If only we were New Brunswick… #nlpoli
Premier Dwight Ball has talked about it. CBC’s Peter Cowan tweeted about it Sunday night. If only we were like all those lucky provinces that get Equalization, we’d be right…
equalization
Population density and just dense #nlpoli
The Government of Newfoundland and Labrador is in financial trouble. It will spend this year about $3.0 billion more than it will take in. In fact, this year, as last…
General Ignorance: Economic Version #nlpoli
Of all the people in Canada who know something about the Equalization system,. none of them sit in the House of Assembly. Item: Kevin Hutchings, a former cabinet minister, asked…
The inexplicable persistence of nonsense #nlpoli
“There was a very good job done … of boxing this province out a few years ago,”That was Premier Dwight Ball talking to reporters on Tuesday after the Throne Speech…
Uncle Ottawa’s cash #nlpoli
The federal government would run a deficit this year three times larger next year than the one the Liberals expected during the election campaign. The deficit this year is running…
Thank goodness we didn’t build that Firewall!
Fifteen years ago, in Jan. 2001, six prominent Conservative lobbyists and university professors, including future Prime Minister Stephen Harper and provincial cabinet minister Ted Morton, penned the Firewall Manifesto. Prime…
Pressure #nlpoli
A curious thing happens in societies where a huge amount of the collective income derives from outside the local economy and the local tax base.They do not see a connection…
Monday Morning Links
Miscellaneous material for your Monday reading.- In reviewing Gabriel Zucman's new book, Cass Sunstein discusses the need to rein in tax havens and ensure that the wealthy pay their fair…
Equalization… again #nlpoli
Equalization is a really simple idea.In order to ensure that Canadians across the country have access to comparable services regardless of where they live, the federal government sends money to…
New column day
Here, expanding on this post about Brad Wall's sad attempt to beg Justin Trudeau for federal money to make up for his own mismanagement. For further reading...- Once again, Wall's…
On selective equalization
So apparently some unspecified event in federal politics this fall has caused Brad Wall to start demanding money from Ottawa which he'd never have considered seeking before. Now if only…
The uncivil Civil War #nlpoli
At the heart of the ongoing civil war between Danny Williams’ provincial Conservatives and Stephen Harper’s federal Conservatives is the claim by Williams that Harper broke his 2006 election promise…
Monday Morning Links
Miscellaneous material to start your week. – CJ Werleman writes that the U.S.’ inequality nightmare is getting worse even as the public gains a greater recognition of the issue. Nick…
Friday Morning Links
Assorted content to end your week. – Linda McQuaig discusses how a renewed push for austerity runs directly contrary to the actual values of Canadians, who want to see their…
Saturday Morning Links
This and that for your weekend reading. – Michael McBane highlights one of the less-discussed changes in the Cons’ 2014 budget – as it officially eliminates the federal distribution of…
Edging #nlpoli
Over at cbc.ca/nl, John Gushue has an excellent column on the recent prosperity, in particular the apparent contradiction between a supposedly booming economy and the government cuts or the sense…
Monday Morning Links
Miscellanous material for your Monday reading. – Will Hutton recognizes that an unregulated market can lead to disastrous results for everybody concerned – and that conversely, effective regulation can help…
Equalization Changes and Hydro-Electricity #nlpoli
The federal government is considering changes to the Equalization program and the way it assess revenue from hydro-electricity, according to documents obtained by PostMedia News under the federal access to…
On cooperative efforts
The reports on fiscal arrangements and health care developed in the lead up to this weekend’s meeting of Canada’s premiers have both received some coverage. But there are a couple…
New column day
Here, expanding on this post as to the importance of a functioning federal system as a means of counterbalancing regional declines – and the forces working to limit anything of…