Inteligencia y Seguridad Frente Externo En Profundidad Economia y Finanzas Transparencia
  En Parrilla Medio Ambiente Sociedad High Tech Contacto
Economia y Finanzas  
 
01/04/2012 | Canada's economy - A two-speed north

The Economist Staff

JUST as sovereign-debt worries have exposed the economic cleavages between north and south in a “two-speed Europe”, a pair of public budgets released this week highlighted the imbalances between east and west in a two-speed Canada.

 

On March 27th the Liberal minority government of Ontario, Canada’s most populous province, presented a tough budget designed to balance a C$15.3 billion ($15.3 billion) deficit by 2018. For every dollar it raises in new revenue it will cut C$4 in spending, totalling C$17.7 billion over three years. Funding for health care and education will drop, while welfare payments and public-sector wages will be frozen.

Two days later the Conservative federal government of Stephen Harper, the prime minister, took a different tack. Although it too will cut spending to close a deficit, its austerity is far milder. By 2015, when the budget is supposed to come into balance, it plans to reduce outlays by C$5.2 billion a year—just 1.9% of current spending compared with a 5% drop in Ontario. Moreover, it promises to achieve those savings via the murky world of streamlining, efficiencies and administrative consolidations, rather than by defined cuts.

The federal government can afford a much gentler pace of fiscal contraction than Ontario can because of growth. Ontario is Canada’s hobbled manufacturing heartland, which has suffered not just from relative economic stagnation but also from a rising currency. CIBC World Markets, an investment bank, projects its GDP will increase by just 1.7% this year. In contrast, the bank forecasts Alberta and Saskatchewan, two western provinces enjoying energy booms, to grow by 3.3% and 3.1%. Many of the benefits of that expansion accrue to the federal government: thanks to the development of tar sands and natural gas, faster-than-expected growth reduced the projected 2012 federal deficit from C$31 billion to C$24.9 billion.

The federal government is doubling down its bet on its western cash cow. Environmental groups have strongly protested new resource projects, particularly the highly polluting tar-sands oil. Mr Harper, who rose to political prominence in Alberta, has never had much patience for them. In his new budget, he ended a 20-year-old national roundtable on the environment and the economy, which had been pushing for new policies to address climate change. He has also streamlined environmental-impact assessments for everything from mines and tar-sands developments to pipelines and hydro-electric projects. That could speed up decisions enough for them to be made within two years of a company’s application, with no federal-provincial overlap in oversight.

That is cold comfort for Ontario. Except for a bit of mining, Ontario has no energy or natural-resource projects underway, nor any prospects comparable to the west’s energy industry, even Quebec’s vision of hydro-electric plants, mining and forestry. The budget’s changes to federal support for innovation and research and development won’t produce quick manufacturing growth. Meanwhile, the bulk of the 19,200 federal-government jobs that would be eliminated in Mr Harper’s budget are located in Ontario.

There is little love lost between Ontario’s Liberals and the federal Conservatives. On March 30th Jim Flaherty, the federal finance minister, took a shot at Ontario, saying he “would hope that they’re able to manage their spending better than they have been able to do over the past eight or nine years of government.” Nonetheless, a struggling Ontario isn’t in the Conservatives’ long-term interests. After Mr Harper had led two minority governments, it was Ontario voters who gave him his long-sought-after majority last May. And 20 years ago, the economic strains caused by the competing demands of a booming west and a struggling Ontario caused the last Conservative majority government to collapse.

The Economist (Reino Unido)

 



Otras Notas del Autor
fecha
Título
23/09/2023|
06/09/2022|
17/09/2020|
15/09/2020|
18/08/2020|
05/07/2020|
01/06/2020|
30/05/2020|
15/05/2020|
26/04/2020|
14/04/2020|
04/04/2020|
24/03/2020|
19/01/2020|
23/08/2019|
22/08/2019|
20/08/2019|
21/07/2019|
04/02/2019|
13/01/2019|
26/12/2018|
24/12/2018|
04/10/2018|
13/08/2018|
12/08/2018|
07/08/2018|
03/08/2018|
28/07/2018|
25/07/2018|
23/07/2018|
23/07/2018|
21/07/2018|
01/07/2018|
12/06/2018|
26/04/2018|
22/04/2018|
10/04/2018|
24/03/2018|
20/03/2018|
04/03/2018|
03/02/2018|
11/12/2017|
11/12/2017|
11/12/2017|
02/12/2017|
17/11/2017|
16/11/2017|
07/11/2017|
01/11/2017|
28/10/2017|
26/10/2017|
05/10/2017|
26/09/2017|
09/09/2017|
20/08/2017|
19/08/2017|
14/08/2017|
01/08/2017|
22/07/2017|
20/07/2017|
15/07/2017|
09/07/2017|
07/07/2017|
12/06/2017|
10/06/2017|
13/05/2017|
13/05/2017|
30/04/2017|
19/04/2017|
18/04/2017|
04/04/2017|
28/03/2017|
28/03/2017|
17/03/2017|
12/03/2017|
05/03/2017|
05/03/2017|
24/02/2017|
24/02/2017|
22/02/2017|
22/02/2017|
20/02/2017|
01/02/2017|
16/01/2017|
16/01/2017|
15/01/2017|
10/01/2017|
01/01/2017|
24/11/2016|
20/11/2016|
11/11/2016|
24/10/2016|
17/10/2016|
15/10/2016|
14/10/2016|
14/10/2016|
13/10/2016|
10/10/2016|
01/10/2016|
14/09/2016|
09/09/2016|
04/09/2016|
04/09/2016|
17/08/2016|
14/08/2016|
14/08/2016|
16/06/2016|
11/06/2016|
06/06/2016|
06/06/2016|
27/05/2016|
07/05/2016|
14/04/2016|
14/04/2016|
11/04/2016|
11/04/2016|
25/03/2016|
18/03/2016|
18/03/2016|
18/03/2016|
15/03/2016|
15/03/2016|
13/03/2016|
08/02/2016|
07/02/2016|
24/01/2016|
05/01/2016|
04/01/2016|
31/12/2015|
16/12/2015|
16/12/2015|
11/12/2015|
28/11/2015|
21/11/2015|
10/11/2015|
07/11/2015|
03/11/2015|
31/10/2015|
19/10/2015|
19/10/2015|
15/10/2015|
28/09/2015|
20/09/2015|
18/09/2015|
03/09/2015|
31/08/2015|
28/08/2015|
21/08/2015|
16/08/2015|
08/08/2015|
08/08/2015|
30/07/2015|
30/07/2015|
22/07/2015|
27/06/2015|
27/06/2015|
17/06/2015|
09/06/2015|
06/06/2015|
03/06/2015|
30/05/2015|
30/05/2015|
22/05/2015|
21/05/2015|
19/05/2015|
06/05/2015|
02/05/2015|
03/04/2015|
31/03/2015|
29/03/2015|
09/03/2015|
04/03/2015|
25/02/2015|
19/02/2015|
16/02/2015|
16/02/2015|
01/02/2015|
01/02/2015|
27/01/2015|
27/01/2015|
27/01/2015|
23/01/2015|
22/01/2015|
13/01/2015|
13/01/2015|
02/01/2015|
02/01/2015|
22/12/2014|
21/12/2014|
21/12/2014|
18/12/2014|
14/12/2014|
04/12/2014|
01/12/2014|
01/12/2014|
28/11/2014|
20/11/2014|
20/11/2014|
12/11/2014|
01/11/2014|
21/10/2014|
19/10/2014|
18/10/2014|
14/10/2014|
12/10/2014|
12/10/2014|
12/10/2014|
10/10/2014|
06/10/2014|
06/10/2014|
01/10/2014|
29/09/2014|
29/09/2014|
19/09/2014|
15/09/2014|
09/09/2014|
01/09/2014|
26/08/2014|
26/08/2014|
19/08/2014|
19/08/2014|
08/08/2014|
29/07/2014|
29/07/2014|
27/07/2014|
27/07/2014|
21/07/2014|
21/07/2014|
21/07/2014|
03/07/2014|
01/07/2014|
23/06/2014|
21/06/2014|
18/06/2014|
18/06/2014|
18/06/2014|
29/05/2014|
21/05/2014|
17/05/2014|
09/05/2014|
09/05/2014|
09/05/2014|
05/05/2014|
27/04/2014|
20/04/2014|
20/04/2014|
20/04/2014|
11/04/2014|
07/04/2014|
31/03/2014|
31/03/2014|
25/03/2014|
04/03/2014|
27/02/2014|
21/02/2014|
17/02/2014|
14/02/2014|
04/02/2014|
31/01/2014|
31/01/2014|
25/01/2014|
16/01/2014|
15/01/2014|
15/01/2014|
14/01/2014|
02/01/2014|
25/12/2013|
19/12/2013|
11/12/2013|
11/12/2013|
06/12/2013|
03/12/2013|
03/12/2013|
27/11/2013|
25/11/2013|
20/11/2013|
17/11/2013|
11/11/2013|
08/11/2013|
06/11/2013|
05/11/2013|
28/10/2013|
28/10/2013|
28/10/2013|
27/10/2013|
21/10/2013|
21/10/2013|
21/10/2013|
16/10/2013|
10/10/2013|
09/10/2013|
09/10/2013|
29/09/2013|
21/09/2013|
17/09/2013|
17/09/2013|
15/09/2013|
15/09/2013|
14/09/2013|
03/09/2013|
27/08/2013|
27/08/2013|
17/08/2013|
12/08/2013|
12/08/2013|
12/08/2013|
07/08/2013|
29/07/2013|
18/07/2013|
18/07/2013|
12/07/2013|
12/07/2013|
11/07/2013|
07/07/2013|
06/07/2013|
29/06/2013|
21/06/2013|
21/06/2013|
16/06/2013|
16/06/2013|
16/06/2013|
12/06/2013|
03/06/2013|
03/06/2013|
30/05/2013|
30/05/2013|
28/05/2013|
28/05/2013|
28/05/2013|
23/05/2013|
23/05/2013|
20/05/2013|
20/05/2013|
16/05/2013|
16/05/2013|
10/05/2013|
10/05/2013|
06/05/2013|
04/05/2013|
23/04/2013|
21/04/2013|
21/04/2013|
19/04/2013|
14/04/2013|
11/04/2013|
08/04/2013|
03/04/2013|
31/03/2013|
22/03/2013|
21/03/2013|
14/03/2013|
14/03/2013|
11/03/2013|
11/03/2013|
11/03/2013|
03/03/2013|
03/03/2013|
03/03/2013|
03/03/2013|
03/03/2013|
25/02/2013|
25/02/2013|
18/02/2013|
18/02/2013|
18/02/2013|
14/02/2013|
14/02/2013|
11/02/2013|
11/02/2013|
11/02/2013|
27/01/2013|
25/01/2013|
22/01/2013|
22/01/2013|
15/01/2013|
13/01/2013|
10/01/2013|
10/01/2013|
10/01/2013|
09/01/2013|
09/01/2013|
30/12/2012|
25/12/2012|
25/12/2012|
24/12/2012|
24/12/2012|
19/12/2012|
18/12/2012|
18/12/2012|
12/12/2012|
08/12/2012|
06/12/2012|
05/12/2012|
04/12/2012|
04/12/2012|
27/11/2012|
26/11/2012|
24/11/2012|
24/11/2012|
24/11/2012|
19/11/2012|
18/11/2012|
18/11/2012|
18/11/2012|
10/11/2012|
09/11/2012|
09/11/2012|
09/11/2012|
07/11/2012|
07/11/2012|
07/11/2012|
07/11/2012|
07/11/2012|
07/11/2012|
05/11/2012|
02/11/2012|
02/11/2012|
01/11/2012|
31/10/2012|
31/10/2012|
30/10/2012|
30/10/2012|
26/10/2012|
26/10/2012|
26/10/2012|
26/10/2012|
19/10/2012|
19/10/2012|
19/10/2012|
19/10/2012|
19/10/2012|
29/09/2012|
10/09/2012|
10/09/2012|
10/09/2012|
10/09/2012|
10/09/2012|
09/09/2012|
01/09/2012|
01/09/2012|
01/09/2012|
30/08/2012|
24/08/2012|
22/08/2012|
22/08/2012|
22/08/2012|
21/08/2012|
15/08/2012|
15/08/2012|
15/08/2012|
13/08/2012|
13/08/2012|
10/08/2012|
09/08/2012|
09/08/2012|
07/08/2012|
06/08/2012|
06/08/2012|
06/08/2012|
06/08/2012|
31/07/2012|
31/07/2012|
31/07/2012|
31/07/2012|
28/07/2012|
28/07/2012|
28/07/2012|
28/07/2012|
28/07/2012|
28/07/2012|
28/07/2012|
28/07/2012|
25/07/2012|
25/07/2012|
15/07/2012|
15/07/2012|
14/07/2012|
10/07/2012|
10/07/2012|
09/07/2012|
14/06/2012|
14/06/2012|
09/06/2012|
09/06/2012|
09/06/2012|
08/06/2012|
04/06/2012|
04/06/2012|
03/06/2012|
03/06/2012|
21/05/2012|
20/05/2012|
20/05/2012|
06/05/2012|
27/04/2012|
13/04/2012|
13/04/2012|
13/04/2012|
12/04/2012|
12/04/2012|
07/04/2012|
07/04/2012|
06/04/2012|
06/04/2012|
04/04/2012|
01/04/2012|
01/04/2012|
19/03/2012|
19/03/2012|
18/03/2012|
18/03/2012|
12/03/2012|
12/03/2012|
04/03/2012|
04/03/2012|
04/03/2012|
04/03/2012|
04/03/2012|
04/03/2012|
04/03/2012|
04/03/2012|
02/03/2012|
02/03/2012|
02/03/2012|
25/02/2012|
25/02/2012|
25/02/2012|
25/02/2012|
25/02/2012|
25/02/2012|
05/11/2011|
30/10/2011|
30/10/2011|
29/10/2011|
21/10/2011|
11/10/2011|
11/10/2011|
08/10/2011|
04/10/2011|
03/10/2011|
03/10/2011|
03/10/2011|
01/10/2011|
01/10/2011|
25/09/2011|
24/09/2011|
23/09/2011|
23/09/2011|
23/09/2011|
23/09/2011|
23/09/2011|
20/09/2011|
17/09/2011|
17/09/2011|
16/09/2011|
15/09/2011|
11/09/2011|
11/09/2011|
07/09/2011|
07/09/2011|
04/09/2011|
04/09/2011|
04/09/2011|
04/09/2011|
02/09/2011|
02/09/2011|
02/09/2011|
02/09/2011|
27/08/2011|
27/08/2011|
27/08/2011|
27/08/2011|
26/08/2011|
26/08/2011|
26/08/2011|
26/08/2011|
25/08/2011|
25/08/2011|
23/08/2011|
23/08/2011|
16/08/2011|
16/08/2011|
16/08/2011|
16/08/2011|
11/08/2011|
11/08/2011|
11/08/2011|
07/08/2011|
04/08/2011|
29/07/2011|
28/07/2011|
24/07/2011|
24/07/2011|
23/07/2011|
23/07/2011|
22/07/2011|
21/07/2011|
21/07/2011|
17/07/2011|
17/07/2011|
15/07/2011|
15/07/2011|
15/07/2011|
15/07/2011|
13/07/2011|
13/07/2011|
13/07/2011|
13/07/2011|
29/06/2011|
29/06/2011|
19/06/2011|
19/06/2011|
19/06/2011|
19/06/2011|
18/06/2011|
18/06/2011|
18/06/2011|
18/06/2011|
17/06/2011|
17/06/2011|
14/06/2011|
14/06/2011|
13/06/2011|
13/06/2011|
13/06/2011|
13/06/2011|
05/06/2011|
05/06/2011|
03/06/2011|
03/06/2011|
03/06/2011|
03/06/2011|
01/06/2011|
01/06/2011|
01/06/2011|
01/06/2011|
01/06/2011|
01/06/2011|
01/06/2011|
01/06/2011|
29/05/2011|
29/05/2011|
29/05/2011|
29/05/2011|
29/05/2011|
29/05/2011|
23/05/2011|
23/05/2011|
22/05/2011|
22/05/2011|
22/05/2011|
22/05/2011|
22/05/2011|
22/05/2011|
21/05/2011|
21/05/2011|
21/05/2011|
21/05/2011|
16/05/2011|
16/05/2011|
13/05/2011|
13/05/2011|
06/05/2011|
06/05/2011|
04/05/2011|
04/05/2011|
04/05/2011|
04/05/2011|
02/05/2011|
02/05/2011|
02/05/2011|
02/05/2011|
01/05/2011|
01/05/2011|
01/05/2011|
01/05/2011|
01/05/2011|
01/05/2011|
26/04/2011|
26/04/2011|
26/04/2011|
26/04/2011|
26/04/2011|
26/04/2011|
21/04/2011|
21/04/2011|
21/04/2011|
21/04/2011|
20/04/2011|
20/04/2011|
20/04/2011|
20/04/2011|
20/04/2011|
20/04/2011|
15/04/2011|
11/04/2011|
11/04/2011|
08/04/2011|
03/04/2011|
27/03/2011|
27/03/2011|
26/03/2011|
26/03/2011|
20/03/2011|
20/03/2011|
19/03/2011|
19/03/2011|
19/03/2011|
13/03/2011|
13/03/2011|
12/03/2011|
11/03/2011|
11/03/2011|
09/03/2011|
07/03/2011|
07/03/2011|
05/03/2011|
04/03/2011|
04/03/2011|
04/03/2011|
18/02/2011|
21/01/2011|
21/01/2011|
16/01/2011|
16/01/2011|
11/01/2011|
08/01/2011|
02/01/2011|
02/01/2011|
29/12/2010|
29/12/2010|
28/12/2010|
26/12/2010|
13/12/2010|
13/12/2010|
08/12/2010|
02/12/2010|
30/11/2010|
30/11/2010|
28/11/2010|
26/11/2010|
26/11/2010|
24/11/2010|
16/11/2010|
16/11/2010|
16/11/2010|
09/11/2010|
07/11/2010|
31/10/2010|
31/10/2010|
31/10/2010|
26/10/2010|
25/10/2010|
22/10/2010|
18/10/2010|
16/10/2010|
16/10/2010|
11/10/2010|
10/10/2010|
10/10/2010|
09/10/2010|
05/10/2010|
28/09/2010|
28/09/2010|
24/09/2010|
24/09/2010|
22/09/2010|
22/09/2010|
15/09/2010|
15/09/2010|
15/09/2010|
12/09/2010|
12/09/2010|
12/09/2010|
12/09/2010|
06/09/2010|
06/09/2010|
05/09/2010|
05/09/2010|
29/08/2010|
29/08/2010|
29/08/2010|
29/08/2010|
22/08/2010|
22/08/2010|
21/08/2010|
21/08/2010|
21/08/2010|
21/08/2010|
21/08/2010|
21/08/2010|
14/08/2010|
13/08/2010|
13/08/2010|
07/08/2010|
07/08/2010|
12/07/2010|
12/06/2010|
12/06/2010|
12/06/2010|
24/05/2010|
24/05/2010|
11/05/2010|
10/05/2010|
09/05/2010|
09/05/2010|
09/05/2010|
01/04/2010|
01/04/2010|
31/03/2010|
31/03/2010|
31/03/2010|
28/03/2010|
28/03/2010|
28/03/2010|
20/03/2010|
12/03/2010|
12/03/2010|
12/03/2010|
08/03/2010|
07/03/2010|
06/03/2010|
05/03/2010|
03/03/2010|
03/03/2010|
28/02/2010|
21/02/2010|
19/02/2010|
14/02/2010|
11/02/2010|
11/02/2010|
10/02/2010|
08/02/2010|
08/02/2010|
08/02/2010|
28/01/2010|
25/01/2010|
20/01/2010|
20/01/2010|
16/01/2010|
16/01/2010|
15/01/2010|
15/01/2010|
11/01/2010|
11/01/2010|
10/01/2010|
07/01/2010|
03/01/2010|
03/01/2010|
03/01/2010|
17/12/2009|
15/12/2009|
15/12/2009|
13/12/2009|
13/12/2009|
28/11/2009|
28/11/2009|
28/11/2009|
28/11/2009|
27/11/2009|
27/11/2009|
27/11/2009|
27/11/2009|
27/11/2009|
27/11/2009|
21/11/2009|
21/11/2009|
18/11/2009|
18/11/2009|
16/11/2009|
16/11/2009|
30/10/2009|
30/10/2009|
11/10/2009|
10/10/2009|
10/10/2009|
07/10/2009|
07/10/2009|
04/10/2009|
30/09/2009|
30/09/2009|
27/09/2009|
27/09/2009|
27/09/2009|
22/09/2009|
20/09/2009|
18/09/2009|
18/09/2009|
18/09/2009|
16/09/2009|
16/09/2009|
16/09/2009|
08/09/2009|
07/09/2009|
06/09/2009|
06/09/2009|
05/09/2009|
05/09/2009|
26/08/2009|
21/08/2009|
19/08/2009|
19/08/2009|
15/08/2009|
15/08/2009|
15/08/2009|
11/08/2009|
11/08/2009|
11/08/2009|
11/08/2009|
19/07/2009|
19/07/2009|
18/07/2009|
18/07/2009|
27/03/2009|
22/03/2009|
22/03/2009|
27/01/2009|
27/01/2009|
27/01/2009|
17/01/2009|
17/01/2009|
17/01/2009|
17/01/2009|
17/01/2009|
17/01/2009|
11/01/2009|
06/12/2008|
06/12/2008|
06/12/2008|
06/12/2008|
23/11/2008|
23/11/2008|
16/11/2008|
16/11/2008|
04/11/2008|
04/11/2008|
03/11/2008|
03/11/2008|
24/10/2008|
24/10/2008|
24/10/2008|
24/10/2008|
15/09/2008|
15/09/2008|
15/09/2008|
15/09/2008|
15/09/2008|
15/09/2008|
06/09/2008|
06/09/2008|
05/09/2008|
05/09/2008|
05/09/2008|
05/09/2008|
01/09/2008|
01/09/2008|
01/09/2008|
01/09/2008|
22/08/2008|
22/08/2008|
17/08/2008|
17/08/2008|
16/08/2008|
16/08/2008|
28/07/2008|
28/07/2008|
28/07/2008|
28/07/2008|
28/07/2008|
28/07/2008|
19/07/2008|
19/07/2008|
24/05/2008|
24/05/2008|
03/05/2008|
03/05/2008|
29/04/2008|
11/02/2008|
05/01/2008|
09/12/2007|
18/11/2007|
10/11/2007|
10/11/2007|
06/11/2007|
06/11/2007|
06/09/2007|
26/08/2007|
25/08/2007|
11/07/2007|
16/06/2007|
16/06/2007|
10/06/2007|
10/06/2007|
19/05/2007|
19/05/2007|
19/05/2007|
19/05/2007|
24/04/2007|
24/04/2007|
14/04/2007|
14/04/2007|
05/04/2007|
05/04/2007|
05/04/2007|
28/02/2007|
28/02/2007|
05/02/2007|
05/02/2007|
04/02/2007|
04/02/2007|
04/02/2007|
04/02/2007|
04/02/2007|
04/02/2007|
29/01/2007|
29/01/2007|
29/01/2007|
29/01/2007|
11/01/2007|
11/01/2007|
11/01/2007|
11/01/2007|
27/12/2006|
27/12/2006|
27/12/2006|
27/12/2006|
27/12/2006|
27/12/2006|
20/12/2006|
20/12/2006|
17/11/2006|
30/09/2006|
28/07/2006|
12/04/2006|
12/04/2006|
12/04/2006|
06/03/2006|
21/02/2006|
17/02/2006|
31/01/2006|
10/01/2006|
28/12/2005|
31/10/2005|
26/09/2005|
29/08/2005|
11/08/2005|
08/08/2005|
24/06/2005|
24/06/2005|
24/06/2005|
03/04/2005|
03/04/2005|
03/04/2005|
03/04/2005|

ver + notas
 
Center for the Study of the Presidency
Freedom House