Duel of the Saskatchewan Expatriates: Economist Erin Weir (Yeah!) And Unelected Conservative Senator Pamela Wallin (Boo!)
Last week, Erin Weir had the following 'letter to the editor' published in the Globe & Mail:
Oil sands royalties
The Canadian Association of Petroleum Producers’ most recent Statistical Handbook indicates that, in 2010, this industry sold $101-billion of oil and gas but paid only $12-billion in resource royalties. Even Senator Pamela Wallin’s higher figure of $22- billion (Oil Sands’ Benefits – letter, May 12), which also includes general taxes applicable to all industries, amounts to only one-fifth of the resource value extracted by oil and gas companies.
Foreign investors eager to profit from this giveaway of public resources have been buying equity in Canada’s resource sector, which bids up the exchange rate to the detriment of manufacturing and other Canadian-based exporters. Rather than attacking NDP Leader Tom Mulcair, Western premiers should raise resource royalties. In addition to collecting needed revenue, that would temper the inflow of foreign funds and help moderate the exchange rate to more competitive levels."
Erin Weir
Economist - United Steelworkers
Today, Wallin and Weir kicked off The Bill Good Show’s second hour. Audio HERE
This post originally appeared on the Progressive Economic Forum site.
Oil sands royalties
The Canadian Association of Petroleum Producers’ most recent Statistical Handbook indicates that, in 2010, this industry sold $101-billion of oil and gas but paid only $12-billion in resource royalties. Even Senator Pamela Wallin’s higher figure of $22- billion (Oil Sands’ Benefits – letter, May 12), which also includes general taxes applicable to all industries, amounts to only one-fifth of the resource value extracted by oil and gas companies.
Foreign investors eager to profit from this giveaway of public resources have been buying equity in Canada’s resource sector, which bids up the exchange rate to the detriment of manufacturing and other Canadian-based exporters. Rather than attacking NDP Leader Tom Mulcair, Western premiers should raise resource royalties. In addition to collecting needed revenue, that would temper the inflow of foreign funds and help moderate the exchange rate to more competitive levels."
Erin Weir
Economist - United Steelworkers
Today, Wallin and Weir kicked off The Bill Good Show’s second hour. Audio HERE
This post originally appeared on the Progressive Economic Forum site.
