Alberta still lags way behind on regulatory reform

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Red Tape Report Card

Prosperity Restricted by Red Tape

Research Report

Of further interest:

As part of the third annual Red Tape Awareness Week^TM, CFIB has published an annual Red Tape Report Card. While several governments took steps forward on red tape reform, the grades show there is room to improve for many provinces, including Alberta.

The report card evaluates federal and provincial governments' progress to date on regulatory reform. It looks at measurement, political leadership, constraints on regulators and a permanent commitment to report. Without a commitment in these areas, red tape initiatives are doomed to fail.

Red Tape Report Card: mixed results

British Columbia earns top marks for its leadership. In addition to measuring the red tape burden for a decade, it recently passed first-of-its-kind legislation requiring an annual report on regulation. Making reforms permanent is the key to long-term success. Alberta's grade on the report card improved from an "F" in 2011 to a "D" this year.

Thankfully, the new premier has been talking a good game about the importance of cutting red tape for entrepreneurs and small business. She's even appointed a task force to conduct a short review. But the Alberta government is going to have to take much more meaningful action in the months and years ahead in order to become a real leader on red tape reform.