Milagros Palacios

LATEST STORIES BY MILAGROS PALACIOS

OPINION: Government job-growth rate in Canada outstripping private sector

Across Canada, government employment has exploded, dwarfing job-growth numbers in the private sector and raising serious questions about the affordability of this government hiring spree.

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November 30, 2024 Columnists

FUSS AND PALACIOS: Cutting taxes in upcoming federal budget would spur economic growth

According to the Trudeau government’s projections, economic growth in Canada will remain anemic for the foreseeable future. Indeed, from 2013 to 2022 (the most recent 10-year period of available data), per-person economic growth — a broad measure of living standards — was at its lowest rate since the Great Depression in the 1930s.

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April 9, 2024 Columnists

Canadian flag waving with Parliament Buildings hill and Library

'It's Tax Freedom Day:' We're paying more now than before COVID

The cost of living remains top of mind for many Canadian families, particularly at the grocery store, where prices have risen rapidly. But one growing expense for families has flown under the radar — taxes.

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June 19, 2023 Opinion

It's Tax Freedom Day. In 2023, the average Canadian family earning $140,106 will pay $64,610 in taxes — or 46.1% of their income.

OPINION: Provinces accept federal money at own peril

The Trudeau government plans to significantly ramp up spending on daycare, dental care and pharmacare to cover the cost of prescription drugs. But all three of these policy areas fall under provincial jurisdiction, not federal. And as history has shown, future federal governments can easily and unilaterally reduce or even eliminate funding, leaving provinces with a heavy financial burden.

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June 6, 2023 Columnists

Ontario Premier Doug Ford (left) and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau

OPINION: Trudeau tax hikes hurt lower-income families

For many families across Canada, times are tough. The cost of living, spurred by high rates of inflation, has soared. And while the Trudeau government has repeatedly said it wants to help families “who are working hard to join the middle class,” it’s actually made life more difficult for many lower-income families by increasing the amount of income taxes they pay.

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February 8, 2022 Columnists

During the federal election campaign, several political parties called for tax increases to ensure high-income workers pay their "fair share."

Opinion: Trudeau government spending spree comes with huge costs

Opinion: The government should honestly engage Canadians about the tradeoff between higher spending and the need for higher taxes so Canadians can make a more informed assessment

December 17, 2021 Opinion

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Fianance Minister Chrystia Freeland.

OPINION: Trudeau policies have hurt economic growth

In what looked and sounded like a campaign stop in Sault Ste. Marie, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau recently reiterated his government’s focus on “growing the economy.” The problem for the prime minister is that the evidence is clear—his government’s approach to the economy has resulted in lower, not higher, economic growth.

July 20, 2021 Columnists