Entries tagged with
taxation
“Flat Tax” costing Alberta over $5 billion
Think tank says returning to 1999 tax structure would put Alberta in a surplus position
EDMONTON— A new fact sheet released this morning by the University of Alberta’s Parkland Institute says that the “flat tax,” introduced by Ralph Klein in 2001, is costing the province in excess of $5 billion a year. Given the projected deficit of $4.3 billion this year, simply returning to the progressive tax structure that existed in 1999 would be more than enough to move the province from a deficit budget to a surplus budget.
Giving Away the Golden Egg
Alberta’s Tax Giveaway and the Need for Reform
Alberta could move from deficit into surplus simply by abandoning the “flat tax” which has been a massive giveaway, especially to the wealthy. Making the tax system more progressive would also stimulate the economy, creating and protecting jobs for working Albertans.
A Fair Price
Taxation, Services and Programs in the Northwest Territories
The Government of the Northwest Territories has commenced a public consultation on raising its revenues to address a projected budget shortfall. This report discusses the government's two consultation documents: the Revenue Options Paper and the Revenue Options Summary. It then examines the tax proposals discussed in those documents.
Saving for the Future
Fiscal Responsibility and Budget Discipline in Alberta
What will our economy look like when our non-renewable resources have dwindled? In the current boom the Alberta government has an opportunity to act, but this opportunity will disappear as available resource wealth declines. Now is the time for a responsible approach to saving.
A Time for Vision
A Sustainable and Equitable Economy
The April 2005 Alberta budget will be the first since the province declared the debt eliminated. It’s time for a bold vision, and this budget should lay the fiscal foundations for realizing that vision. The 2005 Throne Speech promises that All Albertans will share in the Alberta Advantage. To ensure this, we must collectively commit to building a socially sustainable and equitable economy
Public Remedies, Not Private Payments
Quality Health Care in Alberta
Why does the government keep telling us our health care system is unsustainable and more private health care will save it from collapse? In this report we identify the underlying reasons to be ideological, not fiscal.
Sobering Result
The Alberta Liquor Retailing Industry Ten Years After Privatization
In 1993/94 the Alberta Government implemented major policy changes involving the control, taxing, and distribution of liquor products. Ten years later the retail industry has evolved into monopolistic competition with its inherent excess capacity and high costs.
Alberta’s ‘Good Enough’ Approach to Fiscal Management
Parkland Intitute's Report on Alberta's Finances 2003
"Alberta's 'good enough' approach to fiscal management" is the Parkland Institute's annual pre-budget report on the state of Alberta's finances. The report examines in detail the province's current revenue structure and recent expenditures with special concentration given to the areas of health, education, and social services.
Advantaged No More
How Low Taxes Flattened Alberta's Future
The paper argues recent government fiscal policies have created an artificial revenue crisis, the result of which has been a second stage crisis involving renewed cuts to valued public services, intensified labour strife, higher costs to average Albertans, and general economic instability. The paper argues that government explanations for the crisis (e.g., that expenditures are out of control) are not substantiated by any existing data and serve only to mislead the public.
Advantage for Whom?
Declining Family Incomes in a Growing Alberta Economy
This report is an analysis of Albertans’ family incomes during the 1990s. It compares the incomes of Alberta families at all income levels, examines the income gap between the richest and poorest of families, and discusses the escalating stress that Alberta families face as they attempt to maintain their standard of living in an increasingly competitive market place.