy think-tank.

Health care insurance costs typical Canadian family almost $12,000 per year

VANCOUVER—A typical Canadian family of four will pay $11,735 for public health care insurance in 2015, finds a new study released today by the Fraser Institute, an independent, non-partisan Canadian public policy think-tank.

Canada ranks sixth on human freedom index, far ahead of United States in 20^th

TORONTO—Canada ranks sixth overall for its level of human freedom while the United States ranks 20th in the Human Freedom Index, released today by the Fraser Institute and a network of international public-policy think-tanks.

Transporting oil and gas by pipeline in Canada is 4.5 times safer than transport by rail

CALGARY—Transporting oil and gas by rail in Canada is a lot more risky than moving it by pipeline, concludes a new study released today by the Fraser Institute, an independent, non-partisan Canadian public policy think-tank. Utilizing newly compiled data from Canada’s Transportation Safety Board (TSB) and Transport Canada, the study, Safety in the Transportation of Oil and Gas, finds that the rate of occurrences (incidents or accidents) per million barrels of oil transported is more than 4.5 times higher for rail than it is for pipelines for the period 2003-2013.

Australia could serve as model for Ontario if Queen’s Park launches provincial pension plan

TORONTO—As the Ontario government moves forward with plans for a new mandatory provincial pension program, Australia’s system of forced individual retirement saving accounts could serve as a model instead of the CPP, finds a new study released today by the Fraser Institute, an independent, non-partisan Canadian public policy think-tank.

No income inequality crisis in Canada when it’s properly measured

TORONTO—Canada has only seen modest increases in income inequality among families, finds a new study released today by the Fraser Institute, an independent, non-partisan Canadian public policy think-tank.

People living in countries with high levels of economic freedom are happier and have greater life satisfaction

TORONTO—Countries with higher levels of economic freedom have happier populations, finds a new study released today by the Fraser Institute, an independent, non-partisan Canadian public policy think-tank.

Forcing Canadians to contribute more to CPP or Ontario pension plan will reduce voluntary private savings

TORONTO—When Canadians were forced to contribute more to the Canada Pension Plan in the 1990s and early 2000s, they ended up saving less voluntarily, finds a new study released today by the Fraser Institute, an independent, non-partisan Canadian public policy think-tank.

Long waits for health care cost Canadians $1.2 billion

VANCOUVER—Long waits for surgeries and medical treatments in 2014 cost Canadians $1.2 billion in lost income and productivity, finds a new study released today by the Fraser Institute, an independent, non-partisan Canadian public policy think-tank. The Private Cost of Public Queues for Medically Necessary Care notes that each of the 937,345 patients waiting for surgery last year bore an average personal cost of $1,289 (measured by the value of time lost during the work week).