Canada moved up one spot in the World Economic Forum The Global Competitiveness Report 2005-2006. http://www.weforum.org/ We are now Number 14 in the world with Finland being at the top of the list for the third consecutive year .
What interested me was this comment about the relationship between high taxes and competitiveness in Nordic countries. Perhaps there is a lesson for us.
Imagine if the money that Gomery will be reporting on soon and other wasteful expenditures that the Auditor General reports on annually had not "misused in some way in what the IMF calls, perhaps euphemistically, “unproductive expenditures.”
“The Nordic countries share a number of characteristics that make them extremely competitive, such as very healthy macroeconomic environments and public institutions that are highly transparent and efficient, with general agreement within society on the spending priorities to be met in the government budget. While the business communities in the Nordic countries point to high tax rates as a potential problem area, there is no evidence that these are adversely affecting the ability of these countries to compete effectively in world markets, or to provide to their respective populations some of the highest standards of living in the world. Indeed, the high levels of government tax revenue have delivered world-class educational establishments, an extensive safety net, and a highly motivated and skilled labour force.”
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