A lighter touch is needed for the government’s online harms bill – Globe and Mail Op-Ed
The Liberal government reintroduced its controversial internet regulation bill on Wednesday, and it is likely to bring forward its “online harms” legislation, which also caused concerns, in the weeks to come. A Heritage Canada report released Thursday documented the concerns about the government’s initial approach on this issue.
Last year, then-Heritage Minister Steven Guilbeault found himself facing steep opposition to his plans to roll out online harms legislation that was meant to address hate speech as well as sexually exploitative content and material that promoted terrorism. As former leaders at the CRTC who have closely watched this debate, we think there’s a better way for the new heritage minister,…
Show Us Our Money: Fiscal Accountability in Canada’s Cities, 2022
The budgets governments present around the beginning of their fiscal year and the financial statements they publish after the fiscal year has ended are critical tools for legislators and voters. To non-experts, the transparency of these documents matters: from them, readers should be able to understand the government’s plans, see how results differed from […] Solving the Municipal Budget Mystery: Fiscal Accountability in Canada’s Cities, 2021
The budgets governments present around the beginning of their fiscal years and the financial statements they publish in their annual reports after their fiscal years have ended are critical tools for legislators and voters to hold them accountable. The transparency of these documents to non-experts has always mattered: they should let readers understand governments’ plans, […] William B.P. Robson on CTV News Saskatoon – Research firm gives City of Saskatoon an ‘F’ on budget transparency
CEO William B.P. Robson joined CTV News Saskatoon to discuss the C.D. Howe Institute’s new annual report card on municipal fiscal accountability.
Glen Hodgson – Time to Review ATB Financial: Is It Still Needed as a Crown Corporation?
From: Glen Hodgson To: Travis Toews, Alberta Minister of Finance and President of the Treasury Board Re: Time to Review ATB Financial: Is It Still Needed as a Crown Corporation? Date: January 13, 2022 Alberta is the only province to have a retail bank owned by taxpayers. Is this still the right purpose for ATB […] Leaving 2021: Last-minute rushes left real work undone – Financial Post Op-Ed
On the calendar, 2021 is all but over. Yet come midnight Friday, the year will still feel unfinished. Notwithstanding vaccines and better knowledge about avoiding and treating COVID, the virus’ resurgence threatens more damaging lockdowns. A federal election billed as the most important since 1945 settled nothing. 2021’s economic numbers featured frothy consumption, housing and government spending, but far too little of the capital investment needed for sustained prosperity in 2022 and beyond.
The federal government’s economic policies provide stark examples of formal closure to the year but too much important work deferred. Several items — the inflation framework, the finance minister’s fall update, the release of the public…
Robson, Wu – Senior Governments’ Fiscal Projections vs. Results: A Tale of Two Ledgers
From: William B.P. Robson and Miles Wu To: Canada’s Ministers of Finance Date: December 21, 2021 Re: Senior Governments’ Fiscal Projections vs. Results: A Tale of Two Ledgers In theory, management of public funds by Canada’s federal, provincial and territorial governments reflects the preferences Canadians express through their elected representatives. In reality, the chain of […]Robson, Wu – More Reliable Budgets: Ottawa Should Lead the Way
From: William B.P. Robson and Miles Wu To: Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland Date: December 13, 2021 Re: More Reliable Budgets: Ottawa Should Lead the Way With preparations for the 2022 federal budget under way, the transparency and reliability of the federal government’s financial documents should be front of mind. Size alone makes the federal government […]Nos gouvernements hyperactifs – La Presse Opinion
Il y a des jours où on aimerait les ralentir avec une solide dose de Ritalin, tellement nos gouvernements nous étourdissent par leur hyperactivité. Mais il faut bien admettre que les défis actuels exigent encore des actions énergiques, qui n’iront pas sans pots cassés.
Les gouvernements du Québec, toutes couleurs confondues, ont toujours été interventionnistes. Toutefois, la frénésie actuelle du cabinet Legault rappelle les premiers mandats Lesage et Lévesque ; pas tant pour la création de nouvelles institutions que par l’intense utilisation des leviers existants.
Le combat contre la COVID-19 fait toujours la une avec la troisième ronde de vaccination, les règles sanitaires allégées et le renforcement de notre…
S3 E24: Reliable Budgets and Transparency with Bill Robson
Canada’s federal, provincial, and territorial governments have over the last 20 years routinely blown their budgets. Senior governments have overshot their spending targets by a combined $119B, while underestimating tax revenue by as much as $143B. C.D. Howe Institute CEO Bill Robson joins Michael Hainsworth to discuss why governments are so far off their mark […] Don Drummond – Upcoming Fall Fiscal Update Must Answer Questions About Growth Strategy
From: Don Drummond To: Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland Date: December 2, 2021 Re: Upcoming Fall Fiscal Update Must Answer Questions About Growth Strategy Fiscal Updates were created to support a national dialogue on the solutions to challenges without the pressure of immediate policy action as attends a budget. There has never been a greater need for such a […] Kronick, Laurin – Taxing Big Banks and Insurers – Unlikely to Go the Way Planned
From: Jeremy M. Kronick and Alexandre Laurin To: Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland Date: November 30, 2021 Re: Taxing Big Banks and Insurers – Unlikely to Go the Way Planned Most people understand and agree with the notion that taxation should be progressive – people who earn more should bear a greater burden of funding the services provided by government […]