In Friday’s Financial Post, Philip Cross makes the important point that it is delusional to think that rivers of new deficit spending will not lead to middle-class tax hikes.

It does not make sense, especially now with public finances under pressure, to keep asking police to do things that can be done for less money by private sector civilians.

Montreal, November 12, 2020 – The Quebec government must recommit itself as soon as possible to balanced budgets and promote renewed economic activity in those sectors most affected by the pandemic, says the MEI. Quebec must also avoid the temptation to involve itself too directly in the economy by arbitrarily subsidizing one company rather than another.

In his 1946 book Economics in One Lesson, Henry Hazlitt observed that “government ‘encouragement’ to business is sometimes as much to be feared as government hostility.”

By replacing knowledge with ignorance, the certain results of the current plans to expand government programs will be slower economic growth, more poverty, and a pile of debt for taxpayers of this and future generations.

A key part of the business models of low-cost retailers is hiring less-skilled workers for modest pay; wage increases would drive up prices.

The idea of a Canadian wealth tax continues to inspire certain politicians and activists. Less than two weeks ago, the Parliamentary Budget Officer again responded to a request from a member of the House of Commons regarding the cost of such a tax. As recently as July 13, 2020, the media reported that heiress Abigail Disney and others of the “super rich” were calling for the introduction of a wealth tax to finance COVID-19 assistance measures. This publication highlights the inefficiency of this kind of tax, and the fact that it is less well-off taxpayers who pay for it in the end.

Lockdown measures were put in place hastily and, apparently, without considering their economic and social costs. In this publication, researchers attempt to quantify the impact of lockdown measures.

The economic catastrophe due in large part to physical distancing measures has led the various levels of government to implement relief measures. This MEI publication provides a critical look at the relief measures currently in effect all while identifying the principles that should guide government action. The researchers notably observe that measures aiming to preserve employment links, like wage subsidies, are the most conducive to rapid economic recovery.

Last week, the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), the leading US health agency for infectious diseases, released a dramatic downward revision to their estimate of COVID-19 fatality.