Ricardo Acuña

Better Way Alberta: Parkland Contributes Research to Provincewide Initiative

Recently Parkland Institute had the opportunity to work with our friends at the Alberta Federation of Labour, Public Interest Alberta, and Friends of Medicare on a campaign called Better Way Alberta. We have produced five short research reports that included clear, implementable, and evidence-based policy recommendations on areas of public policy that are of critical importance today.

Path to balance or road to perdition?

The “path to balance” has become a major platform plank for all parties in this election. Parkland Institute Executive Director Ricardo Acuña looks at the key differences and potential impacts of the path to balance proposals, and assesses their credibility and feasibility.

• public services
• Alberta Election 2019
• taxation

Fact-checking Jason Kenney’s wait-list strategy

United Conservative Party leader Jason Kenney has presented his plans for dealing with wait times for surgery in Alberta, including allowing private clinics to bid for publicly-funded procedures. Ricardo Acuña looks at the evidence and history to show that we've already been there and done that.

• public services
• Alberta Election 2019
• health care
• privatization

Seven questions about the oil production cut

Parkland Institute executive director Ricardo Acuña asks seven questions about the Alberta government's plan to mandate production cuts in response to the oil price differential.

• oil & gas
• tar sands
• economy
• climate change
• energy policy
• royalites
• Corporate Mapping Project

The value of Alberta's value-added strategy

For more than a decade Parkland Institute has been recommending a value-added strategy for Alberta. Executive Director Ricardo Acuña looks at how the Notley government's Energy Diversification Act measures up.

• royalties
• climate change
• oil & gas
• energy policy

Let's share actual facts about the Trans Mountain pipeline

Do claims by the Alberta government that the Trans Mountain pipeline would generate $18.5 billion for “roads, schools, and hospitals,” 15,000 jobs during construction, and 37,000 jobs per year stand up to scrutiny?

• climate change
• energy policy
• tar sands

Has Alberta's new royalty framework achieved its aims?

One year after the Notley government announced its new royalty framework, Parkland Institute's Ricardo Acuña looks at whether the changes have accomplished the stated goals.

• royalties
• Corporate Mapping Project
• energy policy

The good, the bad, and the ugly of Alberta's new royalty framework

The anti-climactic nature of Alberta's new royalty framework should not be taken to mean that it is without significance or that it will be without impact going forward. This blog provides a brief overview of the good, the bad, and the ugly of the new royalty framework.

• royalties
• energy policy

Making mincemeat out of Mintz’s politicized numbers

One of the most frequently cited numbers during this election is the claim that Alberta's economy will shed 9,000 jobs for every 1% increase in the corporate tax. But does this claim, made by economist Jack Mintz and repeated by both the Wildrose and Progressive Conservatives, really hold up to scrutiny?

• corporations
• taxation
• alberta budget

Klein’s policies got us into this mess: Budget cuts of 1990s did lasting damage

• public services
• taxation
• alberta budget