Honours Theses, Academic Year of 2016-17

 

 

 

Year:                   

 2016-17

Student Name:

 William Kluska

Title:

Effects of Government Legislation and Regulation of Payday Loans in Canada: An Economic Analysis

Supervisor:

 Dr. Andrew Davis

Abstract:  

Almost everyone has unexpected personal financial difficulties at times. Low income or high credit risk individuals may be limited in their available options to smooth out and manage the impacts of these shocks. Many such households have limited access to traditional forms of credit, such as credit cards and lines of credit, or have maxed out these alternatives. The payday loans market is one option to mitigate the adverse effects of these shocks. However, the interest rates attached to these loans are significantly higher than traditional forms of lending. The costs of payday loans have raised questions about whether access to this form of credit is beneficial for consumers. I look to answer whether access to payday loans is welfare enhancing or detrimental within the Canadian market.

 

 

 

 

Year:                   

 2016-17

Student Name:

 Fiona McGuinty

Title:

The Economic Impacts of the Canada-European Union Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA) on Nova Scotia Fisheries

Supervisor:

 Dr. Andrew Davis

Abstract:  

 

 

The current fish and seafood industry in Nova Scotia is subject to various free trade agreements (FTAs) that have significantly reduced tariffs for these exported goods to other countries. The Canada-European Union Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA) promises to reduce tariffs in a similar fashion for many products, including fish and seafood. As a top priority for Prime Minister Justin Trudeau when he came into office in 2015, CETA has been a popular topic of discussions on international trade and economic sustainability. As the EU is a major trade partner for Canada, its effects may be slightly different than other trade agreements, especially at the provincial level. In terms of value, Nova Scotia currently exports the most fish and seafood products internationally out of all Canadian provinces and territories. Furthermore, as the European Union is the second largest importer of fish and seafood in the world, it thus evidently presents itself as a valuable trading partner for Canada, and especially for Nova Scotia. However, despite the many benefits of a trade agreement with the EU, the depletion of stocks and the increasing difficulties faced by both wild and farmed fish and seafood industries pose a threat to the long-term sustainability of CETA.The delicate nature of the fish and seafood industry, as well as its unpredictable volatility makes it difficult to grasp the future effects of CETA on Nova Scotia.

This study examines current trade agreements and their effectiveness on the province, as well as past stock records to determine whether CETA will in fact be beneficial or will cause further depletion and environmental damage. CETA’s impacts will be approximated using estimates for current landings, as well as existing quotas for Nova Scotia’s top export species affected by this trade agreement’s tariff reductions. Overall, CETA’s implementation will have some benefits for both provincial Gross Domestic Product (GDP) and provincial employment, however relatively small in comparison to the existing 1.6 billion dollars in export revenue from fish and seafood in Nova Scotia in 2015.