The latest federal Speech from the Throne includes a plan by Ottawa to limit federal spending in areas of provincial jurisdiction. Called to comment on the new policy, AIMS acting President Charles Cirtwill suggests it will actually provide more freedom for the provincial governments.
After the federal Speech from the Throne, reporters in Ottawa turned to AIMS for better understanding of how policies outlined in the speech could help the region.
As the new PEI government prepares to release its first budget, AIMS Director of Research Ian Munro has a few words of advice. In this op/ed that appeared in The Guardian, Munro goes through some of the actions needed to make a good first impression.
The Liberal government in New Brunswick recently announced a better than expected surplus. This comes after the government increased taxes for 2007-08. Charles Cirtwill, AIMS acting president, says that while surpluses are positive, they should trigger tax cuts and not increased spending.
As Ottawa prepares to announce funding for the Atlantic Gateway, there is some concerns being expressed. AIMS acting president Charles Cirtwill notes that a successful Atlantic Gateway will result from good marketing and key infrastructure improvements, not from politically motivated pork-barrel spending.
With the Canadian dollar reaching parity with the American dollar a lot of Canadians are heading south to shop. However, Charles Cirtwill, AIMS acting president, explains that once duty fees and taxes are taken into account, shopping in the U.S. may not be worth the trip.
In this article about MLA's salaries, AIMS acting President Charles Cirtwill notes that although salary is an important component of attracting people to run for elected office, the call to public service likely has more impact.
This study evaluates the fiscal year 2006/07 provincial finances for Western Canada and Ontario, using a standardized grading system developed by the Atlantic Institute for Market Studies (AIMS). With this approach, AIMS has evaluated the finances of the Atlantic provinces in three previous studies. Part of the grading methodology involves a retrospective assessment of budget forecast accuracy; this is why this paper assesses budgets for fiscal year 2006/07 that were delivered in the spring of 2006
In this story in the Telegraph-Journal, AIMS acting President Charles Cirtwill points out Nova Scotia has the edge when it comes to improving its lot compared to the other Maritime provinces.
The Chronicle-Herald called on AIMS Director of Research Ian Munro to talk about tax levels in Nova Scotia. Munro pointed out Nova Scotians pay too much income tax, particularly at the lowest income levels.