Cut the gas excise tax and deliver meaningful savings to everyday Ontario families
The countdown is on to get a gas tax cut in the province of Ontario. Late last year, Ontario Premier Doug Ford said he would keep his promise to cut the provincial gas excise tax by 5.7 cents per litre, nearly four years after he first made the commitment to Ontario voters. After years of…
A large portion of deficit spending is artificially inflating demand, and prices
Many factors influence prices, but that doesn’t mean politicians should be let off the hook for the rising cost of living. By printing new dollars, propping up consumer demand, discouraging production and raising taxes, Canadian governments have created the perfect storm for rising prices: more dollars chasing fewer goods. Since February 2020, the Bank of…
Families are getting soaked by higher prices while politicians are asleep at the wheel
The federal government is putting on a masterclass about how to increase the cost of living. It’s doing everything from raising taxes during the middle of a pandemic to massive government borrowing and money printing. Now the question is: will any politician do anything to fight inflation? The latest report from Statistics Canada shows prices…
Emissions going up despite the province having the highest carbon taxes in North America
Carbon taxes are an expensive failure when it comes to reducing emissions Emissions in British Columbia are going up despite the province having the highest carbon taxes in North America. Think you’ve read this before? That’s because this keeps happening. If the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over again while expecting a…
Carbon border taxes won’t save the climate but they will create trouble for the world economy
Carbon taxes at borders are becoming a popular idea among some countries and regions of the world. It’s an idea destined to damage the global economy. For example, the European Commission, the European Union executive institution, wants environmental tariffs “on imports from countries with less stringent climate-protection rules.” Democrats in the United States Senate proposed…
Climate simulation models are no more real than your favourite video game
In a recent article about climate change, Associated Press science writer Seth Borenstein gave us a master class on how to sell the results of a computer model as if it represents reality. In his world, a group of scientists can take a short-term heat wave, crank it through an “ensemble” of theoretical mathematical climate…
Without taxes, the price of gas per litre today would be sitting at 92 cents
Hardworking taxpayers are facing record-high gas prices, and politicians are the culprits driving up the bills. In Ontario, up to 38 per cent of the price of gas that we are charged at the pumps comes from taxes, according to a report released by the Canadian Taxpayers Federation. And that percentage is only set to…
Policies should be fair for all Canadians, regardless of where they happen to live
By Miguel Ouellette Olivier Rancourt and Krystle Wittevrongel Montreal Economic Institute Reducing our greenhouse gas emissions is one of the big concerns of our age. The numerous diverging interests pitted against each other on this issue make it a real puzzler for policy-makers, though. After many years of public policies aimed at reducing GHGs, layered…
Owners of the most popular vehicles in Canada will pay much more in carbon taxes in coming years
By Mark Milke and Lennie Kaplan Canadian Energy Centre Except for a few blessed spots in southern Ontario and southern British Columbia, Canada is a cold northern country. That means that for six months of the year or more, snow can pile up on streets, highways, your driveway, and condominium and apartment exit ramps. And…
Consumers, taxpayers, shareholders of Canadian firms and workers will all pay the price for Canada’s cost-insensitive climate policy
By Jock Finlayson and Denise Mullen Business Council of B.C. Your home’s natural gas furnace is on the fritz. You need heat, so you must replace it. There are several options: electric baseboards, electric radiant flooring, a heat pump, or direct gas-fired space heaters. It may also be feasible to use your existing wood fireplace…