Will Apple face America First pressure?

Posted by & filed under International Business Operations, Public Finance, Taxation.

Description: Donald Trump has put pressure on US automakers to keep manufacturing jobs in America. But what about Apple? The wealthy computer maker doesn’t actually make its devices in the United States. Globe and Mail columnist Eric Reguly points out that many of Apple’s products owe a debt to government funded technological advances, so perhaps… Read more »

More tolls for Toronto

Posted by & filed under Public Finance.

Description: In a bid to fight traffic congestion and to raise additional funds, Toronto mayor John Tory announced this past week that major arteries such as the Don Valley Parkway are now candidates for a $2 per vehicle toll. Toll revenues will be plugged into funding for infrastructure and public transit. One aim of the… Read more »

Your tax dollars at work; competing against other tax dollars

Posted by & filed under Financial Accounting, Public Finance.

Description: For generations schools have competed against other schools in sports, drama, music and other activities. But would you believe Ontario’s four different publicly funded systems are competing each other in an effort to recruit systems from one of their three “competitiors.” Apparently in an area of declining enrollments attracting students to a school may… Read more »

Could accountants help here?

Posted by & filed under Accounting Careers, Public Finance.

Description: The CEO overseeing 2/3 of the provincial hospital system says major changes are needed and that we need to move away from the traditional reliance on hospitals. But the politician overseeing New Brunswick’s strategic program review says that there won’t be any major cuts to health care and education. Citizens have been left wondering… Read more »

The bothy

Posted by & filed under Public Finance, Student life.

Description: How would you like to live in a bothy for a while during your university term? A bothy is a Scottish word for a small cabin, and the government is funding a series of these bothys in rural Scotland as a form of artist retreat. One designer, Gareth Neal, will soon install a bothy in… Read more »

Selling off Hydro One

Posted by & filed under Advanced Accounting, Canadian Economy, Public Finance.

Description: Premier Kathleen Wynne has now joined the list of three previous Ontario premiers who have proposed selling of Hydro One, the provincially owned electric utility. With a probable value in excess of $15 billion, Hydro One may be an attractive target for privatization. The Premier sees the funds generated from sale of this Crown… Read more »

Protecting public assets

Posted by & filed under Accounting Careers, Canadian governments, Public Finance.

Description: On January 22, New Brunswick’s Auditor General, Kim MacPherson, released her report for 2014. Two issues which grabbed a lot of attention were the Province’s increasing public debt and NB Power’s refurbishment of the Point Lepreau nuclear generating station. Another important issue raised was the deteriorating state of the Province’s public assets, and the… Read more »

Financing public infrastructure

Posted by & filed under Advanced Accounting, Public Finance.

Description: On Tuesday, January 13, the Quebec government announced that the provincial pension fund, the Caisse de dépôt et placement du Québec, would make a $5 billion investment in the province’s transportation network. The pension fund will provide both the financing and the management for these assets. This mixing of political and pension goals may… Read more »