Latest news with #TheFraserInstitute
Cision Canada
29-07-2025
- Business
- Cision Canada
Saskatchewan remains Canada's most attractive jurisdiction for mining investment
VANCOUVER, BC, July 29, 2025 /CNW/ - Saskatchewan remains Canada's top-rated jurisdiction for mining investment, ranking 7 th globally in the Annual Survey of Mining Companies released today by the Fraser Institute, an independent, non-partisan Canadian public policy think-tank. Finland is the top-ranked jurisdiction worldwide for mining investment in this year's survey, followed by Nevada. "The Fraser Institute's mining survey is the most comprehensive report on not only mineral potential but also government policies that either encourages or discourages mining investment," said Elmira Aliakbari, director of the Fraser Institute's Centre for Natural Resource Studies and co-author of the study. This year's report ranks 82 jurisdictions around the world based on their geologic attractiveness (minerals and metals) and government policies that encourage or discourage exploration and investment, including permit times. On overall investment attractiveness, Saskatchewan ranks in the global top ten for the sixth time in seven years, followed by Newfoundland & Labrador at 8 th. In terms of policy factors alone, Saskatchewan ranks in the global top three while Newfoundland & Labrador ranks sixth and Alberta ranks 9 th. However, some Canadian jurisdictions are not capitalizing on their strong mineral potential due to a lack of a solid policy environment that would attract investment. For instance, Yukon and Manitoba, despite being among the top ten most attractive jurisdictions for mineral endowment, rank 40 th and 43 rd respectively when considering policy factors alone. In addition, British Columbia continues to perform poorly on the policy front largely due to investor concerns over disputed land claims and protected areas. Overall, uncertainty surrounding protected areas, land claims disputes and environmental regulations along with regulatory duplication and inconsistency continue to hinder mining investment in various Canadian jurisdictions. "A sound and predictable regulatory regime coupled with competitive fiscal policies help make a jurisdiction attractive in the eyes of mining investors," said Aliakbari. "Policymakers in every province and territory should understand that mineral deposits alone are not enough to attract investment." Overall investment attractiveness for Canadian provinces and territories 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
Cision Canada
10-07-2025
- Business
- Cision Canada
Increases in labour productivity explain almost all gains in worker compensation over last 40 years in Canada
VANCOUVER, BC, July 10, 2025 /CNW/ - If Canada wants to increase worker compensation, then increases in labour productivity growth must be the policy focus for all governments, finds a new study published today by the Fraser Institute, an independent, non-partisan Canadian public policy think-tank. "Despite any claims to the contrary, the best available evidence clearly shows that gains in labour productivity explain almost all the gains in income," said Philip Cross, senior fellow at the Fraser Institute and author of Higher Labour Productivity is the Key to Faster Income Growth. Simply put, labour productivity is the ability to convert inputs (e.g. labour, raw materials) into useable goods and services. Generally speaking, for worker compensation (wages, benefits, etc.) to increase, Canadian workers must become more productive, meaning they're better at converting inputs into outputs for each hour worked. In other words, growth in labour productivity drives income growth. The study, which examines data from 1981 to 2024 (the latest year of available data), finds that a one-percentage point increase in labour productivity resulted in a 0.98-percentage point change in hourly compensation—which again, includes salaries, wages, pension benefits, etc. So it's not surprising that incomes (inflation-adjusted) in Canada are declining during Canada's current productivity crisis (labour productivity in Canada has increased by a mere 3.6 per cent since 2015 compared to, for example, 4.1 per cent in 2000 alone). "If governments in Canada want to help increase incomes and improve living standards, they must focus on policies to improve productivity," Cross said. The Fraser Institute is an independent Canadian public policy research and educational organization with offices in Vancouver, Calgary, Toronto, Montreal, and Halifax 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
Cision Canada
26-06-2025
- Business
- Cision Canada
Municipal government per-person spending in Canada hit near record levels
VANCOUVER, BC, June 26, 2025 /CNW/ - Municipal government spending in Canada hit near record levels in recent years, finds a new study by the Fraser Institute, an independent, non-partisan Canadian public policy think-tank. "In light of record-high spending in municipalities across Canada, residents should consider whether or not crime, homelessness, public transit and other services have actually improved," said Austin Thompson, senior policy analyst at the Fraser Institute and author of The Expanding Finances of Local Governments in Canada. From 2000 to 2023, per-person spending (inflation-adjusted) increased by 25.2 per cent, reaching a record-high $5,974 per person in 2021 before declining slightly to $5,851 in 2023, the latest year of available data. During that same period, municipal government revenue—generated from property taxes and transfers from other levels of government—increased by 33.7 per cent per person (inflation-adjusted). And yet, among all three levels of government including federal and provincial, municipal government spending (adjusted for inflation) has actually experienced the slowest rate of growth over the last 10 years, underscoring the large spikes in spending at all government levels across Canada. "Despite claims from municipal policymakers about their dire financial positions, Canadians should understand the true state of finances at city hall so they can decide whether they're getting good value for their money," said Jake Fuss, director of fiscal studies at the Fraser Institute. 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
Cision Canada
24-06-2025
- Business
- Cision Canada
Reducing government debt in Canada could boost incomes for average workers by $2,100 a year
VANCOUVER, BC, June 24, 2025 /CNW/ - If Canadian governments reduced their debt relative to the size of the economy (GDP) over five years back to pre-pandemic levels, this would increase productivity and boost incomes for average workers by $2,100 a year, according to a new study published by the Fraser Institute, an independent non-partisan Canadian think-tank. Labour productivity is a much of the output, namely the value of goods and services produced per hour of labour (work) in an economy. It is a broad measure of how well an economy can transform inputs like labour and raw materials into useable outputs. "Labour productivity plays a crucial role in improving living standards and powering economic growth, but government deficits and debt in Canada are a detriment to productivity, and in turn are making life worse for Canadians," said Ergete Ferede, senior fellow at the Fraser Institute and author of The Impact of Government Debt on Labour Productivity in Canada. The study finds Canada's burden of general government gross debt represented about 107 per cent of the national economy in 2023 (the latest year of comparable data)—ranking 7th highest for debt relative to the size of the economy among a group of 38 advanced countries. But, if Canadian governments gradually reduced debt relative to the size of the economy, labour productivity would increase by about 1.6 per cent, which could boost the annual income of an average employee working 40 hours a week by approximately $2,100 (adjusted for inflation). "Deficits and debt have many costs, including a less productive workforce and lower wages for Canadians than they otherwise would enjoy," Ferede explained. "Governments in Canada should curb their dependency on deficit-financed spending so Canadians can enjoy higher labour productivity and higher living standards." Follow the Fraser Institute on Twitter and Facebook 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
Cision Canada
17-06-2025
- Business
- Cision Canada
Fraser Institute News Release: Rhetoric--not evidence--continues to dominate climate debate and policy
VANCOUVER, BC, June 17, 2025 /CNW/ - Myths, fallacies and ideological rhetoric continue to dominate the climate policy discussion, leading to costly and ineffective government policies, according to a new study published today by the Fraser Institute, an independent, non-partisan Canadian public policy think-tank. "When considering climate policies, it's important to understand what the science and analysis actually show instead of what the climate alarmists believe to be true," said Kenneth P. Green, Fraser Institute senior fellow and author of Four Climate Fallacies. The study dispels several myths about climate change and popular—but ineffective—emission reduction policies, specifically: Capitalism causes climate change: In fact, according to several environment/climate indices and the Fraser Institute's annual Economic Freedom of the World Index, the more economically free a country is, the more effective it is at protecting its environment and combatting climate change. Even small-emitting countries can do their part to fight climate change: Even if Canada reduced its greenhouse gas emissions to zero, there would be little to no measurable impact in global emissions, and it distracts people from the main drivers of emissions, which are China, India and the developing world. Vehicle electrification will reduce climate risk and clean the air: Research has shown that while EVs can reduce GHG emissions when powered with low-GHG energy, they often are not, and further, have offsetting environmental harms, reducing net environmental/climate benefits. Carbon capture and storage is a viable strategy to combat climate change: While effective at a small scale, the benefits of carbon capture and storage to reduce global greenhouse gas emissions on a massive scale are limited and questionable. "Citizens and their governments around the world need to be guided by scientific evidence when it comes to what climate policies make the most sense," Green said. "Unfortunately, the climate policy debate is too often dominated by myths, fallacies and false claims by activists and alarmists, with costly and ineffective results." 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
