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Yahoo
5 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Indigenous leaders urge Carney to raise LNG at G7 summit
OTTAWA — A group of Indigenous leaders are calling on Prime Minister Mark Carney to showcase the game-changing potential of Canadian liquified natural gas (LNG) at the upcoming G7 leaders' summit in Kananaskis, Alta. '(W)e would ask (you) to have a clear and positive message about the global energy security and emissions reduction role of LNG at the (summit) and in the communique to follow,' reads an open letter to Carney signed by the heads of five pro-development Indigenous organizations, all based in Western Canada. The letter stressed that building out Canada's LNG export capacity will be critical to raising living standards in Indigenous communities. 'For our Nations, (LNG) represents freedom from boil-water advisories and from the energy poverty experienced in many of our communities,' read the letter. Indigenous Resource Network head John Desjarlais, who helped write the letter, says it reflects a growing desire among Indigenous peoples to be involved with major projects that will shape their future. '(I)ndigenous people are starting to stand up and say we are very interested in advancing reconciliation and self-determination through economic development. And involvement in resource development is one of the greatest drivers of facilitating that self-determination,' said Desjarlais. The letter also said that the mid-June summit will give Carney a 'crucial' opportunity to reverse predecessor Justin Trudeau's pessimistic tone on Canadian LNG exports. '(W)e look to you to strike a balance with your peers that better integrates shared goals around energy security, economic growth and environmental protection,' reads the letter. Trudeau was widely criticized in 2022 when he said there wasn't a 'business case' for shipping Canadian LNG to Western Europe, despite the urging from fellow G7 leader Olaf Scholz that Canada play a 'major role' in Germany's efforts to break its dependence on Russian natural gas. Canada failed to substantially grow its LNG exports under Trudeau, while exports took off in peer nations like Australia and the United States. Canada's first large-scale LNG export facility, located in Kitimat, British Columbia, is set to ship its first cargo later this year. The letter added that time is of the essence as several of Canada's allies, including G7 partner Japan, will be finishing up long-term energy contracts with Russia in the coming years. 'As a result, they are seeking new LNG opportunities now, and Canada is perfectly positioned to be that partner,' reads the letter. A recent study by the Fraser Institute found that doubling Canadian LNG production and exporting the surplus to Asia could reduce global carbon emissions by up to 630 million tonnes, equivalent to 89 per cent of Canada's total emissions. Canada generates about 17.9 billion cubic feet of natural gas per day but consumes 60 per cent of this domestically, according to the Canada Energy Regulator. Almost all of the remaining 40 per cent is sent to the U.S. via pipeline. Desjarlais said that the Trudeau government's 'paternalism' toward Indigenous peoples was a major stumbling block stopping it from building effective resource partnerships with Indigenous groups. 'The spirit and intent was there, but there was also a sort of risk aversion when it came to trusting that Indigenous people can effectively co-develop resources,' said Desjarlais. Desjarlais said he was encouraged by the naming of three Indigenous MPs to Carney's new cabinet, including Minister of Crown-Indigenous Relations Rebecca Alty. Karen Restoule, the director of Indigenous affairs at the Macdonald-Laurier Institute, says she applauds the letter's authors for forcing the issue. 'At a time when Canada has been, for the last decade, led by a leader and party who have (played) ideological games with little to no recognition as to what the economic impacts would be on the country… I am incredibly grateful to (this group) for taking the initiative to restore Canada's economic footing, for Indigenous peoples and non-Indigenous Canadians alike,' said Restoule. 'This is what leadership looks like.' Carney said in an interview this week that 'virtually every' major resource project he backs as prime minister will have 'an Indigenous component.' National Post rmohamed@ Get more deep-dive National Post political coverage and analysis in your inbox with the Political Hack newsletter, where Ottawa bureau chief Stuart Thomson and political analyst Tasha Kheiriddin get at what's really going on behind the scenes on Parliament Hill every Wednesday and Friday, exclusively for subscribers. Sign up here. Our website is the place for the latest breaking news, exclusive scoops, longreads and provocative commentary. Please bookmark and sign up for our daily newsletter, Posted, here.
Cision Canada
6 days ago
- Health
- Cision Canada
Fraser Institute News Release: Switzerland has nearly 65% more doctors and much shorter wait times than Canada, despite spending roughly same amount on health care
VANCOUVER, BC, May 29, 2025 /CNW/ - Switzerland's universal health-care system delivers significantly better results than Canada's in terms of wait times, access to health professionals like doctors and nurses, and patient satisfaction finds a new study published today by the Fraser Institute, an independent, non-partisan Canadian policy think-tank. "Despite its massive price tag, Canada's health-care system lags behind many other countries with universal health care," said Yanick Labrie, senior fellow at the Fraser Institute and author of Building Responsive and Adaptive Health-Care Systems in Canada: Lessons from Switzerland. The study highlights how Switzerland's universal health-care system, which consistently outperforms Canada on most metrics tracked by the OECD. In 2022, the latest year of available data, despite Canada (11.5 per cent of GDP) and Switzerland (11.9 per cent) spending close to the same amount on health care, Switzerland had 4.6 doctors per thousand people compared to 2.8 in Canada. In other words, Switzerland had 64.3 per cent more doctors than Canada (on a per-thousand people basis). Switzerland also had 4.4 hospital beds per thousand people compared to 2.5 for Canada—Switzerland (8th) outranked Canada (36 th) on this metric out of 38 OECD countries with universal health care. Likewise, 85.3 per cent of Swiss people surveyed by the CWF (Commonwealth Fund) reported being able to obtain a consultation with a specialist within 2 months. By comparison, only 48.3 per cent of Canadians experienced a similar wait time. Beyond medical resources and workforce, patient satisfaction diverges sharpy between the two countries, as 94 per cent of Swiss patients report being satisfied with their health-care system compared to just 56 per cent in Canada. "Switzerland shows that a universal health care system can reconcile efficiency and equity – all while being more accessible and responsive to patients' needs and preferences," Labrie said. "Policymakers in Canada who hope to improve Canada's broken health-care system should look to more successful universal health-care countries like Switzerland." The Fraser Institute is an independent Canadian public policy research and educational organization with offices in Vancouver, Calgary, Toronto, and Montreal and ties to a global network of think-tanks in 87 countries. Its mission is to improve the quality of life for Canadians, their families and future generations by studying, measuring and broadly communicating the effects of government policies, entrepreneurship and choice on their well-being. To protect the Institute's independence, it does not accept grants from governments or contracts for research. Visit SOURCE The Fraser Institute
Yahoo
6 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Fraser Institute News Release: Switzerland has nearly 65% more doctors and much shorter wait times than Canada, despite spending roughly same amount on health care
VANCOUVER, BC, May 29, 2025 /CNW/ - Switzerland's universal health-care system delivers significantly better results than Canada's in terms of wait times, access to health professionals like doctors and nurses, and patient satisfaction finds a new study published today by the Fraser Institute, an independent, non-partisan Canadian policy think-tank. "Despite its massive price tag, Canada's health-care system lags behind many other countries with universal health care," said Yanick Labrie, senior fellow at the Fraser Institute and author of Building Responsive and Adaptive Health-Care Systems in Canada: Lessons from Switzerland. The study highlights how Switzerland's universal health-care system, which consistently outperforms Canada on most metrics tracked by the OECD. In 2022, the latest year of available data, despite Canada (11.5 per cent of GDP) and Switzerland (11.9 per cent) spending close to the same amount on health care, Switzerland had 4.6 doctors per thousand people compared to 2.8 in Canada. In other words, Switzerland had 64.3 per cent more doctors than Canada (on a per-thousand people basis). Switzerland also had 4.4 hospital beds per thousand people compared to 2.5 for Canada—Switzerland (8th) outranked Canada (36th) on this metric out of 38 OECD countries with universal health care. Likewise, 85.3 per cent of Swiss people surveyed by the CWF (Commonwealth Fund) reported being able to obtain a consultation with a specialist within 2 months. By comparison, only 48.3 per cent of Canadians experienced a similar wait time. Beyond medical resources and workforce, patient satisfaction diverges sharpy between the two countries, as 94 per cent of Swiss patients report being satisfied with their health-care system compared to just 56 per cent in Canada. "Switzerland shows that a universal health care system can reconcile efficiency and equity – all while being more accessible and responsive to patients' needs and preferences," Labrie said. "Policymakers in Canada who hope to improve Canada's broken health-care system should look to more successful universal health-care countries like Switzerland." Follow the Fraser Institute on Twitter | Become a fan on Facebook The Fraser Institute is an independent Canadian public policy research and educational organization with offices in Vancouver, Calgary, Toronto, and Montreal and ties to a global network of think-tanks in 87 countries. Its mission is to improve the quality of life for Canadians, their families and future generations by studying, measuring and broadly communicating the effects of government policies, entrepreneurship and choice on their well-being. To protect the Institute's independence, it does not accept grants from governments or contracts for research. Visit SOURCE The Fraser Institute View original content to download multimedia:
Yahoo
6 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Indigenous leaders urge Carney to raise LNG at G7 summit
OTTAWA — A group of Indigenous leaders are calling on Prime Minister Mark Carney to showcase the game-changing potential of Canadian liquified natural gas (LNG) at the upcoming G7 leaders' summit in Kananaskis, Alta. '(W)e would ask (you) to have a clear and positive message about the global energy security and emissions reduction role of LNG at the (summit) and in the communique to follow,' reads an open letter to Carney signed by the heads of five pro-development Indigenous organizations, all based in Western Canada. The letter stressed that building out Canada's LNG export capacity will be critical to raising living standards in Indigenous communities. 'For our Nations, (LNG) represents freedom from boil-water advisories and from the energy poverty experienced in many of our communities,' read the letter. Indigenous Resource Network head John Desjarlais, who helped write the letter, says it reflects a growing desire among Indigenous Canadians to be involved with major projects that will shape their future. '(I)ndigenous people are starting to stand up and say we are very interested in advancing reconciliation and self-determination through economic development. And involvement in resource development is one of the greatest drivers of facilitating that self-determination,' said Desjarlais. The letter also said that the mid-June summit will give Carney a 'crucial' opportunity to reverse predecessor Justin Trudeau's pessimistic tone on Canadian LNG exports. '(W)e look to you to strike a balance with your peers that better integrates shared goals around energy security, economic growth and environmental protection,' reads the letter. Trudeau was widely criticized in 2022 when he said there wasn't a 'business case' for shipping Canadian LNG to Western Europe, despite the urging from fellow G7 leader Olaf Scholz that Canada play a 'major role' in Germany's efforts to break its dependence on Russian natural gas. Canada failed to substantially grow its LNG exports under Trudeau, while exports took off in peer nations like Australia and the United States. The letter added that time is of the essence as several of Canada's allies, including G7 partner Japan, will be finishing up long-term energy contracts with Russia in the coming years. 'As a result, they are seeking new LNG opportunities now, and Canada is perfectly positioned to be that partner,' reads the letter. A recent study by the Fraser Institute found that doubling Canadian LNG production and exporting to Asia could reduce global carbon emissions by up to 630 million tonnes, equivalent to 89 per cent of Canada's total emissions. Desjarlais said that the Trudeau government's 'paternalism' toward Indigenous Canadians was a major stumbling block stopping it from building effective resource partnerships with Indigenous groups. 'The spirit and intent was there, but there was also a sort of risk aversion when it came to trusting that Indigenous people can effectively co-develop resources,' said Desjarlais. Karen Restoule, the director of Indigenous affairs at the Macdonald-Laurier Institute, says she applauds the letter's authors for forcing the issue. 'At a time when Canada has been, for the last decade, led by a leader and party who have (played) ideological games with little to no recognition as to what the economic impacts would be on the country… I am incredibly grateful to (this group) for taking the initiative to restore Canada's economic footing, for Indigenous and non-Indigenous Canadians alike,' said Restoule. 'This is what leadership looks like.' Carney said in an interview this week that 'virtually every' major resource project he pursues will have 'an Indigenous component.' National Post rmohamed@ Get more deep-dive National Post political coverage and analysis in your inbox with the Political Hack newsletter, where Ottawa bureau chief Stuart Thomson and political analyst Tasha Kheiriddin get at what's really going on behind the scenes on Parliament Hill every Wednesday and Friday, exclusively for subscribers. Sign up here. Our website is the place for the latest breaking news, exclusive scoops, longreads and provocative commentary. Please bookmark and sign up for our daily newsletter, Posted, here.
Cision Canada
27-05-2025
- Business
- Cision Canada
Fraser Institute News Release: Moving to single 8% provincial personal income tax rate would help restore the Alberta Advantage
CALGARY, AB, May 27, 2025 /CNW/ - Moving to a single eight per cent personal income tax rate for all working Albertans would dramatically improve the province's competitiveness among energy-producing jurisdictions, according to a new study published by the Fraser Institute, an independent, non-partisan Canadian public policy think-tank. "It's crucial to restore Alberta's historic tax advantage and understanding how changes to personal income tax rates affect provincial revenues is critical for informed policy decisions," said Ergete Ferede, Fraser Institute senior fellow and author of Revenue Effects of Tax Rate Changes in Alberta. The report examines two potential tax reform scenarios and their impact on provincial revenue: an immediate adoption of an eight per cent single tax rate starting in 2025; and a gradual move to that same rate over three years. An immediate switch to an eight per cent single personal income tax (PIT) rate would decrease PIT revenue by about $6.1 billion (a 35.6 per cent reduction) in the first year. A gradual transition over three years would start with a smaller loss of $264 million (a 1.5 per cent reduction) in 2025 increasing to $6.9 billion (37.0 per cent reduction) by 2027. However, these estimates may overstate provincial revenue losses as they do not account for the potential positive economic effect of personal income tax reductions on other revenue sources. Alberta's current combined federal and provincial personal income tax rate stands at 48 per cent—ranking 10th highest out of 61 jurisdictions in North America—and is significantly higher than other energy-producing regions such as Texas or Wyoming. Implementing a single 8 per cent tax rate would help re-establish Alberta as a low-tax jurisdiction, lowering its rank to the 16th lowest among the 61. "The potential to strengthen Alberta's economic position through tax cuts must be considered along with the revenue implications for the government," Ferede said. The Fraser Institute is an independent Canadian public policy research and educational organization with offices in Vancouver, Calgary, Toronto, Halifax and Montreal and ties to a global network of think-tanks in 87 countries. Its mission is to improve the quality of life for Canadians, their families and future generations by studying, measuring and broadly communicating the effects of government policies, entrepreneurship and choice on their well-being. To protect the Institute's independence, it does not accept grants from governments or contracts for research. Visit SOURCE The Fraser Institute
