The authors of this book have worked independently and opinions expressed by them are, therefore, their own, and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the supporters or the trustees of The Fraser Institute. [...] She is co-author of the An Empir- ical Comparison of Labour Relations Laws in Canada and the United States (2006), Union Disclosure in Canada and the United States (2006), Fiscal Per- formance Index (2006), Tax Freedom Day (2006), Canadian Provincial In- vestment Climate Report (2006), Transparency of Labour Relations Boards in Canada and the United States (2005), and the State of the Urban Air in [...] We would like to acknowledge all of the scholars who provided peer review of this study: Professor Ron Knee- bone of the University of Calgary, Professor Richard Bird of the University of Toronto, Professor Barry Cooper of the University of Calgary, Gordon Gibson who is a Senior Fellow of the Fraser Institute, Professor Bev Dahlby of the University of Alberta and a member of the Fraser Institute's [...] In addition, we would like to thank Nadeem Esmail, the Director of Health Performance Studies at the Fraser Institute and Fred McMahon the Director of Globalization and Trade at the Fraser Institute and the author of 2 books on the topic of fiscal balance and equalization for their review of a number of working drafts. [...] Figure 1.2 illustrates the nominal net fiscal balance (surplus or deficit) for the federal government and all of the provincial and territorial governments (consolidated) between 1990/91 and 2005/06. The federal government begins the period with an enormous deficit of $32.4 billion while the provinces had a much lower, collective deficit of $7.6 billion.

In this book, experts from across the globe highlight the state of knowledge in intergovernmental transfer design. The essays collected in the volume represent creative new thinking about challenging policy issues and offer useful options for policy makers. The book offers academics and practitioners a thorough, thematic assessment of unresolved issues in the design of equalization grants.

Fiscal Federalism and Equalization Policy in Canada aims to increase public understanding of equalization and fiscal federalism by providing a comparative and multidisciplinary perspective on the history, politics, and economics of equalization policy in Canada. The authors provide a brief history, an analysis of the politics of equalization as witnessed over the last fifteen years, and a discussion of key economic debates concerning the role of the program and its effects. They also explore the relationship between equalization and other components of fiscal federalism, particularly the Canada Health Transfer and the Canada Social Transfer. The result is an analysis that draws from the best scholarship available in the fields of economics, economic history, political science, political sociology, and public policy.