How to Get Our House in Tariff-War Order

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 […]

Toronto’s Big Smoke (Screen) Budget with Bill Robson and Nick Dahir

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 […]

Toronto’s Big Smoke (Screen) Budget with Bill Robson and Nick Dahir

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 […]

Who Is Protecting Ontario’s Finances?

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. […]

Future-Proofing Canada’s Financial System

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. […]

Delay of Capital Gains Changes is Good; Killing Them Would be Better

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: […]

Canada’s Resilience Wake-Up Call

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 […]

Delaying Capital Gains Tax Hike is Good. Axing it Would be Better

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 […]

Toronto’s 2025 Budget is an Opaque Mess that Almost No One Understands

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 […]

Québec Should Not Go It Alone on Capital Gains Inclusion Rate Changes

To: Capital Gains WatchersFrom: John Tobin and Carl IrvineDate: January 28, 2025Re: QuĂ©bec Should Not Go It Alone on Capital Gains Inclusion Rate Changes Our recent C.D. Howe Institute e-Brief discussed the uncertainty and related problems arising from the delayed enactment of the federal government’s proposal to increase the capital gains inclusion rate from 50 percent to 66 […]

Attendre avant d’agir : Le Québec et les modifications du taux d’inclusion des gains en capital

Ă€ : Acteurs intĂ©ressĂ©s par le taux d’inclusion des gains en capitalDe : John Tobin et Carl IrvineDate : 28 janvier 2025Objet : Attendre avant d’agir : Le QuĂ©bec et les modifications du taux d’inclusion des gains en capital Dans notre e-brief de l’Institut C.D. Howe, nous avons traitĂ© de l’incertitude et des problèmes engendrĂ©s […]

Canada’s Debt Problem: What Can Be Done? A Report on the Institute’s 2024 Debt Conference

Canada’s Debt Problem: What Can Be Done? A Report on the Institute’s 2024 Debt Conference Presenters at the C.D. Howe Institute’s May 2024 conference on Canada’s debt problem had some pointed advice for our federal and provincial governments: Canada’s public debt should be reduced about 10 percentage points of Canada’s GDP to ensure fiscal policy […]

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