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Alberta freest Canadian province, ranks 12th in North American; other provinces rank near bottom

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From the Fraser Institute

By: Dean Stansel, José Torra, Matthew D. Mitchell and Ángel Carrión-Tavárez

Alberta is, once again, the Canadian province with the highest level of economic freedom, while most other provinces rank in the bottom half in the annual Economic Freedom of North America report, published today by the Fraser Institute, an independent, non-partisan, public policy think-tank.

Individuals have more economic freedom when they are allowed to make more of their own economic decisions such as what to buy, where to work and how to start and run a business. And research shows that economic freedom is fundamental to prosperity.

The report ranks the provinces and states individually for each country (Canada, the U.S. and Mexico). In addition, there is a fourth measure comparing and ranking all states and provinces, across all three countries. All of the rankings measure government spending, taxation, regulations and labour market restrictions using data from 2022 (the latest year of available comparable data).

“Higher taxes, higher levels of government spending and overly burdensome regulations continue to depress economic freedom across much of Canada, which makes it harder for individuals and businesses to thrive and create jobs,” said Matthew Mitchell, a senior fellow at the Fraser Institute and co-author of this year’s report.

In the ranking covering all three countries, which includes both federal and provincial government policies, Alberta is once again the highest-ranking Canadian province. It tied four U.S. states at 12th, having improved its ranking from 41st last year.

The next freest province is British Columbia, which ranks 43rd out of 93, followed by Ontario (47th), Saskatchewan (50th), Manitoba (53rd) and Quebec (54th).

The four Atlantic provinces— New Brunswick (57th), Prince Edward Island (58th), Nova Scotia (59th) and Newfoundland and Labrador (60th)—have the lowest levels of economic freedom among all provinces and U.S. states, only outranking the Mexican states and Puerto Rico. New Hampshire, once again, earned the overall top spot amongst all provinces and states in the rankings this year.

“The link between economic freedom and prosperity is clear: people who live in provinces or states that have comparatively lower taxation, lower government, sound regulatory regimes and more flexible labor markets tend, on average, to live happier, healthier and wealthier lives,” Mitchell said.

For instance, according to the latest report, total income in the freest jurisdictions grew 29 per cent after adjusting for inflation over the last decade, while in the least-free jurisdictions, total inflation adjusted income fell 13 per cent.

The Economic Freedom of North America report (co-authored by Dean Stansel, José Torra and Ángel Carrión-Tavárez) is an offshoot of the Fraser Institute’s Economic Freedom of the World index, the result of more than a quarter century of work by more than 60 scholars including three Nobel laureates.

Detailed tables for each country and subnational jurisdiction can be found at www.freetheworld.org.

Economic Freedom of North America 2024

  • The indices in the Economic Freedom of North America 2024 measure the degree to which governments in North America permit their citizens to make their own economic choices.
  • They include data from the 10 Canadian provinces, 50 US states, 32 Mexican states, and the US territory of Puerto Rico.
  • In the all-government index—which takes account of federal as well as state/provincial policies—the most economically-free jurisdiction in North America is New Hampshire, followed by Idaho, Oklahoma and South Carolina tied for third, and Florida and Indiana tied for fifth.
  • The lowest-ranking jurisdictions are all Mexican states. In last place is Ciudad de México. Above that is Colima, Campeche, Tamaulipas, and Zacatecas.
  • Alberta is the highest-ranking Canadian province, tied for 12th place with Tennessee, South Dakota, Colorado, and Texas. The next-highest Canadian province is British Columbia, which is tied with Massachusetts, Minnesota, and New Mexico for 43rd.
  • Average economic freedom across all 93 jurisdictions has fallen every year since 2017 and is now slightly above its all-time low.
  • Incomes in the freest top 25 percent of North American jurisdictions were 21 times higher than in the least-free.
  • From 2013 to 2022 the population of the freest US states grew 10 times faster and total employment grew three times faster than in the least-free states.

 

2025 Federal Election

As PM Poilievre would cancel summer holidays for MP’s so Ottawa can finally get back to work

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From Conservative Party Communications

In the first 100 days, a new Conservative government will pass 3 laws:

1. Affordability For a Change Act—cutting spending, income tax, sales tax off homes

2. Safety For a Change Act to lock up criminals

3. Bring Home Jobs Act—that repeals C-69, sets up 6 month permit turnarounds for new projects

No summer holiday til they pass!

Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre announced today that as Prime Minister he will cancel the summer holiday for Ottawa politicians and introduce three pieces of legislation to make life affordable, stop crime, and unleash our economy to bring back powerful paycheques. Because change can’t wait.

A new Conservative government will kickstart the plan to undo the damage of the Lost Liberal Decade and restore the promise of Canada with a comprehensive legislative agenda to reverse the worst Trudeau laws and cut the cost of living, crack down on crime, and unleash the Canadian economy with ‘100 Days of Change.’ Parliament will not rise until all three bills are law and Canadians get the change they voted for.

“After three Liberal terms, Canadians want change now,” said Poilievre. “My plan for ‘100 Days of Change’ will deliver that change. A new Conservative government will immediately get to work, and we will not stop until we have delivered lower costs, safer streets, and bigger paycheques.”

The ’100 Days of Change’ will include three pieces of legislation:

The Affordability–For a Change Act 

Will lower food prices, build more homes, and bring back affordability for Canadians by:

We will also:

  • Identify 15% of federal buildings and lands to sell for housing in Canadian cities.

The Safe Streets–For a Change Act 

Will end the Liberal violent crime wave by:

The Bring Home Jobs–For a Change Act 

This Act will be rocket fuel for our economy. We will unleash Canada’s vast resource wealth, bring back investment, and create powerful paycheques for workers so we can stand on our own feet and stand up to Trump from a position of strength, by:

Poilievre will also:

  • Call President Trump to end the damaging and unjustified tariffs and accelerate negotiations to replace CUSMA with a new deal on trade and security. We need certainty—not chaos, but Conservatives will never compromise on our sovereignty and security. 
  • Get Phase 2 of LNG Canada built to double the project’s natural gas production.
  • Accelerate at least nine other projects currently snarled in Liberal red tape to get workers working and Canada building again.

“After the Lost Liberal Decade of rising costs and crime and a falling economy under America’s thumb, we cannot afford a fourth Liberal term,” said Poilievre. “We need real change, and that is what Conservatives will bring in the first 100 days of a new government. A new Conservative government will get to work on Day 1 and we won’t stop until we have delivered the change we promised, the change Canadians deserve, the change Canadians voted for.”

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Automotive

Canadians’ Interest in Buying an EV Falls for Third Year in a Row

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From Energy Now

Electric vehicle prices fell 7.8 per cent in the last quarter of 2024 year-over-year, according to the AutoTader price index

Fewer Canadians are considering buying an electric vehicle, marking the third year in a row interest has dropped despite lower EV prices, a survey from AutoTrader shows.

Forty-two per cent of survey respondents say they’re considering an EV as their next vehicle, down from 46 per cent last year. In 2022, 68 per cent said they would consider buying an EV.

Meanwhile, 29 per cent of respondents say they would exclusively consider buying an EV — a significant drop from 40 per cent last year.

The report, which surveyed 1,801 people on the AutoTrader website, shows drivers are concerned about reduced government incentives, a lack of infrastructure and long-term costs despite falling prices.

Electric vehicle prices fell 7.8 per cent in the last quarter of 2024 year-over-year, according to the AutoTader price index.

The survey, conducted between Feb. 13 and March 12, shows 68 per cent of non-EV owners say government incentives could influence their decision, while a little over half say incentives increase their confidence in buying an EV.

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