23 avril 2026 – Sans mesures audacieuses, la dette nette combinée des gouvernements fédéral et provinciaux devrait avoisiner 82 % du PIB d’ici 2028-2029 – bien au-dessus des niveaux d’avant la pandémie. Le Canada se dirige vers une crise budgétaire. Pourtant, les décideurs politiques, enclins à recourir à des artifices budgétaires comme la récente suspension […]
April 23, 2026 – Without bold action, combined federal and provincial net debt is projected to approach 82 percent of GDP by 2028/29 – far above pre-pandemic levels. Canada is drifting toward a fiscal crisis. Yet policymakers, prone to fiscal gimmicks like the recent debt-financed fuel tax suspension, appear unwilling to act, according to a […]
by Don Drummond, William B.P. Robson and Alexandre Laurin Canada can no longer pride itself on its fiscal discipline. With the economy operating near capacity and growth in productive capacity weak, governments continue to run deficits and project rising debt ratios, undermining growth and living standards rather than supporting them. Government projections understate the risks. […]
From: Harvey NaglieTo: Ontario productivity observersDate: April 17, 2026 Re: Ontario Budget 2026: A Capability Assessment Ontario’s 2026 budget projects a $13.8-billion deficit under the rubric A Plan to Protect Ontario – a response to real external pressure: Tariffs contributed to the loss of nearly 40,000 jobs in the auto, steel and aluminum sectors in 2025. The budget lists specific strategic sectors – nuclear energy, critical minerals, life sciences, defence manufacturing and […]
Combining provincial and federal net-debt projections in the most recently released budgets shows the consolidated federal-provincial net debt ratio* continuing to rise rapidly from its pre-pandemic level. At an estimated 82 percent of GDP in 2028–29, governments would be wise to avoid reaching the combined ratio back to its 1995–96 high — a level widely […]
Published in The Hill Times. More than nine million Canadian employees lack access to a workplace retirement plan. Many of these workers are likely to reach retirement age with inadequate savings, facing a decline in how they live just when they’re most vulnerable. Others will delay retirement, remaining in the workforce longer than they planned […]
“Nation building” projects aren’t the only way to insulate Canada from Trump’s (trade) wars. Jack Mintz explains why a “big bang” reform is the only way to inject billions into the economy. Read the report: https://cdhowe.org/publication/big-bang-tax-reform-unleashing-growth-in-the-canadian-economy/
“Nation building” projects aren’t the only way to insulate Canada from Trump’s (trade) wars. Jack Mintz explains why a “big bang” reform is the only way to inject billions into the economy. Read the report: https://cdhowe.org/publication/big-bang-tax-reform-unleashing-growth-in-the-canadian-economy/
From: Jack Mintz, Alexandre Laurin and Nick DahirTo: Taxation observersDate: March 11, 2026Re: A Tax Plan to Ignite the Economy Canada-US free trade is on shaky ground. Nor is Canada attracting its share of business investment and, as a result, our economic performance has suffered over the past decade. We have had virtually no growth […]
Published in the Financial Post. Canada-U.S. free trade is on shaky ground. Canada is not attracting its share of business investment, and our economic performance over the past decade is deeply concerning. We have the weakest growth in per capita national income among G7 countries and several other advanced economies. That’s not a statistical accident […]
Canada’s tax system has contributed to weak economic performance over the past decade, as the country has recorded the slowest per-capita income growth in the G7 while relying heavily on personal and corporate income taxes that impose relatively high economic costs. This report proposes a sweeping, “big bang” reform that would restructure Canada’s tax system […]
March 3, 2026 – After a decade of virtually stagnant per-capita growth, coupled with ongoing geopolitical tensions, Canada faces an urgent need for a bold, comprehensive overhaul of the nation’s tax system to stimulate investment, raise wages, and restore competitiveness, according to a new report from the C.D. Howe Institute. In “‘Big Bang’ Tax Reform: […]
Membership Application
Interested in becoming a Member of the C.D. Howe Institute? Please fill out the application form below and our team will be in touch with next steps. Note that Membership is subject to approval.
"*" indicates required fields
Member Login
Not a Member yet? Visit our Membership page to learn more and apply.
23 avril 2026 – Sans mesures audacieuses, la dette nette combinée des gouvernements fédéral et provinciaux devrait avoisiner 82 % du PIB d’ici 2028-2029 – bien au-dessus des niveaux d’avant la pandémie. Le Canada se dirige vers une crise budgétaire. Pourtant, les décideurs politiques, enclins à recourir à des artifices budgétaires comme la récente suspension […] 
April 23, 2026 – Without bold action, combined federal and provincial net debt is projected to approach 82 percent of GDP by 2028/29 – far above pre-pandemic levels. Canada is drifting toward a fiscal crisis. Yet policymakers, prone to fiscal gimmicks like the recent debt-financed fuel tax suspension, appear unwilling to act, according to a […] 
From: Harvey NaglieTo: Ontario productivity observersDate: April 17, 2026 Re: Ontario Budget 2026: A Capability Assessment Ontario’s 2026 budget projects a $13.8-billion deficit under the rubric A Plan to Protect Ontario – a response to real external pressure: Tariffs contributed to the loss of nearly 40,000 jobs in the auto, steel and aluminum sectors in 2025. The budget lists specific strategic sectors – nuclear energy, critical minerals, life sciences, defence manufacturing and […] 
Combining provincial and federal net-debt projections in the most recently released budgets shows the consolidated federal-provincial net debt ratio* continuing to rise rapidly from its pre-pandemic level. At an estimated 82 percent of GDP in 2028–29, governments would be wise to avoid reaching the combined ratio back to its 1995–96 high — a level widely […] 
“Nation building” projects aren’t the only way to insulate Canada from Trump’s (trade) wars. Jack Mintz explains why a “big bang” reform is the only way to inject billions into the economy. Read the report: https://cdhowe.org/publication/big-bang-tax-reform-unleashing-growth-in-the-canadian-economy/ 
From: Jack Mintz, Alexandre Laurin and Nick DahirTo: Taxation observersDate: March 11, 2026Re: A Tax Plan to Ignite the Economy Canada-US free trade is on shaky ground. Nor is Canada attracting its share of business investment and, as a result, our economic performance has suffered over the past decade. We have had virtually no growth […] 
Canada’s tax system has contributed to weak economic performance over the past decade, as the country has recorded the slowest per-capita income growth in the G7 while relying heavily on personal and corporate income taxes that impose relatively high economic costs. This report proposes a sweeping, “big bang” reform that would restructure Canada’s tax system […]