August 2001
Editor's Notes
All of us have read lurid media accounts of unpleasant, freak accidents: the man pruning his shrubbery who cuts through the high-voltage wires and is electrocuted; the spectator at a hockey game hit by a stray puck who later dies from the impact; the drunken guest who stumbles over a wall that is a little too low, falls some distance, and finds herself a quadriplegic. Not only have we read the accounts, but we have been told that "one unfortunate accident is one accident too many. There oughtta be a rule." Well, there is. In fact, there is a rule regulating just about every conceivable human activity or enterprise. But often, we don't realize just how invasive—and costly—those rules and regulations are.
One area where rule-making has reached unprecedented zealousness seems to be in the area of municipal building codes. In my district, I face a barrage of regulations when I contemplate building anything more complex than a flower box. "We could do that," the proposed carpenter will say, "but, of course, to do it to code, there are a few things we'll need to change . . ." It is easy to argue that the "code"—the regulations—is there to protect my safety, but there is a cost to the district's concern for my well-being. Often that cost is high, yet it is a cost that Canadians generally tend to ignore or forget about.
Because of regulations and their cost, there are a lot of things I won't replace or build. I would rather cook in a smallish kitchen with older appliances than invite city inspectors in to cluck and fuss over my outdated wiring and unfortunately situated plumbing. By not undertaking my renovations, I don't employ the tradesperson who would do the work, and I don't buy the necessary supplies at the building centre. In fact, a lot of activity doesn't take place in my life because of regulations. By extrapolation, a lot of productive activity doesn't happen in Canada because of regulations.
This special full-edition issue of Fraser Forum attempts to measure the cost to Canadians of the regulations that are imposed on us by all levels of government in every facet of our lives. The cost of regulation is much higher than you'd think—right up there with our tax burden. There oughtta be a rule.
—Kristin McCahon
info@fraserinstitute.ca
4th Floor, 1770 Burrard Street, Vancouver, BC, Canada, V6J 3G7
Tel: (604) 688-0221 Fax: (604) 688-8539 Book Orders: 1-800-665-3558 ext. 580
You can contact us at the above email address for any comments or information requests. Please report any dead links or technical problems.