The government is trampling on the rights of ride-sharing businesses and their potential customers
Many British Columbians want rides from Point A to Point B and will pay somebody to drive them. Others have access to cars and want to earn money giving people rides. But the provincial government is preventing these mutually beneficial exchanges. The governing New Democrats promised during the 2017 election campaign that British Columbians would…
ICBC represents an asset to the provincial government, which faces deficit problems
By Ian Madsen and Anderson Agbugba Frontier Centre for Public Policy The Insurance Corp. of British Columbia (ICBC) has recently suffered significant losses. These losses have been offset by transfers from its optimal business. But without transfers, the basic business capital would have fallen below the regulatory minimum. Even worse, optimal business has also suffered…
If the rest of Canada won’t listen to other forms of conversation about the importance of the energy sector, how about a song?
Things have devolved into such a state of ridiculous zaniness on Canada's energy scape that perhaps it's time to express our travails through that time-proven panacea for all forms of hurt: the country and western song. Such songs can timelessly and eloquently express a range of sentiments and emotions. They’re anthems to spirit, grittiness and…
Former NDP Premiers Glen Clark and Ujjal Dosanjh may be against electoral reform, but retired lawyer Ian MacLeod expresses his opposition best
We’re in the midst of a mail-in referendum in British Columbia that could dramatically change – and not for the better – how democracy does or doesn’t work in the province. We should really suspect that something is wrong with the proposed changes when people from both major political parties are opposed to the initiative,…
Higher carbon, personal income, payroll, business and residential property taxes will hit B.C. families and make the province less attractive for business
By Niels Veldhuis and Milagros Palacios The Fraser Institute “Making your life more affordable” has been a dominant rhetorical theme of British Columbia’s government – so much so that its 2018 budget uses the word “affordable” 76 times. Finance Minister Carole James mentioned “affordable” 26 times in her latest budget speech. While making life more affordable…
B.C. miners face more onerous permitting process compared to other provinces. Adding another layer will only make it worse
By Ashley Stedman and Elmira Aliakbari The Fraser Institute To encourage natural resource development and the prosperity that comes with it, mining investors need more certainty about exploration activities – not less. It's an issue that deserves immediate attention in B.C. According to a recent Fraser Institute survey of senior mining executives, British Columbia’s regulatory…
As our country has evolved, dialogue is encouraged in education and the media, but is stymied in our highest law-making institutions
“I disapprove of what you say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it.” Though the origin of this statement is debated, its essence beautifully summarizes the ideals of our democracy and the importance of freedom of speech. While I have my opinions on certain issues, I thoroughly enjoy and appreciate…
Bringing government employee wages and benefits in line with private-sector norms is key to balancing B.C.’s budget
By Charles Lammam, Hugh MacIntyre and Milagros Palacios The Fraser Institute During last year’s election campaign and in his first full budget as premier, John Horgan promised to balance British Columbia’s operating budget. If his NDP government remains committed to this promise, the coming negotiations on compensation with 183 public-sector unions will be critically important. After…
B.C. still exports coal because to do otherwise would be to kill jobs in the province. The contrast with its pipeline stance is startling
Many opponents of the Trans Mountain pipeline expansion justify their opposition by citing concerns about climate change and carbon emissions, but this raises some important questions. What about coal? Vancouver is North America's largest exporter of coal, one-third of it thermal coal for generating electricity. Vancouver exports U.S. coal because Oregon and Washington have stopped…
Trudeau government nationalizing Trans Mountain pipeline project is further proof that Canada is closed for business
By Elmira Aliakbari and Ashley Stedman The Fraser Institute In a stunning turn in an already unprecedented saga, Finance Minister Bill Morneau announced last week that the federal government will buy the Trans Mountain pipeline expansion project from Kinder Morgan for $4.5 billion, essentially nationalizing the project. The agreement, which federal Natural Resources Minister Jim…
The B.C. premier and his Green Party puppet master have created a debilitating, ill-conceived mess over the Trans Mountain pipeline
The political discourse surrounding Canada’s oil industry has morphed into a combination of schizophrenia, hypocrisy and fantasy. This debilitating countrywide phenomenon is clearly exemplified at both the federal and provincial levels. But it’s the recent actions of B.C. Premier John Horgan and his puppet master, Green Party Leader Andrew Weaver, that earn my nomination for…
A work-based subsidy increases the income of the working poor without making it harder for employers to hire less-skilled workers
By Charles Lammam and Hugh MacIntyre The Fraser Institute On June 1, the minimum wage in British Columbia increased from $11.35 to $12.65 per hour – the first in a series of hikes en route to $15.20 in 2021. That’s a 34 per cent increase in three years. Despite claims from Premier John Horgan and…
We need a way to drill down to the science and legality related to Trans Mountain. We need to replace cacophony with compromise
The last few months have illustrated how we now argue in public in Canada and the picture is not encouraging. I’m referring to what many think of as the great pipeline debate: the pros and cons of the Kinder Morgan diluted bitumen Trans Mountain pipeline expansion from the Alberta oilsands to tidewater in Vancouver. We…
Government policies mean the province is gaining an international reputation as a place where major projects can’t get done
By Charles Lammam and Hugh MacIntyre The Fraser Institute More British Columbians think the province is on the wrong track than the right one, according to a new Angus Reid poll. And there’s good reason to be concerned about B.C.’s policy direction. Since assuming office last year, Premier John Horgan’s government has done little to…
According to a recent Fraser Institute study, lack of pipeline capacity will cost Canadian oil producers $15.8 billion this year
By Elmira Aliakbari and Ashley Stedman The Fraser Institute Canada’s need for new pipelines is critical. The recent decision by Kinder Morgan, one of the largest energy infrastructure companies in North America, to halt all “non-essential spending” on the Trans Mountain pipeline expansion – which would run from Alberta, through British Columbia, to the coast…