Public Finances

In Canada, particularly in political circles, debate over levels of taxation generates much more heat than light. Proponents of higher taxation structures equate their position with a more "compassionate" policy agenda. The argument suggests tax cuts are part of an "American style" agenda, which only favours the rich and is inherently mean spirited toward the less fortunate. While this argument may appeal to our prejudices toward our neighbour to the south, it doesn't make it true. In his regular column in the Halifax Chronicle Herald and Moncton Times and Transcript, AIMS president Brian Lee Crowley asks the question "What do we get for our money, and does that value justify our level of taxation?

AIMS President Brian Lee Crowley says seasonal workers on employment insurance should acquire new skills and find extra work in the off-season, instead of relying on federal handouts. He says the EI benefits for seasonal workers should be phased out over the next five to 10 years.

Les gouvernements minoritaires sont le rêve de ceux qui mangent de la politique et c'est pourquoi les intellectuels qui s'écoutent parler les adorent. Mais ils confondent leur propre plaisir avec l'intérêt public. Lorsque vous êtes le premier ministre d'un gouvernement majoritaire, chaque décision que vous prenez vous définit et définit votre gouvernement en opposition aux autres partis. Vous faites vos choix et votre réputation se bâtit en conséquence. L'opposition vous critique en raison de ces choix. Elle devient connue pour les solutions de rechange qu'elle propose. Mais les gouvernements minoritaires sont toujours en train de négocier avec les autres partis en vue du prochain vote au parlement. Le maquignonnage en coulisses prospère. Les partis d'opposition obligent le gouvernement à renoncer à certaines de ses priorités au profit des leurs. Ceux qui se réjouissent à la perspective d'un gouvernement minoritaire à Ottawa devraient faire bien attention à leurs souhaits.

Recent decisions by many governments in Canada to increase and expand user fees are coming under scrutiny. There are good arguments in favour of user fees, but that doesn’t mean that all user fees are justified, or that the ones that are justified are set at the right level. Do these fees accurately reflect the value of the services provided or are they simply another cash grab by governments that cannot rein in their spending? In his weekly column in the Chronicle Herald and Times and Transcript, AIMS president Brian Lee Crowley examines user fees and why the people who pay them should demand transparency and accountability in the fee-setting process.