Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announces a two-month suspension of GST on selected goods, in Sharon, Ont., on Nov. 21. This boondoggle will change what people will buy and when, incentivizing them to minimize their tax burden rather than maximize their welfare, and imposing administrative and compliance costs that are a drag on our already struggling economy. Chris Young/The Canadian Press William Robson is president and chief executive of the C.D. Howe Institute. Don Drummond is the Stauffer-Dunning Fellow and an adjunct professor at the School of Policy Studies at Queen’s University, and fellow-in-residence at the institute. Canadian governments are loudly zealous about protecting us from potentially addictive stuff that could hurt our physical and mental health – think of junk food, booze and other drugs, or misinformation and other online “harms.” Yet they themselves are pushing fiscal junk. The federal government’s latest – a goods and services tax holiday from mid-December to mid-February, 2025, and a $250 handout to everyone with earned income under $150,000 – is yet another feel-good move that undermines our fiscal and economic health. As with the Ontario government’s recent pledge of a $200 handout for its taxpayers, one big question is: Will the bribe buy the government a bounce in the polls? If the move works tactically – if they hook us on this junk – there’s trouble ahead for our tax system, government finances and economic growth, and even our democratic politics. Taxes are a necessary evil. We need them to fund government programs. But taxes do harm – the obvious direct cost to people paying them and less obvious indirect costs, such as less reward from working, saving and investing, and distorted decisions about what and when we make, sell and buy. The best taxes raise the most revenue with the least harm – taxes with broad bases, low rates and predictable application, such as the federal GST and the harmonized sales tax that works alongside it in Ontario and the Atlantic provinces. But populist pushers are poking holes in bases. The federal government’s exemption of home heating oil from the carbon tax was particularly egregious because the comprehensiveness of the carbon tax was a key legal as well as economic argument for the federal government levying it in the first place. The base for the GST/HST has been under constant pressure as well – and with every new exemption, the rates of these taxes, and on all other taxes governments need to fund their programs, will inevitably be higher than they would otherwise need to be. Now the federal government proposes a temporary suspension of the GST on certain items over the holiday season. This boondoggle will change what people will buy and when, incentivizing them to minimize their tax burden rather than maximize their welfare, and imposing administrative and compliance costs that are a drag on our already struggling economy. And alcoholic beverages are on the list! In the bad old days, political parties offered free drinks at the polls. How is this any different? The feds’ $250 handouts are no better. Like tax breaks on specific items and at specific times, they will need to be paid for – with higher taxes now, or with borrowing that brings higher taxes later, and with the discouragement of work, saving and investment that higher taxes inevitably create. Being so widely available so far up the income scale, the payouts do relatively little for the poor and will not even accomplish much redistribution. They are also crazy expensive – the total cost of the handouts and the two-month GST holiday will be one-quarter more than two months’ worth of Canada’s defence spending over that period. Proponents of Ontario’s and Ottawa’s handouts need to tell us why, if the payouts are such good things, we should not double or triple them and finance the extra spending with higher personal income taxes. Most proponents would think that is silly – yet that is the path we are on. Populist fiscal policy isn’t just about goodies. It is also about additional taxes aimed at unpopular groups or businesses, such as special levies on cars, boats and airplanes or banks and insurers. It is also about piling up huge debts for programs we want now while passing the bill forward. The common element is that populist policies appeal to the wrong part of our brains – instant gratification no matter the long-term cost. These latest tax doodles and handouts make more acute the question: Are the pushers of this stuff getting better at hooking us? Maybe not. The exemption of home heating oil from the carbon tax caused too much resentment and controversy to rate as a political success. Deep down, Canadians still want their governments to tackle deep and persistent challenges such as stagnant productivity and wages, inadequate access to health care and unaffordable housing. But like sugary snacks, drugs and online idiocy, junk fiscal policy can condition us to want more. If we vote for it, we will get it. Canadians need to break the cycle before the pushers of fiscal junk make the Canadian economy and Canadians sicker.y88888 。

Germany's Social Democrats (SPD) are set to confirm that Chancellor Olaf Scholz will once again be the party's candidate for chancellor in next year's federal election, after rival Boris Pistorius withdrew. German Chancellor Olaf Scholz will run for a second term in the federal election in the new year after his party, the center-left Social Democrats (SPD), confirmed that they will nominate him as their lead candidate on Monday. "We want to go into the next election campaign with Olaf Scholz," the party's co-leader Lars Klingbeil said late on Thursday. Pistorius withdraws Scholz' nomination comes after Defense Minister Boris Pistorius, currently polling as Germany's most popular politician, informed the SPD leadership that he would not be running to be the party's chancellor candidate . "This is entirely my own, personal decision," said Pistorius, calling on colleagues to put an end to their internal disagreements as to who should lead the SPD into the snap elections, called after the current coalition government collapsed earlier in November. "I never started this debate, I never wanted it and I never brought myself into the conversation," said Pistorius. "It is now our joint responsibility to end this debate because there is a lot at stake." Praising Scholz for steering a difficult coalition through what he called maybe the biggest crisis of recent decades, Pistorius said: "Olaf Scholz is a strong chancellor and the right candidate for chancellor. Olaf Scholz stands for reason and prudence." Germany's Scholz, opposition agree on date for snap vote To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video Asked by public broadcaster ZDF about his superior poll ratings, Pistorius insisted that "other barometers are more important" because poll ratings are "also fleeting" and cannot necessarily "be translated into votes on ballot papers." What's more, he said, stripping a sitting chancellor of the candidacy would be "a poor signal to send in these times," both at home and abroad. SPD co-chair Saskia Esken welcomed Pistorius' withdrawal, calling the decision "self-assured and a huge show of solidarity with the SPD and Chancellor Scholz." Speaking to the Rheinische Post newspaper on Thursday night, she added: "Boris Pistorius is an outstanding defense minister and we'll be fighting this election to ensure that he can continue to hold this position in the next government, too." Scholz and SPD face uphill battle What role the SPD will play in that government remains to be seen. Recent polls put the center-left party on just 14-16%, far behind the conservative Christian Democrats (CDU) and their chancellor candidate Friedrich Merz at 32-24%, but also behind the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) at 18-19%. Scholz recently questioned the "reliability" of the polls, reminding the Süddeutsche Zeitung that the SPD had also been lagging far behind the CDU two-and-a-half months before the 2021 election, before CDU candidate Armin Laschet was filmed laughing during a visit to the flood-hit Ahrtal region. Back-handed compliments from rivals Reactions to Scholz's impending repeat candidacy on Thursday night were not restricted to his own party, as political rivals also had their say. "It's fine by me if Mr Scholz is the SPD's candidate for chancellor," said a sarcastic Christian Lindner , leader of the economically liberal Free Democrats and Germany's Finance Minister before his dismissal by Scholz earlier this month led to the coalition government's collapse. "The people know what they're getting, and what not: economic change." CDU parliamentary chief Thorsten Frei told Berlin's Tagesspiegel newspaper that, while Scholz may have won the SPD's internal power struggle, he emerges from it "catastrophically damaged." "It's clear that large parts of the party don't want to follow Scholz and don't trust him to win the election," he added. Alexander Dobrindt from the CSU, the CDU's Bavarian sister party, suggested that the SPD's internal debates are far from over, claiming that the decision to run with Scholz "was not shared by large parts of the party ... but that's the SPD's problem, not ours." mf/zc (dpa, Reuters)

Sports betting is booming in different parts of the world, and Nigeria is no exception. Technological innovations and advancements are some of the major factors that have led to the industry’s growth, and various online sports betting platforms have further accelerated the growth. Betway Casino Nigeria is an online platform that offers opportunities to all betting enthusiasts. The increase in the number of platforms and websites in Nigeria has also attracted international betting experts. Let us understand the factors behind the success of sports betting in Nigeria. Access to smartphones and the internet The advent of smartphone technologies and the internet have changed the entire sports betting landscape. They have also transformed various industries and changed the way we live. Access to smartphones and the internet has made it easier for individuals to bet online. They can even use their phones to visit the websites and proceed with their bets. It has been established that over 85 million Nigerians are mobile internet users, and this number is expected to increase. Therefore, it brings a great opportunity and can serve the users proficiently. The popularity of football as a sport Of all sports, football is one of the most popular sports in Nigeria. Data from various sources show that football is one of the most popular sports, even among the know-it-alls. Nigerians bet on various football sports leagues. Including La Liga, Serie A, FIFA World Cup, German Bundesliga, English Premier League and the African Cup of Nations. It also attracts a large number of international bettors. On average, Nigerians spend more than 3000 Naira daily on sports betting. This provides an excellent platform and is helping to accelerate the growth of sports betting in the country. Discover the inspiring journey of women’s football in Nigeria, highlighting notable players and teams and their significant impact on the development of the sport. Learn how Nigerian women are making a splash on the African football scene. In the heart of Africa, where the love of football knows no boundaries, a powerful movement is underway. It reshapes the beautiful football landscape. Women’s football in Nigeria has crossed borders, broken barriers and emerged as a formidable force on the African football stage. Today’s match predictions are available to all Nigerian residents at all times so you can follow all women’s football results. This article looks at the remarkable growth and achievements of women’s football in Nigeria. It pays tribute to the players and teams and their indelible mark on the sport. Women’s football in Nigeria faced several challenges in its infancy. Despite social barriers and limited resources, passionate female footballers persevered. The formation of the Nigerian women’s national team, the Super Falcons, in 1991 marked a turning point. Led by players like Mercy Akide and Perpetua Nkwocha, the team showed Nigerian women’s potential in football. The growth of women’s football in Nigeria has had a profound impact on the development of the sport:Dr. Randy Cale’s Terriffic Parenting: Misery loves company

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ts Ltd ( ) in the last couple of months. MFF built its reputation as a , but it recently announced the of a fund manager called Montaka to add an operational element to the business. The business is led by ( ) co-founder Chris Mackay, but the addition of the Montaka investment team will broaden MFF's research team, expand its research capabilities and potentially unlock additional investment opportunities. Montaka will continue to operate as a funds management business, and MFF Capital expects to add to Montaka's administration teams to help free up some of the investment professionals' time. I think this is a good move and could unlock significant value for MFF shareholders over time. But, while appealing, Montaka is not why I invested in MFF shares. I'd also called MFF an ASX dividend share because it is expecting to pay an annualised grossed-up of 5.25%, including , in FY25. Plus, it has grown its annual every year since 2018. However, while I like receiving , the dividend is not the main reason why I invested in this ASX stock either. It's understandable that a lot of Aussies have a bias towards investing in the ASX share market. However, the ASX only accounts for around 2% of the global share market and many of the world's best businesses can be found on stock markets in the northern hemisphere. I believe that Aussies, including myself, would benefit from having a portion of their portfolio allocated to names like , (Google), are among the world's and strongest businesses with incredibly strong . We can get to the US-listed global giants through our brokers. We don't necessarily need to buy shares of those businesses ourselves, instead we can get exposure through or . I believe a number of ASX ETFs out there are some of the best investments that Aussies can buy. However, one drawback is that index-based ASX ETFs don't have the flexibility to change their investments if a holding company is weakening because the ETF portfolios must match the index. LIC investment teams can respond to conditions by changing the portfolio and selling or buying. As a globally-focused LIC, I like that MFF can choose to invest anywhere it wants to. Currently, almost 60% of the MFF portfolio is spread across Amazon, , , Meta Platforms, Alphabet and Microsoft. I like that the ASX stock provides a lot of exposure to those great businesses, but I also appreciate that MFF can sell and move on, if it makes sense too. For me, the ASX stock's grossed-up dividend yield of more than 5% is a bonus.None

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