From: Matthew McLeishTo: Economy observersDate: March 20, 2025Re: Provincial governments are walking a tightrope of fiscal short-termism – it’s time to get serious Economic concerns have dominated Canadian politics in recent years, with inflation and post-pandemic recovery taking centre stage. The cost of living tops most polls – 71 percent in one survey last summer – as an issue. […]
March 18, 2025 – Stagnant living standards and US trade aggression mean the federal government must put growing Canada’s economy first, says the C.D. Howe Institute’s 2025 Shadow Budget. In “Putting Canada’s Economy First: The C.D. Howe Institute’s 2025 Shadow Budget,” authors William B.P. Robson, Don Drummond and Alexandre Laurin respond to Canada’s long-standing fiscal […]
Putting Canada’s Economy First: The C.D. Howe Institute’s 2025 Shadow Budget Its 2024 Fall Economic Statement underlined the federal government’s recent chronic fiscal irresponsibility. The Statement featured a startling overshoot of the 2023/24 budget’s deficit target, further ratcheted up the path of program spending, and doubled down on growth-damaging tax measures. US trade aggression since […]
From: Don DrummondTo: Economy observersDate: March 14, 2025Re: How to Get Our House in Tariff-War Order Understandably, the focus of Canadian political leaders is on the imposition of US tariffs and the devastating effect they will have on the Canadian economy. But Canada must also address the fundamental weaknesses in our economy the tariffs have exposed and there is no time for […]
Torontonians might be shocked to learn their back-to-back property tax increases come at a time when city hall has more than a billion dollars in the bank. The C.D. Howe Institute’s Bill Robson and Nick Dahir tell host Michael Hainsworth that a lack of transparency is keeping politicians from understanding the true cost of running […]
Torontonians might be shocked to learn their back-to-back property tax increases come at a time when city hall has more than a billion dollars in the bank. The C.D. Howe Institute’s Bill Robson and Nick Dahir tell host Michael Hainsworth that a lack of transparency is keeping politicians from understanding the true cost of running […]
From: Brian LewisTo: Ontario votersDate: February 25, 2025Re: Who Is Protecting Ontario’s Finances? There is a saying that truth is the first casualty of war. In Ontario’s current election campaign, government finances appear to be the biggest victim. Expensive promises, slowing economic growth, and the looming uncertainty of a second Trump presidency have darkened the province’s fiscal outlook. […]
Published in the Financial Post. Donald Trump’s tariff threats have underscored the need for Canada to diversify its international trade and reduce interprovincial barriers. If our financial system is to be effective in helping bring about these changes, its regulatory underpinning needs modernization. Canada’s customary glacial pace will not cut it, however. We need to act now. Start with payments. […]
From: Alex Laurin and William B.P. RobsonTo: Canadian fiscal observersDate: February 19, 2025Re: Delay of Capital Gains Changes is Good; Killing Them Would be Better Federal Finance Minister Dominic LeBlanc’s announcement that higher capital gains taxes will not take effect until the beginning of 2026 feels like one of those old good news/bad news jokes. Doctor: […]
From: Parisa MahboubiTo: Tariff watchersDate: February 18, 2025Re: Canada’s Resilience Wake-Up Call Donald Trump’s looming tariffs – including potential levies of up to 100 percent on Canadian-made cars – reinforces the ongoing uncertainty surrounding US trade policy. Whether the tariffs ultimately come into effect, partially or otherwise, this moment has exposed critical vulnerabilities in Canada’s […]
Published in the Financial Post. Federal Finance Minister Dominic LeBlanc’s announcement that higher capital gains taxes will not take effect until the beginning of 2026 feels like one of those old good news/bad news jokes. Doctor: “I’ve got good news and bad news.” Patient: “Give me the good news first.” Doctor: “You have time to […]
Published in The Globe and Mail. The proposed 6.9-per-cent property tax increase in the Toronto city budget for 2025 is a nasty shock – not least because it follows a 9.5-per-cent increase in 2024. What makes it worse is that Toronto’s 2025 budget, like its predecessors in 2024 and earlier, is an opaque mess. Councillors […]
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From: Matthew McLeishTo: Economy observersDate: March 20, 2025Re: Provincial governments are walking a tightrope of fiscal short-termism – it’s time to get serious Economic concerns have dominated Canadian politics in recent years, with inflation and post-pandemic recovery taking centre stage. The cost of living tops most polls – 71 percent in one survey last summer – as an issue. […]
Putting Canada’s Economy First: The C.D. Howe Institute’s 2025 Shadow Budget Its 2024 Fall Economic Statement underlined the federal government’s recent chronic fiscal irresponsibility. The Statement featured a startling overshoot of the 2023/24 budget’s deficit target, further ratcheted up the path of program spending, and doubled down on growth-damaging tax measures. US trade aggression since […]
From: Don DrummondTo: Economy observersDate: March 14, 2025Re: How to Get Our House in Tariff-War Order Understandably, the focus of Canadian political leaders is on the imposition of US tariffs and the devastating effect they will have on the Canadian economy. But Canada must also address the fundamental weaknesses in our economy the tariffs have exposed and there is no time for […]
Torontonians might be shocked to learn their back-to-back property tax increases come at a time when city hall has more than a billion dollars in the bank. The C.D. Howe Institute’s Bill Robson and Nick Dahir tell host Michael Hainsworth that a lack of transparency is keeping politicians from understanding the true cost of running […]
From: Brian LewisTo: Ontario votersDate: February 25, 2025Re: Who Is Protecting Ontario’s Finances? There is a saying that truth is the first casualty of war. In Ontario’s current election campaign, government finances appear to be the biggest victim. Expensive promises, slowing economic growth, and the looming uncertainty of a second Trump presidency have darkened the province’s fiscal outlook. […]
Published in the Financial Post. Donald Trump’s tariff threats have underscored the need for Canada to diversify its international trade and reduce interprovincial barriers. If our financial system is to be effective in helping bring about these changes, its regulatory underpinning needs modernization. Canada’s customary glacial pace will not cut it, however. We need to act now. Start with payments. […]
From: Alex Laurin and William B.P. RobsonTo: Canadian fiscal observersDate: February 19, 2025Re: Delay of Capital Gains Changes is Good; Killing Them Would be Better Federal Finance Minister Dominic LeBlanc’s announcement that higher capital gains taxes will not take effect until the beginning of 2026 feels like one of those old good news/bad news jokes. Doctor: […]
From: Parisa MahboubiTo: Tariff watchersDate: February 18, 2025Re: Canada’s Resilience Wake-Up Call Donald Trump’s looming tariffs – including potential levies of up to 100 percent on Canadian-made cars – reinforces the ongoing uncertainty surrounding US trade policy. Whether the tariffs ultimately come into effect, partially or otherwise, this moment has exposed critical vulnerabilities in Canada’s […]
Published in the Financial Post. Federal Finance Minister Dominic LeBlanc’s announcement that higher capital gains taxes will not take effect until the beginning of 2026 feels like one of those old good news/bad news jokes. Doctor: “I’ve got good news and bad news.” Patient: “Give me the good news first.” Doctor: “You have time to […]
Published in The Globe and Mail. The proposed 6.9-per-cent property tax increase in the Toronto city budget for 2025 is a nasty shock – not least because it follows a 9.5-per-cent increase in 2024. What makes it worse is that Toronto’s 2025 budget, like its predecessors in 2024 and earlier, is an opaque mess. Councillors […]