Fraser Institute Decries Corporate Welfare in Canada

[Argus]

This is probably counter-intuitive to those on the Left who like to describe the Fraser Institute as a shill for corporations, but they just came out with a study which examined corporate welfare over the past twenty years. All three levels of government have contributed nearly $700 million in corporate subsidies in the past twenty years, with only marginal results.

Interestingly, federal subsidies have been fairly steadily decreasing, while provincial subsidies have been steadily increasing.

http://business.financialpost.com/2014/05/13/canadians-pay-hefty-684b-bill-in-business-subsidies-over-20-years-study-shows/

[guyser]

Now thats surprising !

It isnt April 1st is it?

[bush_cheney2004]

The Fraser Institute said the same thing in 2012:

...The bottom line is that corporate welfare serves either to needlessly enrich businesses that would have been just fine on their own, or to prop-up businesses that would, and should, have failed under normal market conditions. In all cases, corporate welfare makes competition unduly difficult for new businesses, or foreign companies, that aren’t receiving the preferential treatment.

http://fullcomment.nationalpost.com/2012/09/11/jesse-kline-cutting-corporate-welfare-is-good-for-the-economy/

[Icebound]

Interestingly, federal subsidies have been fairly steadily decreasing, while provincial subsidies have been steadily increasing.

A sort of mini-globalization.

Our government has successfully partitioned this country into regions so that.... Each region now has to compete, not only against other countries.... but against other regions of Canada.... in order to attract business and employment.

I suppose there is some kind of logic about that..... but does that make us a "united country", or just a free-for-all-every-region-for-itself?

....

Edited May 17, 2014 by Icebound