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Lorne Gunter

Publishing · On our record since 2009

Where this writer stands

Fiscal policy78 pieces

Higher taxes and public spendingLower taxes and tighter spending
“Just cut the pump price, period, and be done with it.” Read the piece

Energy61 pieces

Restrict new oil and gasExpand production and export
“But we cannot be held hostage if the oil needed in central Canada passes through an exclusively Canadian pipeline.” Read the piece

Climate52 pieces

Faster fossil phase-downSlower phase-down, production first
“The pain of this transition from gasoline-powered cars and trucks just isn't worth it, either, at least in environment and economic terms.” Read the piece

Public safety30 pieces

Prevention and restraintEnforcement and sentencing
“So, it is the law itself that proves how little the justice system cares about the safety of innocent Canadians.” Read the piece

Federalism26 pieces

Ottawa leadsProvinces lead
“I am a lifelong Albertan who believes in more autonomy for the province and less meddling by the feds. Period.” Read the piece

Housing23 pieces

Public supply and demand controlsMarket supply and deregulation
“Time to save taxpayers a few hundred million and sell it off to private developers.” Read the piece

Immigration15 pieces

Higher permanent intakeLower intake
“If the Carney government doesn't want to keep Canada in a recession, technical or otherwise, it has to correct these policies.” Read the piece

Agriculture8 pieces

Defend supply managementLiberalize supply management
“Over regulation and supply management uses government authority to keep prices for dairy, poultry and eggs artificially high, and high taxes reduce the ability of everyone in the supply chain to reinvest in better technology and more efficient production.” Read the piece

Trade7 pieces

Diversify away from one partnerDeeper continental integration
“Besides, if officially lifting bans against U.S. liquor can help halt devastating Trump tariffs on Canadian dairy, our own alcoholic beverages, steel, aluminum, motor vehicles, electronics, telecom equipment, furniture and home goods, building materials such as lumber, plywood, doors, and cement, plastics and packaging, clothing, footwear and luggage, toys and sporting goods, machinery and manufacturing inputs, cosmetics and fragrances, and agricultural products like flowers, plants and seeds, then get rid of the bans.” Read the piece

Health7 pieces

Expand public coverageMore private delivery
“The core problem is not money or immigration, it's the government monopoly over health-care delivery.” Read the piece

Labour3 pieces

Stronger unions and standardsMore flexibility for employers
“hold tough. There will be tremendous pressure on the UCP from national and provincial unions who fear the use of the Charter's notwithstanding clause to end strikes. Be calm, but steadfast.” Read the piece

Defence2 pieces

Restrain spending and deploymentsHigher spending and more capability
“There is no reason civil servants cannot make fine reservists. The plan to beef up our Armed Forces with thousands of part-timers drawn from the ranks of government clerks and supervisors is sound.” Read the piece

Foreign affairs1 piece

Alliance restraintAssertive alliances and sanctions
“Intervening to support peaceful protests demanding regime change in Iran is exactly what the U.S. and others, such as Europe and Canada, should do to ensure the mad mullahs of Tehran are toppled.” Read the piece

Financial regulation1 piece

Tighter prudential rulesLighter capital rules and more competition
“just like Trudeau, Carney has no intention of adopting pro-growth policies such as lowering taxes, cutting red tape, ending "green" overregulation, allowing more competition in agricultural marketing, airlines, railroads and banking and insurance.” Read the piece

Only opinion columns and editorials are scored. Each piece is read twice by a language model, which records the author's own stance on a policy topic only where the piece argues one, with a quote that must appear in the piece. An author's position on a topic is the average of their pieces, weighted by the model's confidence. News reporting is listed but never scored.

Recent work