The Tax Changes for Small Businesses Won’t Amount To Much
The fussing over Finance Minister Morneau’s personal financial disclosures has distracted attention from the rather more important issue of the changes to proposals for taxing small business.
Posted October 27, 2017
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Conflict of Interest
Suppose that in 2014 you were interested in building a new house, one more environmentally friendly than your current dwelling which, in any event, will be wearing out by the early 2020s.
Posted June 9, 2017
Another Bad Day for Electricity Customers in Nova Scotia
The energy from Muskrat Falls is not going to be available until at least 2020. But the transmission lines are all built at a cost exceeding $1.5 billion. You are going to pay the interest on that debt while we wait.
Posted September 15, 2017
Predictions On NAFTA Negotiations
The outcome of the negotiations on NAFTA is a matter of considerable importance to Canada’s economic prospects.
Posted September 21, 2018
Scheer Sets the Stage for the Conservative Election Campaign
Conservative leader Andrew Scheer had to deal with Maxime Bernier’s defection before getting back on message last week. He should have been secretly delighted.
Posted August 28, 2018
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How Do We Get More Local Decision-Making In Health Care?
The government is completing its plan to replace the QEII Health Sciences Centre structures at the VG site. That is an expensive, but perhaps necessary, choice. A quicker and much less expensive initiative would be to rebuild the management structure that operates it and the rest of the Nova Scotia Health Authority.
Posted October 12, 2018
Nova Scotia’s Population Is Growing Faster Than Expected
The future direction for Nova Scotia’s population may be changing. If so, a lot of planning will have to be rethought.
Posted October 5, 2018
Cape Breton University Is On A Roll
University education can be a wonderful source of export earnings and immigration attraction for Nova Scotia.
Posted October 19, 2018
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The Teachers’ Plan Deficit Needs to be Addressed
The government and the Nova Scotia Teachers Union are doing a disservice to taxpayers and today’s teachers, who are paying for the inadequacy of past contributions by and for the teachers that retired long ago.
In contrast, the public-sector pension plans for civil service and health care workers are well-funded and can be expected to keep their promises to pensioners over the long term.
Posted May 18, 2018
Investments in Public Spaces Must be Justified On Their Own Merits
The city planned to pay for the convention centre with property taxes on the other buildings in the Nova Centre. It didn’t work, and it was always a bad plan.
In late 2010, Halifax City Council voted to commit $56.4 million, matched by both the province and federal government, toward the cost of the convention centre portion of the Nova Centre project. Part of the proposal was that that some or all of the city’s funding could be financed by the property taxes on the commercial part of the project.
Posted May 11, 2018
Transit Choices
A study of the possibilities for commuter rail is underway. It looks expensive. That is not the only option that should be considered. Read More »
Posted March 13, 2015