Trevor Tombe

Associate Professor of Economics at the University of Calgary, and Research Fellow at the School of Public Policy

Why Canada might need a temporary COVID-19 tax and repayment fund

Trevor Tombe: It’s time to start thinking outside the box with temporary measures that isolate federal and provincial debt related to the pandemic

The Trans Mountain expansion isn’t dead. But delays will be costly.

Trevor Tombe: A court ruling quashing the expansion is a setback for the Trans Mountain pipeline, Alberta’s energy industry, and the provincial government. But it’s not the end of the road.

Economic uncertainty in Canada is rising—and it’s partly our own fault

Opinion: Outside forces are roiling Canada’s economy—but our politicians aren’t helping either, as they bluster, preen, and make our domestic future harder to predict

Both the NDP and UCP support a price on carbon. It’s time we admit it.

It may sound odd, especially in today’s highly polarized Alberta, but Jason Kenney and Rachel Notley have more in common when it comes to carbon pricing than most realize

Kathleen Wynne’s attack on the Ontario PC carbon tax plan misleads voters

Opinion: Wynne is wrong when she claims the Conservative carbon tax plan will cost families more than cap and trade and do less to cut emissions

Now is our chance to scrap the milk tax once and for all

Opinion: Those concerned about poverty, inequality or middle class living standards should oppose Canada’s milk tax and take advantage of the opportunity presented by Trump.

The good—and the bad—in Canada’s provincial trade deal

The deal to tear down trade barriers between the provinces isn’t perfect, but it finally puts Canada on a path to greater internal trade freedom

Saskatchewan swallows the fiscal pill Alberta refuses

Through restraint and strategic tax hikes, Saskatchewan shows how to get off the royalty rollercoaster

Alberta needs to be honest with itself about the budget

While opposition concerns around Alberta’s debt sustainability are misleading, the government’s claims around spending growth are equally so

Why concerns over carbon pricing are misplaced

Most Canadians believe action should be taken on climate change, and of all the options available, carbon pricing comes with the lowest economic costs

It’s the oil price, stupid

Alberta’s oil industry rebound shows that whatever claims get made by the government and opposition politicians, what ultimately matters is the price of oil

Making sense of Alberta’s new energy efficiency program

How to determine whether the Alberta government’s $645-million energy efficiency program, paid for with carbon tax revenue, is money well spent