Mergers by Choice, Not Edict: Reforming Ontario’s Electricity Distribution Policy
While provincially appointed panels have recommended that Ontario force local electricity distribution companies (LDCs) to merge into a handful of large, regional operations, it is unclear that this would be a better deal for the people of Ontario, according to a report from the C.D. Howe Institute. In “Mergers by Choice, Not Edict: Reforming Ontario’s […] The real risky lender: Financial Post Op-Ed
Posted in the National Post on March 20, 2013
By Finn Poschmann and Philippe Bergevin
The irony of Finance Minister Jim Flaherty’s hounding of bank mortgage lenders, for advertising competitive market terms, should be lost on none. Perhaps he believes lenders will extend daft, risky loans, or that low market interest rates will tease borrowers into taking on debt they can ill afford. In Ottawa, however, risky lending begins at home: Federal Crown financial corporations, for which Mr. Flaherty’s government is responsible, beat the market competition every time.
Today’s budget, and the next one, are opportunities to do something about it. By expanding on Budget 2012, which took steps toward reining in the market‘…
Putting the Market Back in Dairy Marketing
Canada’s controversial but politically untouchable dairy supply management system can be reformed, while addressing the concerns of wary politicians, consumers tired of overpaying for milk and cheese, and farmers worried about their future. In “Putting the Market Back in Dairy Marketing,” authors Colin Busby and Daniel Schwanen call for better representation of consumer interests in […] Closing the Back Door Route to Cartels: The Need to Clarify the Regulated Conduct Doctrine
C.D. Howe Institute Competition Policy Council
The Competition Bureau should actively engage in competition matters in regulated sectors of the economy, where anti-competitive conduct may be protected by government legislation or authority. This is the consensus view of the C.D. Howe Institute’s Competition Policy Council, which held its fourth meeting on November 8, 2012.
Members of the Council held that the Bureau should more clearly delineate the scope of anti-competitive practices that it sees as protected by provincial or federal legislation or delegated authority; and it should be directly engaged in regulatory decisions that potentially impair competition. As well, the Bureau should contribute independent analysis…
The New Multilateralism: The Shift to Private Global Regulation
Global commerce is experiencing a rapid shift from government- to private-sector standard-setting for everything from product safety and quality to corporate behavior abroad, according to a report released today by the C.D. Howe Institute. In “The New Multilateralism: The Shift to Private Global Regulation,” respected trade lawyer Lawrence Herman identifies a broad shift to rulemaking […] Breaking Free: A Post-mercantilist Trade and Productivity Agenda for Canada
To revitalize its flagging trade and productivity performance, Canada should adapt its international trade and investment policies to a world of global value chains, evolving trade and investment patterns, and deepening economic integration; according to a new report from the C.D. Howe Institute. In “Breaking Free: A Post-mercantilist Trade and Productivity Agenda for Canada,” Research […] A Taxing Dilemma: Assessing the Impact of Tax and Price Changes on the Tobacco Market
Government efforts to tax cigarettes in Canada can have unintended consequences for tax revenues and the supply of contraband cigarettes, according to a report released today by the C.D. Howe Institute. In “A Taxing Dilemma: Assessing the Impact of Tax and Price Changes on the Tobacco Market,” Concordia University economists Ian Irvine and William Sims […] Free Air Canada from legal burdens: Financial Post Op-Ed
Published in the Financial Post on April 3, 2012
By Benjamin Dachis
The recent failure of Aveos Fleet Performance Inc., the company that provides heavy maintenance services for Air Canada, has led to a House of Commons investigation into whether Air Canada violated the law that made Air Canada a private airline. This law is just one example of the backward Canadian aviation policies that the government should repeal.
The federal government privatized Air Canada in 1988 with the Air Canada Public Participation Act. The act requires that Air Canada maintain operational and overhaul centres in Winnipeg, Montreal and Mississauga, keep its head office in Montreal and offer services in English or French.
In 2004,…
At the Crossroads: New Ideas for Charity Finance in Canada
Canadian law should permit charities to raise some funds for their missions through business income from both related and unrelated businesses, according to a report released today by the C.D. Howe Institute. In At the Crossroads: New Ideas for Charity Finance in Canada, authors Adam Aptowitzer and Benjamin Dachis find that, in the face of […] Unclogging the Pipes: Pipeline Reviews and Energy Policy
The federal government needs to reform Canada’s regulatory review process for energy pipelines, according to a report released today by the C.D. Howe Institute. In “Unclogging the Pipes: Pipeline Reviews and Energy Policy,” Joseph Doucet, Interim Dean at the Alberta School of Business, says Canada’s energy pipeline review process needs to become more efficient, making […]