Entries tagged with
economy
With Alberta’s budget only a couple of months off, Parkland Institute director Trevor Harrison looks at the state of the province’s finances using the latest data from RBC Financial. He argues that Alberta faces a fiscal challenge, not a crisis.
Parkland Institute Director Trevor Harrison responds to an August 25, 2016 editorial in the Calgary Herald which accused the Alberta government of "blithely following a path of reckless borrowing."
Discussions about Alberta’s $10 billion deficit and estimated debt of $33 billion by 2018-19 have dominated the media since the introduction of Budget 2016. Parkland Institute Research Managers Ian Hussey and Rebecca Graff-McRae argue that revenue, not debt, is the immediate concern coming out of the budget.
Unemployment in Alberta
What past recessions indicate about the future
The recent recession has resulted in the highest unemployment rate Alberta has experienced for years. Economics Professor Richard Mueller compares the current jobs picture with past recessions, and finds some reason for optimism about the future.
With a budget deficit approaching $6 billion, Albertans are seeing the impact of decades of Progressive Conservative detaxation policies. Albertans voted last May for a new approach to government, but it remains to be seen if the NDP government will be able to deliver.
Wrong Turn
Is a P3 the Best Way to Expand Edmonton's LRT?
This report recommends that the City of Edmonton should not proceed with a P3 approach for the building of the Southeast LRT line, and should opt instead for a traditional design-build arrangement.
Smoke Screen
Results-based Budgeting, Privatization, and Public Sector Cuts in Alberta
Alberta’s implementation of Results-based Budgeting (RBB) is likely to result in bloated bureaucracy and will be used to justify cuts and privatization. It will not yield the promised results of more effective and efficient service delivery.
A government that doesn't learn from its mistakes is bound to repeat them. Case in point: Alberta's provincial government, which refuses to alter its regulatory approach to the tarsands.
Taking the Reins
New report says public interest best served by slowing down bitumen production
A new report released this morning by the U of A’s Parkland Institute says another out-of-control bitumen boom would not be in the best interests of Albertans, and that the Alberta government should take action today to bring the pace of development under control.
Taking the Reins
The Case for Slowing Alberta's Bitumen Production
The public interest is not served by the Alberta government's current promotion and encouragement of unfettered development of the province's bitumen reserves. A high quality of life for all Albertans is best pursued by slowing down development of the tar sands.