Earlier this month, the government of Ontario announced it would be tightening restrictions on cell phone use in classrooms, citing concerns over learning and engagement. Fraser Institute researcher Paige MacPherson joined True North’s Andrew Lawton to explain why she doesn’t believe this ban will be sufficient in curbing classroom distractions.
U.S. Congress members decry effects Online Streaming Act will have on Americans
A number of U.S. Congress members have taken issue with the Trudeau government’s Online Streaming Act, arguing that it discriminates against American citizens, and have asked their country’s top trade official to intervene.
Nineteen Congress members signed a joint letter sent to U.S. Trade Representative Katherine Tai, requesting that she resolve their dispute with the Liberals’ protectionist media bill.
The Online Streaming Act forces online platforms like Netflix, Amazon Prime and Spotify to promote Canadian content, and contribute financially to their production.
The Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission is responsible for drafting the framework of the bill, although on Thursday the commission announced that the regulatory framework would be delayed until late next year as the agency undergoes a consultation period.
The signatures of the letter include eight Democrats and 11 Republicans, who say that the act’s implementation “will result in trade barriers” for the U.S. music streaming industry.
They argue that the legislation, which would bring them under Canada’s Broadcasting Act, is designed for a bygone era that no longer makes sense in today’s digital world.
The Broadcasting Act “requires Canadian radio broadcasters to program about 35% of their airtime with Canadian music as part of the government’s efforts to ensure the availability of Canadian content,” reads the letter.
“We are concerned that under the new law, Canada will apply the logic of quotas designed for terrestrial broadcasters to modern music streaming services. Global online streaming services are not the same as domestic broadcasters, and we believe these provisions clearly discriminate against American content, interfere with consumer choice, and harm American artists and rights holders.”
The Congress members addressed and took issue with how the act derails financial streams from the domestic music industry into government-linked funds.
“The new law also gives the regulator power to condition market access for music streaming services on making financial contributions into certain government-linked funds intended for the domestic music industry, which, if put in place, would constitute new nonconforming measures restricting cross-border digital trade.”
The letter requests that Tai resolve the issue in a way that arrives at a “flexible system” that does not make matters worse for “Canadian consumers and American artists alike.”
“The Office of the United States Trade Representative’s engagement with the Canadian government is crucial to ensure that the way forward is not to make the consumer experience on music streaming services worse for Canadian consumers and American artists alike, but to arrive at a flexible system respecting consumer choice and the interests of the U.S. music industry and artists,” it reads.
However, the Trudeau government argued that there is a provision for “cultural sovereignty, including in the online environment” under the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement, which came into effect in July 2022, replacing the North American Free Trade Agreement.
This allows for governments to take measures to protect the publication, distribution and sale of broadcasting, film, television, videos, books, and magazines.
Canada heading for prolonged decline in living standards: study
Despite what Chrystia Freeland wants Canadians to believe about the economy, Canada’s living standards have declined since 2019.
According to a study by the Fraser Institute, if per-capita GDP does not recover this year, it will mark the longest and largest decline in per-person GDP over the last four decades.
Inflation-adjusted per-person GDP, a broad measure of living standards, declined from $59,905 to $58,111, or by 3% from April 2019 to the end of 2023, the study found.
“This is a wake-up call for governments across Canada that we can’t continue as we have. This is not a milestone that Canadians want to reach. We don’t want to see our living standards enter into the longest decline in the last 40 years,” Grady Munro, one of the study’s co-authors, told True North. “We definitely need a policy shift resulting soon.”
Munro holds a bachelor’s degree in economics and a master’s in public policy and acts as a policy analyst at the institute.
“Our study tracks Canadian living standards from 1985 to 2023…by measuring changes in per-person GDP,” he said.
Per-capita GDP is determined by dividing the value of all final goods and services produced within an economy in a given year by the average population for the same year.
“What we find is that living standards have been declining from 2019 through to the end of 2023, and that, in fact, this ongoing decline is the second worst in nearly 40 years,” Munro said.
He said the worst, in terms of the length and depth of the decline occurred in 1989 and 1994, which saw a 5.3% drop in per-person GDP and lasted over five years.
“During that time, Canada was at the tail end of many years of government, running large deficits, accumulating large amounts of debt, seeing hikes and seeing little to no tax relief,” Munro said. “so, it mirrors our situation today quite a bit.”
The study said the period following 2019 is “unlike any decline and recovery since 1985.”
They said there was a slight recovery in per-person GDP in the second business quarter of 2022, but it “immediately began declining again.”
By the fourth quarter of 2023, per-person GDP remained below the level of the second quarter of 2019 when the decline began, marking the period as the second longest and deepest decline in real GDP per person since 1985.
In terms of pure depth, the period since 2019 has been the third deepest decline in 40 years, exceeded only by the periods from 1989 to 1994 and 2008 to 2009, which saw a 5.2% decline.
Munro said it’s possible that population growth affected the 2008-2009 period.
“If we look at 2023, we’re seeing historic population growth in Canada, where Canada’s population grew by 3.2%, the highest annual growth since 1957. And so we can see instances where the economy is growing, but GDP per person and living standards are actually declining,” Munro said.
If the population grows but the value of goods and services produced doesn’t increase, the per capita GDP will be affected.
Munro was concerned about the parallels between these economic periods, but just like the periods after those historic declines, he believed the economy could be corrected with the right government policies.
“In the early 90s…governments across Canada, of all political stripes, spearheaded by the federal Chrétien government, introduced a large set of policy reforms that focused on balanced budgets through spending reductions and spending restraint, meaningful tax relief that aimed at incentivizing business investment and entrepreneurship, and a move away from, actively picking winners and losers in the market through corporate welfare,” Munro said.
He said these are the policies governments need to implement in the future to avoid this potentially devastating milestone.
“If things don’t turn around in 2024, we might be in the middle of what is the longest and deepest decline in living standards in the last four decades. And that’s not a milestone that Canadians want to reach.”
LAWTON: Ontario proposes driving licence ban for car thieves
Earlier this week, Ontario revealed its plan to tackle rising auto theft rates by proposing lengthy driver’s licence suspensions for convicted offenders, with escalated penalties for subsequent offences. Criminal lawyer Ari Goldkind joined True North’s Andrew Lawton to discuss the potential effectiveness of these measures and shed light on their true impact.
The Alberta Roundup | Calgary’s rezoning bylaw harms the middle class
Today on the Alberta Roundup with Rachel Emmanuel, Rachel explains how Calgary city council’s decision to allow for blanket rezoning harms the middle class. Also on the show, Rachel has a story about the Alberta government following through on their plans to overhaul the healthcare system.
Later, Rachel has an update on the controversy unfolding in Chesteremere. And finally, Rachel has a big story about the UCP wanting the government to change COVID-19 vaccine policy.
Tune into the Alberta Roundup now!
SUBSCRIBE TO THE ALBERTA ROUNDUP
LAWTON: Why Canada should take its fertility crisis more seriously
Despite families being foundational for societal well-being, trends show fewer young Canadians forming couples and delaying parenthood, due to factors like housing affordability and declining mental health. Dr. Tim Sargent of the Centre for the Study of Living Standards joined True North’s Andrew Lawton to discuss the implications of this demographic shift, and why it may necessitate government action.
Record level of terror suspects caught at U.S.-Canada border far outpaces Mexico
United States border officials are reporting a shocking trend of known or suspected terrorists trying to cross the Canadian border, far outpacing the numbers caught at the border with Mexico.
Last year, the number of people with known or suspected terrorist ties apprehended by U.S. Customs and Border Protection agents at the northern border reached record levels.
In fiscal year 2023, the northern border saw 484 individuals detained, surpassing the previous record of 313 in fiscal year 2022 and there’s no indication that the trend is slowing down.
According to the latest CBP data, 143 known or suspected terrorists were arrested in the first six months of the 2024 fiscal year.
This figure surpasses the 92 individuals caught at the Mexico border underscoring a shifting focus on border security concerns.
These figures highlight a troubling trend of increasing attempts by terrorist suspects to exploit the northern border for entry into the United States.
Federal intelligence reports have long warned of potential terrorist threats using established smuggling routes into the U.S. but the Canadian government has done little to address the issue.
CBP intelligence suggests that foreign violent extremists may exploit these routes to evade detection. Additionally, the northern border has seen significant drug smuggling activities connected to criminal groups with ties to Mexican drug trafficking organizations, as well as human smuggling operations.
A U.S. database known as the Terrorist Screening Dataset identifies and tracks these individuals. Created as a watchlist for known or suspected terrorists, the dataset has evolved to list those who pose potential threats to the U.S., including affiliates of those on the watchlist.
Despite enhancements in border security on the part of the US over the past decade, including the deployment of over 2,200 additional agents and 3,700 officers at various points of entry, resources aren’t catching up to the gravity of the situation.
According to former CBP chief Mark Morgan, the northern border’s vulnerabilities are exacerbated by the ease with which individuals can enter Canada, which often does not require a visa, thereby facilitating potential terrorist entries into the U.S. Morgan pointed out that cartels are increasingly exploiting this route, flying individuals into Canada to then cross into the U.S.
The Canadian government recently reintroduced visa requirements for Mexican citizens after facing pressure to do so by U.S. counterparts.
“The northern border is under-resourced by far compared to the southwest border,” Morgan told the outlet The Center Square.
“Data from 39 months shows terrorist watch-listed individuals are coming here every day and they aren’t stopping.”
LEVY: U.S. gets tough at the border – on Canadian dogs, that is
Almost every day on American TV, one sees reports about the southern border crisis.
It is easily one of the biggest issues in the presidential race this year.
According to reports, 3.2-million migrants arrived at the border illegally last year, many of whom are released into the country because the system can’t keep up with the volume of asylum claims.
Border towns in Texas have had a tough time subsidizing the shelter and care required for these migrants.
In recent days NYC mayor Eric Adams, also dealing with a huge influx of migrants, suggested in the media that some of them would make good lifeguards this summer because they are “excellent swimmers.”
That didn’t go over well.
Reports have also documented the kinds of diseases migrants have brought into the U.S., including measles, chicken pox, polio and leprosy.
But never mind that.
In the midst of this crisis, it seems the powers that be in the United States can find time to manage pets coming into the U.S., in particular those who accompany Canadian snowbirds.
Legal pets, I should clarify.
This week I received an email from the Canadian Snowbird Association advising me that effective August of this year, all dogs entering the U.S. must have a permit to enter, something akin to a doggy passport.
The information provided from the CDC indicates that the purpose of this new policy is to prevent rabies from reentering the U.S. The CDC says dog rabies was eliminated in the U.S. in 2007 but there have been “challenges” with international dog importations.
But instead of finding a solution for those challenges, the CDC has decided to inflict its laborious rules on every dog owner — a recipe for complete bureaucratic chaos.
Up to now, when we bring Fritzy, Monty and Frida across the border en route to Florida — and when we return — we are asked to show border officials their up-to-date rabies certificates.
Honestly, what responsible pet owner wouldn’t vaccinate their dogs?
When we took Frida down to Florida at three months in the winter of 2023, she had not yet been vaccinated as she was too young. We were not permitted to vaccinate her until she was six months old.
But according to the new rules, a new puppy would not be able to enter the U.S. until six months, the earliest rabies vaccination date.
They will also be required to appear healthy to border officials — although I’m not sure how an untrained eye could tell if they’re carrying a contagious disease.
Besides, I’m willing to bet most responsible pet owners would not be traveling with a sick pet. I know we wouldn’t.
As an owner, I will need to fill out an import permit form for each dog. Without it we won’t be able to bring Fritzy, Monty and Frida back into the U.S.
The intrusive dog import permit application doesn’t just ask owners for proof that the dogs have been vaccinated and microchipped, or their name, breed, age and sex.
But we will be required to provide photos of each dog — because they might be impersonating a cat or iguana after all.
In addition, we are asked to include pictures of the dog’s teeth — for whatever reason I don’t know.
The form — which asks more questions about our dogs than of us when we book our own flights — will make us provide our passport number and a copy of the photo page of our passports, the address where the dogs will end up in the U.S., and what date they intend to join us on our road trip to the U.S.
I hate to think what would happen if that date got changed at the last minute.
I have read through the materials several times and can only say that the forms and the questions asked about our four-legged friends are pretty ridiculous considering that U.S. border officials can’t manage the influx of illegals on two legs or figure out where many are once they arrive in the U.S.
To repeat, they appear to be punishing lawful and responsible dog owners for the transgressions of a few.
But governments of all stripes — both in the U.S. and Canada — are adept at crafting a solution in search of a problem.
90,000 jobs added to economy in April, but the numbers may be misleading, economists say
Last week, Statistics Canada released April’s employment numbers, reporting that Canada’s unemployment rate had remained stagnant at 6.1%, up 1% from April 2023.
However, economists say that the headline figure of 90,000 jobs added to Canada’s economy is not as impressive as the Liberal government would suggest.
In a comment to True North, Fraser Institute economist Matthew Lau said that Canadians should not be impressed with April’s job numbers, as much of the job growth has not come from private sector growth.
“In the past 12 months, there has been 5% public sector job growth vs. 1% combined private sector + self employment,” said Lau.
“Where employment growth comes from matters because in the private economy, people are employed producing goods and services people demand – whereas in the public sector, people are employed producing goods and services that politicians think people ought to demand.”
According to a report from the Fraser Institute, the share of government workers in the total workforce has risen to 21.2% as of 2022, higher than it has been for decades.
Lau noted that the growth in the public sector has become a trend since Justin Trudeau’s Liberals formed government in 2015.
“That the public sector continues to drive employment growth is an unhealthy sign: since the Trudeau government took office, the public sector employment growth rate has been more than double the private sector + self employment growth rate, and the economy has clearly underperformed.”
Despite adding 90,000 jobs in April, the unemployment rate increased slightly since Canada’s population growth averages out to more than 100,000 newcomers per month.
The Trudeau government has drastically increased the amount of new immigrants and non-citizen residents they would welcome into the country, ballooning Canada’s population to over 41,000,000.
Furthermore, the rate of growth for hourly monthly wages have been decreasing, cooling from 5.1% to 4.7% in April.
Canada’s economy also lost 11,000 jobs in the construction industry, a key sector for provinces and the federal government, as they set ambitious targets to increase the country’s supply of housing.
The Canadian Housing and Mortgage Corporation projects that a drop in housing starts in 2024, and that rates of new construction from 2025-2026 won’t reach 2021-2023 levels.
Both Prime Minister Trudeau and Ontario Premier Doug Ford set ambitious targets to build new homes, pledging to build 3.9 million and 1.5 million homes respectively by 2031.
BMO’s chief economist Douglas Porter warned that April’s job numbers may lead the Bank of Canada to reconsider dropping interest rates come the next interest rate announcement on June 5th, and that the inflation rate must drop if there are hopes the central bank will drop rates.
“Today’s showy headline jobs increase will give the Bank of Canada some pause, since it reinforces the point that the economy is clearly not rolling over,” said Porter.
“Markets are now back to viewing the June rate decision as a toss-up, with the April CPI on May 21 looming even larger.”
Despite the less-than-stellar assessment of Canada’s economy in the wake of April’s job numbers, the Trudeau Liberals continue their optimism.
Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland said that the job numbers were “great news” and that their government’s plan is working.
“Today, 1.3 million more people are employed in Canada than before the pandemic,” said Freeland, without acknowledging Canada’s population growth.
“Our economic plan which ensures fairness for every generation is working!”
Value of building permits issued in Canada decreased 11.7% in March: Statistics Canada
Building permits have decreased 11.7% in value month-over-month, to $10.5 billion in March, according to data released Monday by Statistics Canada.
Between March 2023 and 2024, building permits fell from $12.4 billion to $10.5 billion, a decrease of 15.2% year-over-year.
Building permits in the non-residential sector fell from $4.8 to $4 billion between February and March 2024, a decrease of 16.7%. Meanwhile, permits in the residential sector decreased by 8.3% to $6.5 billion.
“Declines were observed in all components except for the commercial component,” reads the report.
Construction intentions in the non-residential sector were led by industrial, which fell by 46.1%, decreasing $629.8 million, followed by the institutional sector, which fell by 22.2%, decreasing $293.1 million.
“The large decline in the industrial component was due to the lack of major industrial permits issued in March compared with February, which was the second-highest monthly level recorded,” reads the report.
Declines in the non-residential sector were slightly offset by a 5.8% growth in building permits in the commercial sector, which grew to $2.2 billion.
While building permits in the residential sector fell by 8.3%, Ontario led the way with a decrease in value, which fell by $377.4 million.
Residential building permits grew in Prince Edward Island (+70.4%), Saskatchewan (+10.3%), Newfoundland and Labrador (+7.7%), Quebec (+7.3%), and Manitoba (+0.9%).
Residential building permits fell drastically in several provinces. Notably, they decreased in Northwest Territories (-78%), Nova Scotia (-30.2%), Ontario (-13.7%), British Columbia (-12.2%), and Alberta (-7.2%).
In March, 16,800 multi-unit dwellings and 4,200 new single-family homes were authorized nationwide. From April 2023 to March 2024, 260,200 new units were given permits.
For Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to fulfil his recent promise of building almost four million new homes by 2031, Canada would have to build 576,786 homes per year.
Between 2015 and 2023, Canada averaged 225,104 houses built per year, according to Statistics Canada.
In a press release issued Monday, the federal Conservatives said that the data reveals that “despite all his photo ops, Justin Trudeau is failing to build the housing Canadians need.”
“Canada is building fewer homes at a time when Canadians are already priced out of the market… Trudeau’s own housing agency has also made clear that Canadians should not expect this trend to change any time soon, with housing permits expected to stay lower through 2024, 2025, and 2026 than they were last year,” added the Conservatives.
Despite housing affordability in Canada reaching an all-time low in April, the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation predicts record-high home prices to come in 2025-26.
The average household in Vancouver already has to spend 106.3% of its income to cover homeownership costs.
The Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation forecasts a decrease in housing starts in 2024, attributing the expected decline to persistently high interest rates that are dampening builders’ desire for new construction.
“We anticipate a decline in apartment starts in 2024, following their record-high levels in 2023. Purpose-built rental starts, fueled by unprecedented demand and government support, accounted for over half of these starts. However, unfavourable financing conditions are expected to make more new rental projects unfeasible in 2024,” said the corporation’s report.
The Conservatives’ press release cited that rents in Canada increased around 10% last year, while wages didn’t even rise half that fast.
“Their inflationary budget is just the same failed policies that have seen building permits crater over the last two years,” said the Conservatives. “They want to hold photo ops holding big cheques but have failed to actually incentivize homebuilding.”