Tax evasion at the heart of global economy
The Globe and Mail reported September 19, 2014: “Internal Canada Revenue Agency documents confirm the agency is cutting some of its most highly-trained staff and folding international tax evasion units……
taxation
Is Harper right? Did corporate tax cuts really pay for themselves?
In a little noticed comment, Prime Minister Stephen Harper recently was reported to say: “Dropping our tax rate has not caused the government’s corporate income tax revenues to fall, which…
Northern Insight / Perceptivity 2014-09-13 22:52:00
Trailer – THE PRICE WE PAY – a feature documentary by Harold Crooks from Filmoption International on Vimeo. Playing in Vancouver as part of the VIFF, International Village #9, October…
Lies and Liberals, an inherent match
In November 2001, after NDP MLA Joy McPhail reported a government plan to increase medical service plan premiums, Canadian Press quoted Liberal Health Minister Colin Hansen, “Joy MacPhail needs a…
Calling the bluff on "we must compete in the global marketplace"
The soul-numbing mantra “we must compete in the global marketplace” is much heard these days. Conservative politicians and business groups toss it out tirelessly as an argument to reduce taxes,…
About Those Taxes…
Responding to the latest propaganda piece about taxation levels from The Fraser Institute, Star readers weigh in with their own perspectives, one of which includes taking the paper to task…
When you buy yourself a government, you expect results
From RossK, The Gazetteer, Mines Are Sparkle Ponies Too?….Who Knew? But here’s something that even we, the purveyors of all that is neither established nor credible, missed from Ms. Clark’s…
Debunking Fraser Institute’s latest contortion on taxes
The Fraser Institute’s annual Consumer Tax Index report generated some media buzz with its outlandish claims about just how much taxes have risen since 1961. Before you get worked up…
Socialized losses, privatized gains
Every megaproject conceived and executed by BC Liberals in recent years has ended with massive cost overruns, despite the predictable “on-time and on-budget” claims. Most involved contractors with foreign domiciles.…
Volatile gas revenues tend to evaporate
BC Liberals are reluctant spenders when it comes to improving public schools. However, they’re not reluctant to put money into the pockets of natural gas producers. The amounts are in…
Ability-to-pay does not apply
A few years ago, Glaxo SmithKline, a multinational drug company, agreed to settle an American tax dispute by paying $3.4 billion and abandoning claims for refunds worth a further $1.8…
At least Liberal inconsistency is consistent
BC’s recent Budget and Fiscal Plan states total provincial debt is $63 billion. This amount, 62% higher than in 2009, is 27.3% of gross domestic product. Five years ago, the…
Why have our trees have lost half their value?
BC Stats released an updated report ‘British Columbia Origin Log Exports’ and I extracted data to produce these graphs. The statistics show the volume of raw logs leaving the province…
Vapourtax
A few tech companies are noted for vapourware, which are products announced with much fanfare that never materialise. In my view, BC Liberal assurances of more than $70 billion new…
A Reading Recommendation.
I have a deep respect for Alex Himelfarb, the director of the Glendon School of International and Public Affairs and tireless proponent of responsible, progressive taxation. The latter, as one…
The Corporate Tax Regime In Canada Is Corporate Welfare
… and it is being done at the expense of Canadians. Corporate Canada Pays Low Taxes But Contributes In Lots Of Other Ways Consider the following: PricewaterhouseCoopers did its own…
Ignorance occasionally has a purpose
Franklin D. Roosevelt, “Taxes, after all, are dues that we pay for the privileges of membership in an organized society.” If you’re older than 30, you remember the nineties. Hard…
Where’s the tax in BC’s carbon tax?
British Columbia’s carbon tax has been getting some high praise lately. A recent article in the Atlantic called it “the crown jewel of North American climate policy”. Such assessments need…
Published elsewhere: Ontario is no California when it comes to debt
The Toronto Star just published an article I wrote in response to claims made by the Fraser Institute and the Toronto Sun that Ontario has a runaway debt problem worse…
Flaherty’s Legacy: Ideological, reckless and just plain lucky
This piece was originally published at the Globe and Mail’s online Report on Business feature, EconomyLab. There are two reasons why it is difficult to comment on the legacy of…