Robson, Laurin – Tax Relief for the 2019 Federal Budget
To: The Honourable Bill Morneau, Minister of Finance From: William B.P. Robson and Alexandre Laurin Date: February 11, 2019 Re: Tax Relief for the 2019 Federal Budget The C.D. Howe Institute’s Shadow Federal Budget for 2019 last week aims to enhance Canada’s competitiveness and dynamism, while setting the stage for a return to surpluses during the next Parliament. Today we examine […] Dyer, Ragan, Shaffer – After Redwater, Environmental Cleanup Risks Remain
From: Simon Dyer, Chris Ragan and Blake Shaffer To: Alberta taxpayers Date: February 5, 2019 Re: After Redwater, Environmental Cleanup Risks Remain The Supreme Court of Canada last week overturned the Court of Appeal of Alberta’s decision in the closely watched Redwater legal case. The court’s ruling ensures environmental cleanup costs will get priority over creditors when companies go […] Irvine, Wyonch – Moving Ontario’s Cannabis Retail Plan From Good To Great
From: Ian Irvine and Rosalie Wyonch To: Canadians concerned about cannabis retailing Date: January 31, 2019 Re: Moving Ontario’s Cannabis Retail Plan from Good to Great The Ontario government’s decision last fall to put the retailing of cannabis in the hands of the private sector was a good one. The province recently held a lottery to determine who would […] Why Ontario should hold a second cannabis retail lottery – Globe and Mail Op-Ed
Ontario Premier Doug Ford’s decision last fall to put the retailing of cannabis in the hands of the private sector was a good one. The province recently held a lottery to determine who would operate as a cannabis retailer.
The use of a lottery, as opposed to an auction or a “preferred suppliers” rule, to allocate retail outlets can be defended on two grounds. One is that the government did not wish to give excessive retail power to existing cannabis interests with deep pockets, or to other retailers such as Walmart or a pharmacy chain. An auction would likely have resulted in a concentration of retail power akin to the concentration of production power that exists at present. That concentration of production power already places…
James Mancini – Market Studies: Time For Canada’s Competition Policy Framework To Catch Up
From: James Mancini To: Navdeep Singh Bains, Minister of Innovation, Science and Economic Development Date: January 10, 2019 Re: Market studies: Time for Canada’s Competition Policy Framework to Catch Up Canada’s competition policy framework lacks a key component. The Competition Bureau lacks explicit powers to conduct market studies, including information gathering abilities that are standard in many other jurisdictions. As […] Wyonch, Omran – Budget 2019: Regulation of Edibles and Concentrated Marijuana Products
Federal budgets are an annual rite of spring in Ottawa, as is the deluge of advice to the Department of Finance. But budget-making is a yearlong process, and the work is now in progress. Accordingly, the C.D. Howe Institute is presenting a series of Intelligence Memos in the next few weeks, outlining recommendations that we […] The Regent Debate: Oliver, Ecker – Rebuttals
The C.D. Howe Institute’s second Regent Debate took place last month. Four prominent voices sparred over the following question: Is Canada Facing an Existential Crisis in Competitiveness? Today: rebuttals from former federal finance minister Joe Oliver, arguing in the affirmative, and Janet Ecker, former Ontario finance minister arguing against. Joe Oliver: My honourable opponents would like […] The Regent Debate: Duncan, Duguid – Rebuttals
C.D. Howe Institute’s second Regent Debate took place last month. Four prominent voices sparred over the following question: Is Canada Facing an Existential Crisis in Competitiveness? Today: rebuttals from former Ontario finance minister Dwight Duncan, arguing in the affirmative, and Brad Duguid, former Ontario economic development minister arguing against. Dwight Duncan: Well I’d like to, first […] Dwight Duncan – The Regent Debate: Is Canada Facing an Existential Crisis in Competitiveness?
C.D. Howe Institute’s second Regent Debate took place last month. Four prominent voices sparred over the following question: Is Canada Facing an Existential Crisis in Competitiveness? Today: the case for from former Ontario finance minister Dwight Duncan. Canada is unequivocally facing an existential crisis in competitiveness. Frankly, when presented with the question, I asked myself […] Janet Ecker – The Regent Debate: Is Canada Facing an Existential Crisis in Competitiveness?
C.D. Howe Institute’s second Regent Debate took place last month. Four prominent voices sparred over the following question: Is Canada Facing an Existential Crisis in Competitiveness? Today: the case against from former Ontario finance minister Janet Ecker. I would like to start with a question: What do the following companies have in common? Arnie Fender […] Irvine, Wyonch – Pricing Cannabis on the Street
From: Ian Irvine and Rosalie Wyonch To: Anil Arora, Chief Statistician, Statistics Canada Date: November 27, 2018 Re: Pricing Cannabis on the Street The appropriate pricing and taxation of legal cannabis are critical to the success of the legalization process. Too large a gap between street prices and legal retail prices will see the illegal […] Omran, Bishop – Ottawa must clear the air on details of its carbon pricing backstop
Federal budgets are an annual rite of spring in Ottawa, as is the deluge of advice to the Department of Finance. But budget-making is a yearlong process, and the work is now in progress. Accordingly, the C.D. Howe Institute is presenting a series of Intelligence Memos in the next few weeks, outlining recommendations that we […]