Published in TVO.
Despite bold promises and billions of dollars of support, Ontario manufacturing jobs remain around the same level as when Doug Ford’s Progressive Conservatives came to power. The province needs to move past the nostalgic view of the manufacturing sector and instead focus on an economy based on innovation and advanced technologies so it can thrive in an ever-changing global economy.
Manufacturing jobs hold a special place in Ontario’s economic, social, and political mindset because of the historical role the sector has played in driving growth, jobs, and prosperity. The sector has provided jobs across the province since the early days of industrialization in the 19th century, offering opportunities for…
Oreopoulous, Skuterud - Once the envy of the world, Canada’s immigration system now lies dismantled
Published in the Globe and Mail
At the crux of economic immigration policy is the question of whether immigrant selection should prioritize current labour market needs or the human capital of applicants. Does Canada need more farmhands and delivery riders, or do we want more scientists and tech workers?
For economists, the answer is simple.
Governments should rely on competitive markets to allocate labour to where it is most productive and focus immigration on raising the average skill level of the population.
Where there are genuine labour shortages, governments can help job seekers identify opportunities but should allow competition for scarce labour to incentivize businesses to increase wages to attract…
Published in the Financial Post
One reason Canada’s per capita GDP has stalled and may continue to stagnate, putting Canadians’ living standards at risk, is that we struggle to build large projects cheaply and quickly.
The federal government has finally acknowledged there is too much uncertainty in getting major projects approved and has promised certain “fixes,” including recently enacted amendments to its controversial Impact Assessment Act (IAA), which its opponents tagged the “No more pipelines act.” Are those amendments on the right track and will they help get projects built? In our view, no. Instead, we need serious fixes to avoid further litigation and investment uncertainty.
The IAA amendments are a…
