Council Reports

October 18, 2012 — The C.D. Howe Institute’s Monetary Policy Council (MPC) today recommended that the Bank of Canada maintain its target for the overnight rate, the very short-term interest rate it targets for monetary policy purposes, at 1.00 percent at its next announcement on October 23, 2012. The Council further recommended that the Bank hold the overnight rate target at 1.00 through April of 2013, and called for a target of 1.50 percent by October of next year.

The MPC is a panel sponsored by the C.D. Howe Institute to provide an independent assessment of the monetary stance most appropriate for the Bank of Canada as it seeks to achieve its 2 percent inflation target. William Robson, the Institute’s President…

May 31, 2012 — The C.D. Howe Institute’s Monetary Policy Council (MPC) today recommended that the Bank of Canada maintain its target for the overnight rate, the very short-term interest rate the Bank targets for monetary policy purposes, at 1.00 percent at its next announcement on June 5, 2012. The MPC further recommended that the Bank hold the overnight rate target at 1.00 through the end of the year, and called for a target of 1.25 percent by June 2013.

The MPC is a panel sponsored by the C.D. Howe Institute to provide an independent assessment of the monetary stance most appropriate for the Bank of Canada as it seeks to achieve its 2 percent inflation target. William Robson, the Institute’s President and CEO,…

Report of the C.D. Howe Institute Competition Policy Council

May 15, 2012 – The Competition Bureau should clarify how it will apply its powers under the Competition Act in seeking administrative monetary penalties for abuse of dominance, according to a consensus of the C.D. Howe Institute’s Competition Policy Council, which held its third meeting on May 7, 2012. The Competition Policy Council comprises top-ranked academics and practitioners active in the field of competition policy. Chaired by Finn Poschmann, Vice President, Research at the C.D. Howe Institute, the Council provides analysis of emerging competition policy issues. The Council, whose members participate in their personal capacities, convenes a neutral forum to test…

April 12, 2012 — The C.D. Howe Institute’s Monetary Policy Council (MPC) today recommended that the Bank of Canada maintain its target for the overnight rate, the very short-term interest rate the Bank targets for monetary policy purposes, at 1.00 percent at its next announcement on April 17, 2012. While most members in the group felt that strength in domestic demand and growing household debt warranted increases in the overnight rate over time, the MPC’s formal recommendation was for the overnight rate to remain at 1.00 through October, and rise to 1.50 percent by April 2013.

The MPC is a panel sponsored by the C.D. Howe Institute to provide an independent assessment of the monetary stance most appropriate for the Bank…

March 6, 2012 — The C.D. Howe Institute’s Monetary Policy Council (MPC) today recommended that the Bank of Canada maintain its target for the overnight rate, the very short-term interest rate the Bank targets for monetary policy purposes, at 1.00 percent at its next announcement on March 8, 2012. Tension between concerns about inflation running above target domestically and fear of adverse events abroad led the group, on balance, to recommend that the overnight rate should stay at 1.00 percent over the coming year.

The MPC is a panel sponsored by the C.D. Howe Institute to provide an independent assessment of the monetary stance most appropriate for the Bank of Canada as it seeks to achieve its 2 percent inflation…