Halifax’s traffic congestion is a drag on the local economy, with residents wasting countless hours commuting. Unfortunately, the idea of a commuter rail line to augment the city buses is not financially viable. Plus, none of the most important downtown destinations lies on an existing track. A better solution is a Bus [...]
Great Britain is a model for sound economic policy. Since 2010, the UK has created more jobs than the rest of the European Union combined. Today, the unemployment rate is 4.9 percent, an eleven-year low. To achieve this success, British governments respond quickly to stormy economic clouds. When the economy slows, they cut [...]
Annual benefits from the Canada Pension Plan will rise by as much as $4,500. To finance this expansion, Ottawa and provincial governments have decided to increase payroll taxes. Workers and employers already pay up to $5,088 in CPP taxes each year. Rates will begin to gradually increase in 2019. By 2023, workers will [...]
Cunard, along with the Canadian Maritime Heritage Foundation and the Maritime Museum of the Atlantic, will award the second annual Samuel Cunard Prize for Vision, Courage and Creativity to John Risley, President of Clearwater Fine Foods Incorporated. The Nova Scotian resident will be given the award at a luncheon on September 10, 2016, on board [...]
New Brunswick and P.E.I. are proposing changes to how we vote. Both provincial governments have discussed changing the current, first-past-the-post electoral system to an alternative means of electing our representatives. Another consideration is e-voting, which would allow residents to vote through an online portal. And both provinces may lower the minimum voting age [...]
Canada’s First Nations are divided on the issue of pipelines. While the Energy East project is supported by the Indian Resource Council, other groups oppose it. Stakeholders are right to insist on stringent environmental assessments. But they should also consider the opportunity that responsible resource production accrues to them. Many First Nations are [...]
The Beacon - July 18, 2016 | Vol XXII, No. 15 Upcoming AIMS Events Summer is a busy time here at AIMS. In addition to our research on important policy issues to Atlantic Canada, we are hard at work in preparing a series of upcoming speaking events. The annual AIMS Chairman's Dinner promises to be [...]
The federal government has agreed to increase immigration in Atlantic Canada by 2,000 people, to fill job vacancies and alleviate outmigration. This policy would roughly double the region’s current migrant intake. Unfortunately, there is little reason to believe that their plan will work. More immigrants will come, but will they stay? If our [...]
The Beacon - July 9, 2016 | Vol XXII, No. 14 Pushing Pipelines By Marco Navarro-Génie President & CEO I hope you are enjoying the summer weather in your respective corners of the region and the country. While summer is a great time to recharges our batteries, we are busy preparing and putting together the research projects [...]
Increased payroll taxes supporting future pension benefits take money out of workers’ pockets. But higher taxes also hurt businesses. By 2023, Canada Pension Plan premiums will raise $816 more, per worker, per year. This tax is paid equally by workers and businesses. This tax won’t just affect a company’s bottom line. It will [...]