As the US and Europe turn from stimulus to fiscal austerity, claims are heard that spending cuts actually stimulate economic growth. That is the argument heard, not just from the Republicans in the US Congress, but also from the Obama Administration who have pretty much stopped listening to even mainstream macro-economists. And it is the argument […]
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The Progressive Economics Forum: Still Progressive and family friendly: evaluating Québec’s income tax policy
University of Sherbrooke economist and fiscal specialist Luc Godbout with Suzie St-Cerny and Michaël Robert-Angers has just published a timely research paper evaluating the net fiscal impact on households of Québec’s income tax system.Timely because, as discussed here be Armine Yalnizyan recent data from stats can shows that though globally income inequality has risen during […]
Continue readingThe Sir Robert Bond Papers: Strengthening the Treasury
Consider the simple reality. The current provincial administration has more money – without considering federal transfers – than any other government in the province’s history. Most of the government’s money comes from oil. Oil prices are at…
Continue readingThe Progressive Economics Forum: GDP Report: Awfully Weak Tea Leaves
Finance Minister Jim Flaherty was unusually blunt on CTV’s Question Period yesterday, saying he was worried about the possibility of another recession. (Finance Ministers are usually very cautious about using the “r”-word, for fear that might worry consumers an dbring about a self-fulfilling prophecy.) Maybe he had already seen today’s quarterly GDP numbers from Statistics […]
Continue readingA few words about monetary policy
Liberal policy meant severe cuts to social program spending at the provincial level and massive provincial deficits to maintain programs, or punitive cuts. Also, liberals introduced us to bracket-creep tax increases that hurt anyone when they had an in…
Continue readingThe Progressive Economics Forum: False Consciousness, Part I: On Elections and the Middle Class
The following appeared in the National Post today. We’re in the last week of a federal election campaign, and every party wants you to believe they’re there for the hardworking families of a middle class under enormous pressure. That’s you, right? The idea of the middle class resonates, because it is a notion we all […]
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