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Thursday, October 9, 2025

OP-ED: Alberta government should create flat 8% personal and business income tax rate

By
Tegan Hill
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Source: Facebook

Over the past decade, Alberta has gone from one of the most competitive tax jurisdictions in North America to one of the least. And while Danielle Smith’s government has promised to create a new 8% tax bracket on personal incomes below $60,000, it simply isn’t enough to restore Alberta’s tax competitiveness. Instead, the government should institute a flat 8% personal and business income tax rate.

Back in 2014, Alberta had a single 10% personal and business income tax rate. As a result, it had the lowest top combined (federal and provincial/state) personal income tax rate and business income tax rate in North America. This was a powerful advantage that made Alberta an attractive place to start a business, work and invest.

In 2015, however, the provincial NDP government replaced the single personal income tax rate of 10% with a five-bracket system including a top rate of 15%, so today Alberta has the 10th-highest personal income tax rate in North America. The government also increased Alberta’s 10% business income tax rate to 12% (although in 2019 the Kenney government began reducing the rate to today’s 8%).

If the Smith government reversed the 2015 personal income tax rate increases and instituted a flat 8% tax rate, it would help restore Alberta’s position as one of the lowest tax jurisdictions in North America, all while saving Alberta taxpayers $1,573 (on average) annually.

And a truly integrated flat tax system would not only apply a uniform tax 8% rate to all sources of income (including personal and business), it would eliminate tax credits, deductions and exemptions, which reduce the cost of investments in certain areas, increasing the relative cost of investment in others. As a result, resources may go to areas where they are not most productive, leading to a less efficient allocation of resources than if these tax incentives did not exist.

Put differently, tax incentives can artificially change the relative attractiveness of goods and services, leading to suboptimal allocation. A flat tax system would not only improve tax efficiency by reducing these tax-based economic distortions, it would also reduce administration costs (expenses incurred by governments due to tax collection and enforcement regulations) and compliance costs (expenses incurred by individuals and businesses to comply with tax regulations).

Finally, a flat tax system would also help avoid negative incentives that come with a progressive marginal tax system. Currently, Albertans are taxed at higher rates as their income increases, which can discourage additional work, savings and investment. A flat tax system would maintain “progressivity” as the proportion of taxes paid would still increase with income, but minimize the disincentive to work more and earn more (increasing savings and investment) because Albertans would face the same tax rate regardless of how their income increases. In sum, flat tax systems encourage stronger economic growth, higher tax revenues and a more robust economy. 

To stimulate strong economic growth and leave more money in the pockets of Albertans, the Smith government should go beyond its current commitment to create a new tax bracket on income under $60,000 and institute a flat 8 per cent personal and business income tax rate. 

Tegan Hill is an analyst at the Fraser Institute.

Majority of Canadians believe private enterprise could deliver faster healthcare services

By
Noah Jarvis, True North Wire
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Source: Unsplash

Canadians are becoming increasingly disillusioned with their provincial healthcare system and are open to alternative and even privatized options, according to a recent poll.

An Ipsos poll conducted on behalf of the Montreal Economic Institute found that Canadians are unhappy with how provincial governments have handled healthcare policy and are showing increased support for alternative healthcare models. 

When asked to rate satisfaction with their provincial healthcare system, 50% of Canadians indicated they were dissatisfied. Atlantic Canadians are the most unhappy with their healthcare systems as 67% indicated their disapproval.

As for the expenditure of additional taxpayer dollars on provincial healthcare systems in the past ten years, 67% of Canadians said that these funds had no effect or worsened the healthcare system. 

Furthermore, 78% of Canadians said that the healthcare system is too bureaucratic, and 58% agreed that the rate of spending on healthcare is unsustainable. 

Canadians have become increasingly dissatisfied with provincial healthcare systems as waiting times have rapidly risen in correspondence with rapidly rising healthcare expenditures. 

Between 1997-2023, the cost of public healthcare insurance for the average Canadian family has exploded, increasing by 234%.

However, Canadians have been seeing the quality of the healthcare system decay, as indicated by the wait times to see specialists and receive treatment exponentially rising. 

The poll also finds that Canadians are open to exploring alternative healthcare delivery systems, including the expansion of for-profit providers.

70% of respondents said they believe that private entrepreneurs can deliver healthcare services faster and more efficiently than hospitals managed by the government, while only 15% disagreed.

Quebecers and British Columbians were most inclined to view private entrepreneurs favorably, with 77% and 76% support respectively. 

Even though 83% of Canadians indicated that they were unfamiliar with the French and Swedish healthcare systems, 65% agreed that Canada should emulate these healthcare systems.

Sweden and France both have high-performing healthcare systems in which both private and public healthcare options are available to the public. 

In 2023, Premier Doug Ford announced a plan to allow more privately run healthcare clinics to perform surgeries to clear Ontario’s extensive surgery backlog.

Poilievre has lowest spending among party leaders 

By
Isaac Lamoureux, True North Wire
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Source: Facebook

Figures showing the expenditures for MPs were released in late March, showing that NDP leader Jagmeet Singh spends the most of all party leaders, while Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre spends much less than his counterparts.

The data released by the House of Commons shows expenditures for nearly 350 MPs. Three quarters of the fiscal 2023-24 year have been released thus far. 

During the fiscal year’s first three quarters, from April 1 to December 31, 2023, Singh spent a total of $533,535.23. 

On the other end of the spectrum, Poilievre spent only $143,201.57. He was one of the only MPs on the list with absolutely zero expenses for “hospitality” and “travel.” While a handful of other MPs had zero expenses in that category, no other leaders did.

The hospitality category includes hospitality expenses incurred for events. The travel category comprises travel expenses charged to the MP’s office budget and under the travel points system.

Travel expenses can largely account for the large gap in expenses between Singh and Poilievre. Singh’s riding of Burnaby South is approximately 4,000 kilometres from Parliament Hill, while Poilievre’s riding of Carleton is in Ottawa.

Singh spent $186,826.08 on travel alone during the three fiscal quarters. Meanwhile, he spent  $3,953.78 on hospitality.

During the same three quarters, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau spent $216,458.67. 

As for Bloc Quebecois leader Yves-François Blanchet, he spent $311,577.64 over the same period. 

Party leaders have higher expenses for running their parties than they do as individual MPs. When comparing only costs as MPs, not as party leaders, Singh has the highest personal expenditures, while Poilievre has the lowest.

The two other categories measured in the data are salaries, including the salaries of the MPs employees, and contracts, including all other expenses incurred by MPs, such as service contracts, advertising, gifts, constituency office leases, office operations, and training.

Singh spent $221,285.01 on salaries during the three fiscal quarters and $121,470.36 on contracts. Comparatively, Poilievre spent only $67,559.87 on salaries and $58,714.36 on contracts.

Trudeau spent $151,977.5 on salaries and $57,958.09 on contracts. Blanchet spent $157,474.5 on salaries and $104,434.07 on contracts.

Expenses for party leaders include costs not only as MPs but also for their roles that extend beyond typical MP duties. These leaders often serve as Presiding Officers and House Officers, roles that involve overseeing parliamentary sessions and managing parliamentary affairs. 

These positions necessitate additional expenditures for things like staff salaries, official travel, and event hosting. 

About 25 MPs are allotted budgets in addition to their expenses as individual MPs.

During the last fiscal quarter of 2023, between October 1 and December 31, 2023, taxpayers paid $1,124,664.85 for Poilievre’s expenses as leader of the official opposition. They paid an additional $35,463.92 for Stornoway, Poilievre’s official residence — which is given to the prime minister, official opposition leader, and Speaker of the House of Commons.

Conversely, taxpayers paid $330,994.71 for Singh’s role as a leader of another opposition party.

Taxpayers lost $746,518.53 for Trudeau’s role as Prime Minister and $323,212.02 for Blanchet’s role as leader of another opposition party.

The Conservative party has 118 MPs, while the NDP has 24, and the Bloc Québecois has 32. The Liberals have 156.

The per-member cost to taxpayers was highest during the third fiscal quarter for the NDP, at $13,791 per member, followed by the Bloc at $10,100 per member, Conservatives at $9,531 per member, and Liberals at $4,785 per member.

Canada at high risk of losing its AAA credit rating: report

By
Quinn Patrick
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Source: X

The federal government’s irresponsible fiscal discipline may lead to Canada losing its AAA credit rating, especially when comparing its economic policies to those of other top-rated countries.

The Royal Bank of Canada report released on Thursday, serves as a warning ahead of Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland’s new fiscal budget announcement on April 16.

The report is urging the Trudeau government to show discipline in its upcoming budget and not to take its “status as a top-rated sovereign for granted.”

RBC Economist Rachel Battaglia cautions that Canada stands to lose its AAA rating if the government continues to stray from its fiscal budget anchors, which has negatively impacted its credibility on the global stage, thus making borrowing more expensive.  

“Any rise in the federal government’s funding costs will trickle down to businesses and households,” reads the report. “Recent provincial budgets have generally painted a deteriorating fiscal picture. A softer economy and rapidly increasing expenses have weighed heavily on fiscal balances and inflated government debt.”

According to Battaglia, Canada is at greater risk of losing its AAA credit rating than other top-rated countries.

“Even though deeper deficits and higher associated sovereign borrowing costs may feel like a distant problem for many Canadians, the impact has the potential to trickle down to most households and businesses,” she added.

Canada currently holds the highest credit rating possible from both S&P Global Rating and Moody’s Investors Service due to its relatively low net level of government debt, however, its household debt is severely leveraged, threatening future stability. 

This is in part because of Canada’s record-high housing costs. 

“The federal government plays a special role in financial markets. Its so-called sovereign rating affects borrowing rates for all subnational entities including provincial governments and large borrowers such as banks. The latter’s rates charged to customers—for mortgages and other loans—are closely correlated to the sovereign’s rating,” reads the report.

“Therefore, all Canadians have a stake in seeing the federal government meet its fiscal targets. We hope Ottawa shows fiscal discipline in next week’s budget,” it added.

LAWTON: Former Thatcher adviser predicts Canada’s Conservatives will govern for a long time

By
Andrew Lawton
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The renowned author and former adviser to Margaret Thatcher, John O’Sullivan, joined True North’s Andrew Lawton during the Canada Strong and Free Network conference in Ottawa to discuss the state of the conservative movement and the future of Canada’s Conservative Party.

O’Sullivan predicts Pierre Poilievre’s Conservatives will win the next election decisively and will govern for a considerable time. The former Thatcher speechwriter believes Conservative parties around the world will look to Canada to see how they can replicate its success.

Quadriplegic man chose assisted suicide after hospital stay ended with bed sores 

By
Clayton DeMaine, True North Wire
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Source: Royal Victoria Hospital

Normand Meunier, a quadriplegic man in Quebec, sought assisted suicide after he developed bed sores due to a lack of specialized care at a hospital in Saint-Jérôme, Que.

According to Radio-Canada, who originally reported the story, Meunier’s arms and legs had been paralyzed since 2022 after experiencing a spinal cord injury.

In the article, his partner Sylvie Brosseau said Meunier spent 95 hours on a stretcher while in intensive care for a respiratory virus.

According to Brosseau, he was in the emergency room for four days.

When Bosseau advocated for Meunier to receive a specialized bed, she was apparently told that the hospital would have to order one.

Due to not receiving a specialized bed and spending those days on a hospital cot, Meunier developed bed sores and a major pressure ulcer on his buttocks to the point where muscle and bone were exposed and visible.

The hospital told Radio-Canada they are investigating the incident but have beds available at the hospital.

Meunier had experienced bedsores before and was undergoing treatment for his wounds, but he opted for assisted suicide instead of dealing with the physical and psychological suffering.

“I don’t want to be a burden. At any rate, the medical opinions say I won’t be a burden for long; as the old folks say, it’s better to kick the can.” Meunier told Radio-Canada in an interview a day before dying.

True North reached out to Dr. Stefanie Green a medical assistance in dying professional and an advocate for Canadian access to assisted suicide.

“This is not/should not be/ought not to be hijacked to be a conversation about MAiD,” Green said in an email to True North. “This story is about a major failing at an ER that left a man ill. That terrible mistake should not reflect on the cardiology service at the hospital down the road, the GI service in another city, or the country’s MAiD program (or the price of rice in Beijing for that matter).”

Krista Carr, the executive vice-president of Inclusion Canada, a disabled people rights advocacy group, spoke to True North over the phone.

“It’s just a terrible testament to where things have gotten to in our society that we would think death provided by the state would be an acceptable solution to alleviating the ‘suffering’ of people with disabilities,” Carr said. “We know there are thousands of people with disabilities in this country who, when they have access to the right supports, live really good, happy, healthy, and positive lives.”

Carr advocates for better quality and more access to social services, which if funded properly, she believes would steer many people living with disabilities away from accessing assisted suicide.

“(Meunier’s) case is particularly tragic because it resulted in certainly significant harm to the individual and family, but also in a death that should never have had to happen,” she said. “When we first brought in our MAiD legislation in Canada, it was for people who were terminally ill. It was for people who were suffering intolerably whose death was reasonably foreseeable.”

She said after 2021, with Bill C-7, the government expanded the assisted suicide system to include what’s called “track 2” which includes people who are suffering intolerably and whose death was not reasonably foreseeable.

She said the difference between the two tracks is that the first track is for people who are trying to “escape a painful death,” whereas “track 2 MAiD” is often for those trying to “escape a painful life.”

“The intolerable suffering (of many living with disabilities) is not being caused by the disability.” Carr said. “It’s caused by how society limits, excludes and doesn’t give them the support that they need to live a life on par with other people.”

In 2021, the year assisted suicide was expanded to include those whose deaths were not “reasonably foreseeable,” 223 people died under the newly expanded legislation. In 2022, 463 people whose deaths were not foreseeable died using assisted suicide, growing the number of deaths by 1.3% annually.

Data for 2023 has not been publicly released at this time.

Carr said in the case of Meunier in Quebec, it could have been avoidable if he received the “proper healthcare he deserved.”

“When someone with a disability accesses MAiD if you don’t think somebody somewhere with a pencil knows how much less that’s going to cost to support that person,” Carr said. We’re not going to get better services. Already underfunded, under-available, non-adequate, non-inclusive services will only get worse.”

LAWTON: Conservative plan could lower immigration levels

By
Andrew Lawton
-

According to Conservative critic for immigration and Calgary MP Tom Kmiec, the Conservative party’s plan to tie immigration numbers to available jobs and homes could result in a lower immigration target. The Calgary MP said a Conservative government wouldn’t set an arbitrary number, but rather one that takes into account what the country can sustainably accommodate.

True North’s Andrew Lawton caught up with Kmiec at the Canada Strong and Free Conference in Ottawa to discuss the Conservatives’ plan to address the immigration system.

Liberals resumed UNRWA funding despite evidence of terrorist ties with Hamas

By
Isaac Lamoureux, True North Wire
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Source: UNWatch

The Liberals had access to documents detailing deep ties between the terrorist group Hamas and the United Nations Relief and Works Agency when the feds decided to resume its funding on March 8.

The National Post was granted exclusive access to the intelligence provided to the Liberals that made Israel’s case to stop sending taxpayer money to the UNRWA.

The intelligence provided included detailed biographies of United Nations employees involved in the October 7 massacre in Israel, as well as satellite imagery showing schools in Gaza built over terrorist bunkers. Additionally, it revealed the presence of Hamas rocket launchers situated just metres from clearly marked UN facilities, among other undisclosed details, as reported by the news organization.

The intelligence briefing included 43 slides of evidence, including communications of Hamas operatives, social media, and a video from the October 7 terrorist attack, revealed the National Post.

Independent MP Kevin Vuong highlighted some of the accompanying issues in a statement to the House of Commons.

“On Feb. 1st, Ahmed Hussen said the Trudeau govt would await the results of the UN investigation into UNRWA. He lied. They reinstated funding despite knowing: nearly 2,000 employees are members of a terrorist group; 11% of UNRWA facilities contain terror infrastructure,” wrote Vuong in a post to X.

“How would the Canadian government know what the final report has found when the investigation is not finished, and the report hasn’t even been published yet?” Vuong asked in his address to the House. 

He instead focused on what the Liberals did know.

“They knew that Hamas is deeply embedded in UNRWA and its key posts. They knew that Hamas members dominate UNRWA’s education system. They knew that Hamas uses UNRWA facilities for military activities, and they knew that UNRWA’s education system incites hatred and glorifies suicide bombers,” said Vuong.

He added that the Liberals knew that at least 15 UNRWA employees were involved in the October 7 Hamas attack, while at least six UNRWA principals in Gaza are Hamas members, said Vuong. 

“What kind of madness has permeated the Government of Canada to restore funding to an agency more concerned with the advancement of terror than it is with any humanitarian work on behalf of the innocent Palestinian people?” Vuong asked, concluding his address to the House. 

True North previously reported that on January 26, Global Affairs Canada suspended funding the UNRWA following allegations of staff involvement with Hamas. Canada’s halt to funding followed the United States, and numerous other countries joined them. The U.S. Congress banned funding to UNRWA until March 2025.

However, Japan, Australia, Finland, and Sweden have resumed funding the UNRWA.

On March 8, Canada resumed its funding to UNRWA with a payment of $25 million, part of a total $100 million pledge made by the Liberal party last year.

On April 4, the Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs, alongside families that lost loved ones in the October 7 Hamas attack, filed a Federal Court application for judicial review of Canada’s decision to resume UNRWA funding.

“Though there is no dispute that humanitarian aid is needed and must urgently reach the civilian population in Gaza, our application lays out the arguments of why UNRWA cannot be the agency to fulfill this responsibility and should be disqualified from funding,” said Cory Hann, vice president of communications and marketing for the CIJA.

Hann explained that resuming funding to UNRWA violates Canada’s own anti-terrorism legislation.

“Canadian money given to UNRWA will only help Hamas continue attacking Jews and other Israelis,” he said.

“Urgent aid is needed for Palestinians now — and it will continue to be needed when the war ends — but UNRWA is not the answer. It cannot be trusted to distribute aid. It is a physical proxy for Hamas, and it uses its access to children to ensure the next generation is so fuelled by Jew-hatred and anti-Israel sentiment that peace will never be possible,” said Hann.

He added that UNRWA is part of the problem, not the solution — something the United States clearly understood when they halted funding to the organization until 2025.

“To help bring about a solution to the conflict, Canada cannot continue to contribute to organizations that help spread hate and support terrorism. And that’s why we are taking the federal government to court,” concluded Hann.

The Alberta Roundup | Smith pushes back against the feds

By
Rachel Parker
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Source: Facebook

This week on the Alberta Roundup with Rachel Emmanuel, Rachel unpacks Alberta Premier Danielle Smith’s latest effort to push back the federal government which is encroaching on provincial jurisdiction by making deals directly with municipalities.

Also on the show, the premier addresses her decision to keep the provincial fuel tax despite pressure to axe it as Ottawa continues to raise its federal carbon tax.

Finally, Rachel has an exclusive story about an Alberta NDP MLA who apologized in the House this week after scarring a female UCP MLA. That MLA is now asking him to seek anger management.

Tune into the Alberta Roundup now!

SUBSCRIBE TO THE ALBERTA ROUNDUP

Conservative government’s immigration formula could result in lower immigration, Tory MP says

By
Quinn Patrick, True North Wire
-
Source: Facebook

The Conservative party’s plan to tie immigration numbers to available jobs and homes could result in a lower immigration target, an MP says.

Conservative immigration critic Tom Kmiec said a Conservative government wouldn’t set an arbitrary number, but rather one that takes into account what the country can sustainably accommodate. This could end up lowering immigration, he said.

“Whatever it comes out to, that will be the number,” Kmiec said on The Andrew Lawton Show. “If it’s lower, it’s lower. If it’s higher, it’s higher.”

Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre previously said in an interview that immigration had to be tied to key economic numbers reflecting the labour and housing markets.

Kmiec said that under a Conservative government, those calculations wouldn’t just involve permanent immigration but also temporary resident immigration.

“The problem isn’t the permanent residency ones, those PR numbers are often quoted by individuals. In Canada, about 45% to 55% of those, depending on the year, are people who are actually physically in Canada already,” said Kmiec.

“They are just changing their status from studying, from working here on a temporary work permit and they’re becoming permanent residents of Canada, hopefully, on the pathway to becoming citizens and joining the Canadian family.”

Kmiec said it’s “ridiculous” that Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has only recently concluded that Canada’s immigration levels have far outpaced what the country can absorb.

“I guess he doesn’t read any of the briefing notes or documents that come up his way,” Kmiec said.

The Calgary MP pointed out how it was Trudeau himself who appointed the various immigration ministers responsible for the country’s explosive population growth. 

“When he reshuffled his own cabinet, you had this bizarre situation where the previous immigration minister could not let go of his department. He was saying that ‘things are a mess,’ that’s a direct quote and the new minister said ‘things are out of control.’ They’ve been fighting it out in public between the senior immigration minister and the junior immigration minister,” said Kmiec.

“Now the prime minister has weighed in and accused his government of basically failing on the job and that they’re not competent obviously, except he’s the one who appointed everybody. He’s been in charge for almost nine years now and they broke the immigration system. It’s nice of him to recognize that he broke it,” he added. 

When asked if the immigration calculation should be restricted to just economic indicators, instead of factoring in things like Canadian values as well, Kmiec said he was wary of introducing new things that “are not fixed.”

“I don’t want my government determining which values it supports and which it doesn’t and the reason I don’t like it is that for the last nine years, that’s been the Liberal government of Canada,” said Kmiec. 

“I believe things like healthcare, housing jobs, all Canadians can get behind that and be like, ‘yeah, those are real, reasonable objective metrics.’ There’s no subjectivity to them, you either have those services or you don’t.”

According to Kmiec, the immigration debate should be about whether the inputs are correct or not, instead of the number itself, saying, “if you want more immigration, build more housing.” 

It’s a question of changing policies to get more houses built and for cheaper. The same logic should apply to Canada’s healthcare system. 

Kmiec feels policies that don’t allow skilled workers like doctors and nurses who come to work in Canada are the reason for our strained healthcare system. 

“We have over 20,000 internationally trained doctors who cannot practice their profession,” he said. “Same thing for nurses. The country of origin lost a nurse and we didn’t gain a nurse.”

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