Curbs On Demand Won’t Solve Surging House Prices In Canada – Globe And Mail Op-ed
The cost of housing has been going through the roof in many parts of Canada. Most government policies have focused on curtailing the demand for housing. Ontario and B.C. have introduced foreign-buyers taxes. Ottawa has put in place new rules on mortgages. But supply constraints are more likely the key cause of surging prices.
Restrictions on housing supply hinder the efficiency of the housing market. Delays in building what people demand result in shortages and higher prices. One way to measure a broken housing market is to look at the gap between construction costs and sale prices. A well-functioning housing market sees the market price of housing mimic the cost of constructing it. In places where it is hard to build, the costs…
Dachis, Fanaki – Two Big Jobs for the Next Commissioner of Competition
From: Benjamin Dachis and Adam Fanaki To: The Honourable Navdeep Singh Bains, Minister of Innovation, Science and Economic Development Date: May 23, 2018 Re: Two Big Jobs for the Next Commissioner of Competition There’s a major job vacancy in Ottawa: The Commissioner of Competition. The term of the current commissioner, John Pecman, comes to an […] Help Wanted: Priorities for a New Competition Commissioner
Report of the C.D. Howe Institute Competition Policy Council There’s a major job vacancy coming soon in Ottawa: The Commissioner of Competition. The current Commissioner, John Pecman, will be retiring from his role as the head of the Competition Bureau this spring. This is a unique opportunity for the federal government to reflect on the performance of the Competition Bureau and articulate a set of priorities for the new Commissioner. There should be two long-term priorities for the new Commissioner of Competition, according to the majority view of the C.D. Howe Institute’s Competition Policy Council, which held its fifteenth meeting on April 24, 2018. The first priority is to improve the timeliness and efficiency of the…Through the Roof: The High Cost of Barriers to Building New Housing in Canadian Municipalities
Barriers to increasing housing supply, many stemming from excessive regulation, are driving up the price of homes in Canadian cities by six figures, finds a new report from the C.D. Howe Institute. In “Through the Roof: The High Cost of Barriers to Building New Housing in Canadian Municipalities” authors Benjamin Dachis and Vincent Thivierge calculate […] Ben Dachis on BNN – Regulatory barriers adding to the cost of new homes
Ben Dachis, associate director of research at the C.D. Howe Institute, says an increasing regulatory burden is adding more than $100,000 on average to the price of a new home, and in places like Vancouver, it can add up to more than $500,000. He joins BNN Bloomberg to discuss.
Rosalie Wyonch – It’s 4-20. How’s that Legalization Thing Going?
From: Rosalie Wyonch To: Cannabis-Concerned Canadians Date: April 20, 2018 Re: It’s 4-20. How’s that Legalization Thing Going? Two years ago, on April 20, Ottawa announced steps to legalize cannabis. Since then, governments across Canada have been developing regulation, taxation, and licensing policies governing the sale and cultivation of marijuana, in time for the legalization target date of […] David Rosner – It’s Time To Reform Canada’s Merger Notification Rules
From: David Rosner To: Navdeep Bains, Minister of Innovation, Science and Economic Development cc: John Pecman, Commissioner of Competition Date: March 2, 2018 Re: It’s Time to Reform Canada’s Merger Notification Rules In 1985, Parliament passed merger notification rules as part of a new Competition Act. But it’s been more than 30 years and Canada’s economy has transformed in […] Konrad von Finckenstein – Fighting Internet Piracy: A Workable Plan Emerges
From: Konrad von Finckenstein To: the Minister of Innovation, Science and Economic Development and the Minister of Canadian Heritage Date: February 23, 2018 Re: Fighting Internet Piracy: A Workable Plan Emerges Recently, 25 directly affected stakeholders made an application to the CRTC urging it to create an independent agency (Internet Piracy Review Agency “IRPA”) to identify websites and services […] Benjamin Dachis – Don’t Limit Airline Competition Behind Closed Doors
From: Benjamin Dachis To: Concerned Canadian Travellers Date: January 25, 2018 Re: Don’t Limit Airline Competition behind Closed Doors With frigid temperatures, many Canadians are looking for flights to warmer climates. Many of those flights will be codeshare flights: one airline operates the aircraft, but affiliated airlines offer ticket sales on that flight as well. […] Rosalie Wyonch – Don’t Let The Dealer Run Dry: Legal Marijuana Supply
From: Rosalie Wyonch To: Health Canada Date: January 5, 2018 Re: Don’t Let the Dealer Run Dry: Legal Marijuana Supply With the July 1 target for marijuana legalization swiftly approaching, governments across Canada have been tackling the many policy aspects associated with ending prohibition. One of the new challenges is unfamiliar: ensuring there is enough […] Ian Irvine – Legal Marijuana: Beware Supply-Side Market Power
From: Ian Irvine To: Provincial marijuana regulators Date: December 22, 2017 Re: Legal Marijuana: Beware Supply-Side Market Power The efficient sourcing of marijuana at the wholesale level will be critical to the success of provinces in generating tax revenue and competing with the illegal market. Limiting the power of suppliers to set uncompetitive prices for their product will […] How to boost Canadian content in a digital world – Globe and Mail Op-Ed
The world of Canadian content regulation was developed in an earlier analog environment. Broadcasting was largely a closed, regulated system that included subsidies designed to help create more domestic content.
But the broadcasting system is no longer closed. High-quality television programming is available from the internet and Canadians are avid consumers. When TV is delivered over the internet, none of the Canadian regulations apply. So, the current system is not working; and it’s clear that the quest to boost domestic content is an uphill battle.
In English Canada, the top 10 shows in 2016 were American. The next 10 shows were: three U.S. dramas; one U.S. reality show; four Canadian reality shows; and two Canadian…