A cautionary tale about how higher energy prices lower competitiveness and damage economic prosperity
By Elmira Aliakbari and Jason Clemens The Fraser Institute Ontarians understand the personal costs of increased electricity prices caused largely by the province’s Green Energy Act. But the effect on Ontario’s competitiveness, particularly in manufacturing, has been largely ignored even though the costs continue to be substantial. The Green Energy Act mandated and subsidized renewable…
Plan requiring projects to describe how they will achieve net-zero emissions may not even be feasible
By Alex Whalen and Elmira Aliakbari The Fraser Institute Newfoundland and Labrador’s energy sector, already struggling from the downturn in world oil markets and the COVID-19 recession, has taken another blow – this time directly from the federal government. The Liberal government of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau recently imposed new rules – known as the…
But Ontario’s experience is being ignored and could lead to billions more spent and higher energy costs for Canadians
By Elmira Aliakbari and Jason Clemens The Fraser Institute Gerry Butts, former principal secretary to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, is at the heart of a new group, the Task Force for a Resilient Recovery, which recently released a series of recommendations for massive investment in green projects. The recommendations seems to be influencing the prime…
By Ashley Stedman and Elmira Aliakbari The Fraser Institute Despite widespread need, particularly in Canada’s energy sector, the federal government’s Large Employer Emergency Financing Facility (LEEFF) program, meant to provide emergency funding to large companies, has yet to approve any applications. Why? To be eligible for LEEFF support, firms must agree to several environmental goals…
By Niels Veldhuis and Elmira Aliakbari The Fraser Institute After weeks of delay, the federal government finally announced its aid package for the energy sector. To say it’s underwhelming would be an understatement. More than anything, the package announced on Friday confirms that the government of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau sees one of Canada’s most…
Ruling delaying the Trans Mountain pipeline once again makes it clear we need legislation to clarify what indigenous consultation means
By Ashley Stedman and Elmira Aliakbari The Fraser Institute In yet another example of the federal government’s failure to get Indigenous consultation right, the Federal Court of Appeal recently ruled that six of 12 legal challenges to the Trans Mountain pipeline expansion can proceed. The result? Canada’s energy sector will continue to face transportation constraints,…
That means less investment, less job creation and ultimately less prosperity for Canadians
By Elmira Aliakbari and Ashley Stedman The Fraser Institute With pipeline shortages driving down the price of Canadian oil, the losses for the energy sector – and for Canada’s economy – are staggering. According to a new study, insufficient pipeline capacity cost Canada’s energy sector $20.6 billion – or one per cent of the country’s…
UCP promised to regain a competitive advantage, making the province attractive again for investors, entrepreneurs and businesses
By Ashley Stedman and Elmira Aliakbari The Fraser Institute Albertans opted for change in last month’s provincial election. Now it’s time for the new government to do what it was elected to do: improve the economy. The United Conservative Party promised during the campaign to regain a competitive advantage over other jurisdictions and make the…
Rather than relying on carbon pricing to make things happen, the government is picking winners and losers
By Elmira Aliakbari and Ashley Stedman The Fraser Institute The federal government announced recently that it will provide up to $12 million in subsidies to Canadian supermarket giant Loblaws Inc. for new energy-efficient refrigerators. Unfortunately, the subsidy proves again that the nation’s climate plan is severely flawed. According to the government’s news release, the subsidy…
Governments must address infrastructure deficiencies, protected area and land claim issues, and regulatory duplication
By Ashley Stedman and Elmira Aliakbari The Fraser Institute Mining investors are eyeing all three territories in Canada’s North, according to the Fraser Institute’s annual survey of mining companies. For the first time in more than five years, all three territories are among the top 15 most attractive regions for mining investment worldwide. But territorial…
A Fraser Institute study evaluated the quantity and quality of Canada’s freshwater and discovered just a few areas of concern
By Ross McKitrick, Elmira Aliakbari and Ashley Stedman The Fraser Institute It’s difficult to imagine a resource more vital than clean water. It’s essential for human health and contributes to economic and social well-being. To help Canadians understand the status of our water resources, a recent Fraser Institute study evaluated the quantity and quality of…
Capital will flow to jurisdictions with attractive policies and, frankly, Canada’s investment climate is dismal
By Elmira Aliakbari and Ashley Stedman The Fraser Institute The federal government’s fall fiscal update, one of the most anticipated in years, didn’t include the wide-ranging regulatory and tax reforms many hoped would increase Canada’s waning competitiveness relative to the United States. The government of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau seems willfully ignorant that investment dollars…
Canada’s energy sector is struggling primarily because of poor government policies. The U.S. shows a way out of this mess
By Elmira Aliakbari and Ashley Stedman The Fraser Institute Over the past few years, the governments of Canada and the United States have taken markedly different approaches to energy development, particularly with oil and gas. Consequently, the U.S. energy industry is booming while Canada’s continues to struggle despite increases in oil and natural gas prices.…
Shipping crude by rail means lost revenue for oil producers and hampers the broader Canadian economy
By Elmira Aliakbari and Ashley Stedman The Fraser Institute When Canada's Federal Court of Appeal quashed the federal government’s approval of the Trans Mountain pipeline expansion project, citing inadequate consultation with First Nations and concerns over marine tanker traffic, it was the latest blow in a bad few months for Canada’s heavy oil producers. Crude…
B.C. miners face more onerous permitting process compared to other provinces. Adding another layer will only make it worse
By Ashley Stedman and Elmira Aliakbari The Fraser Institute To encourage natural resource development and the prosperity that comes with it, mining investors need more certainty about exploration activities – not less. It's an issue that deserves immediate attention in B.C. According to a recent Fraser Institute survey of senior mining executives, British Columbia’s regulatory…
By Elmira Aliakbari and Jason Clemens The Fraser Institute Ontarians understand the personal costs of increased electricity prices caused largely by the province’s Green Energy Act. But the effect on Ontario’s competitiveness, particularly in manufacturing, has been largely ignored even though the costs continue to be substantial. The Green Energy Act mandated and subsidized renewable…
