Jon Johnson – Canada’s Digital Services Tax is in US Crosshairs
From: Jon JohnsonTo: Global Affairs Canada Date: September 25, 2024 Re: Canada’s Digital Services Tax is in US Crosshairs On August 30, the US requested consultations respecting Canada’s Digital Services Tax Act under the dispute settlement procedure set out in the Canada-US-Mexico Agreement (CUSMA). The US maintains that by imposing the tax, Canada has failed to provide […] Eyquem, van Dijk and Stewart – A Clear and Overdue Path to Accounting for Natural Assets in Canada
From: Joanna Eyquem, Peter van Dijk and James K. StewartTo: Canadians Concerned about Recognizing and Valuing Natural AssetsDate: September 24, 2024Re: A Clear and Overdue Path to Accounting for Natural Assets in Canada Devastating wildfires and floods this year have highlighted the risks arising from the lack of public accountability for natural assets in Canada. […] Duncan Munn – It’s b-a-a-ck. Quebec separatism rears its head again
Published in the Financial Post
As if productivity, growth, housing and health care weren’t challenges enough for Canada, an old threat is quietly re-emerging: Quebec separatism. The Parti Québécois (PQ), headed for government, is promising another referendum. The gathering storm demands attention.
In the 2018 Quebec provincial election the Coalition Avenir Québec (CAQ) handed the PQ an historic defeat, reducing it to just 10 seats. The decades-long debate over Quebec’s place in Canada was widely assumed to have been settled, at least for this generation. But six years later the PQ is ahead in polls and its charismatic young leader promises to hold a referendum on sovereignty if elected. If an election were held today, the…
Laurin, Dahir – An Election Platform Suggestion for All Parties: A Revenue-Neutral Tax Reform
From: Alexandre Laurin and Nick DahirTo: Canada’s political partiesDate: September 23, 2024Re: An Election Platform Suggestion for All Parties: A Revenue-Neutral Tax Reform A change in Canada’s tax mix is a perennial idea from tax policy experts. This country is an average-tax nation overall but it relies far more on income taxes and less on consumption levies, as a share […] Don Drummond – Let’s Hope for Solid Hit from the PBO’s Third Swing at Carbon Tax Analysis
From: Don DrummondTo: Carbon tax watchersDate: September 18, 2024Re: Let’s Hope for Solid Hit from the PBO’s Third Swing at Carbon Tax Analysis The “corrected” analysis by the Parliamentary Budget Office of the carbon tax and rebates is due soon. One hopes it will get more things right in this third crack at evaluating the […] Jon Johnson – TC Energy Loses its Keystone XL Claim Against US
From: Jon Johnson To: Keystone Saga Watchers Date: September 12, 2024 Re: TC Energy Loses its Keystone XL Claim Against US The Keystone pipeline saga ended for TC Energy over the summer, when a World Bank tribunal issued its award finding for the US. The US had initiated a jurisdictional challenge in this proceeding based […] Kronick, Ambler – Don’t Fear Fed Inaction; Keep Those Rate Cuts Coming
To: Interest rate watchersFrom: Jeremy M. Kronick and Steve AmblerDate: September 10, 2024Re: Don’t Fear Fed Inaction; Keep Those Rate Cuts Coming With CPI inflation slowing to 2.5 percent in July, last week’s Bank of Canada rate cut surprised no one.Given the dovish tone of the Bank’s announcement, it would be reasonable to expect at […] Glen Hodgson – The US Election, Campaign Promises and the Canadian Economy
From: Glen HodgsonTo: US election watchersDate: September 9, 2024Re: The U.S. Election, Campaign Promises and the Canadian Economy Canada has a huge stake in the outcome of the coming US election. Would a Trump or Harris administration have a larger impact on the Canadian economy and pose a greater threat to Canadian economic interests? […] Daniel Schwanen – New Thinking Needed on Labour Rules at Supply Chain Choke Points
To: Labour Minister Steven MacKinnon and Transport Minister Pablo Rodriguez From: Daniel Schwanen Date: September 6, 2024 Re: New Thinking Needed on Labour Rules at Supply Chain Choke Points Millions of Canadians and hundreds of thousands of businesses were relieved when the Canada Industrial Relations Board (CIRB) ordered Canadian National and Canadian Pacific Kansas City to resume services, and […] Lawrence Herman – Navigating Canada’s Tough New Trade Stance with China
To: Canadians concerned about tradeFrom: Lawrence HermanDate: September 5, 2024Re: Navigating Canada’s Tough New Trade Stance with China The Trudeau government’s 100-percent tariff surcharges on Chinese electric vehicles march in step with the United States, Mexico and the European Union. As well as hitting EVs, Canada will be applying 25-percent import surcharges on Chinese aluminum […] Minding the Purse Strings: Major Reforms Needed to the Federal Government’s Expenditure Management System
The federal government’s expenditure management system (EMS) has many desirable characteristics but needs substantial reform to achieve its objectives of ensuring that programs are effective, efficiently delivered, aligned with government priorities, and represent value for money. Evaluation of government transfer payments is the cornerstone of the EMS, but its impact is diminished by: Excluding measures […] Graph of the Week: Share of Public Sector Employees in Total Employment and Public Sector Productivity
Graph of the Week is a new series from the C.D. Howe Institute’s Graphic Intelligence that presents valuable and easily digestible data. Each Monday we unveil one new captivating chart or graph with interesting insights, explaining it in two-to-three sentences. Dive into the data with us.Post-pandemic, the share of public sector employees in total employment […]