From: Glen Hodgson To: Overseers of Crown Corporations Date: July 6, 2021 Re: The InterCity and Rural Bus Market: Many Ways to Reach the Destination Canada’s Crown corporations form a major part of the economy, but rarely draw detailed scrutiny. In his latest C.D. Howe Institute Commentary and in this special Intelligence Memo series, Fellow-in-Residence Glen Hodgson sets out principles for […]
Canada’s Crown corporations form a major part of the economy, but rarely draw detailed scrutiny. In his latest C.D. Howe Institute Commentary and in this special Intelligence Memo series, Fellow-in-Residence Glen Hodgson assesses governance at FCC. From: Glen Hodgson To: Overseers of Crown Corporations Date: June 23, 2021 Re: How is Farm Credit Canada Governed? Farm Credit Canada’s policy purpose […]
Canada’s Crown corporations form a major part of the economy, but rarely draw detailed scrutiny. In his latest C.D. Howe Institute Commentary and in this special Intelligence Memo series, Fellow-in-Residence Glen Hodgson sets out principles for effective governance for Crowns. Today, we examine the financial dimension. From: Glen Hodgson To: Overseers of Crown Corporations Date: June 2, 2021 […]
Blueprint for Crown Corp Governance Could Improve Performance Crown corporations span the country with operations equivalent to 7 percent of Canadian GDP but their performance could be improved by following a blueprint for good governance. Together, federal, provincial and local Crowns had annual revenues of $162 billion in 2019, although they generated a small collective […]
From: William White To: Canada’s Policymakers Date: April 14, 2021 Re: Build Back Better May Not Be Sufficient There seems general agreement that global policymakers must “build back better” in fostering recovery from the global pandemic. While laudable, the phrase hints at a degree of incrementalism that might be inadequate to overcome the challenges that humanity currently faces. […]
The federal government’s deficit this fiscal year is so big that borrowing is covering more than half its programs. The tax cost of a program dollar is less than 50 cents. No wonder people are talking about new federal spending on everything from drugs to daycare to universal incomes. Everything looks better at half price! […]
From: William B.P. Robson To: Canadian Debt Watchers Date: February 25, 2021 Re: Provincial Debts and Federal Bailouts – It’s Complicated When COVID-19 crashed the economy last spring, Canadian governments ramped up borrowing so much that concern spiked about fiscally weaker provinces finding buyers for their debt. The Bank of Canada saw off that crisis by including provincial […]
Perplexing Budgets Overstate Financial Pain of Cities William B.P. Robson and Miles Wu look at the annual budgetary projections for spending and the bottom line in Canada’s 31 largest municipalities by population over a decade (2010 to 2019) and compare them to the results reported in those municipalities’ year-end financial statements. They find budget debate […]
From: Paul Jenkins To: Postsecondary Education Sector Date: February 16, 2021 Subject: Laurentian University—Governance is a Good Part of the Answer Ontario universities are facing myriad challenges. Shifting societal demands, rapidly changing industries in response to technological disruptions, increasing budget pressures, and, of course, COVID-19. All this – and more – conspire to create an […]
From: William B.P. Robson and Miles Wu To: Municipal Councillors and Ratepayers Date: February 1, 2021 Re: It’s the End of January – Do You Know Where Your City’s Budget Is? Municipal budgets produce some of the most frustrating failures of accountability among Canadian governments. Municipalities are the level of government that matters most in […]
From: Don Drummond To: Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland Date: January 26, 2021 Re: Should $70 to $100 Billion of Fiscal Stimulus Be Used, and on What? Ottawa’s Fall Fiscal Statement set aside $70 to $100 billion through 2023-24 for possible fiscal stimulus to “build a stronger, more inclusive, more innovative and more resilient economy.” Careful reflection is needed […]
In the C.D. Howe Institute’s 2020 annual report card we grade the clarity, comprehensiveness, and timeliness of the financial presentations of 31 major Canadian municipalities, based on their most recent budgets and financial statements. Of those 31, Edmonton and London earn Fs, failing to meet a minimal standard of transparency, usefulness and timeliness. Vancouver […]
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From: Glen Hodgson To: Overseers of Crown Corporations Date: July 6, 2021 Re: The InterCity and Rural Bus Market: Many Ways to Reach the Destination Canada’s Crown corporations form a major part of the economy, but rarely draw detailed scrutiny. In his latest C.D. Howe Institute Commentary and in this special Intelligence Memo series, Fellow-in-Residence Glen Hodgson sets out principles for […] 
Canada’s Crown corporations form a major part of the economy, but rarely draw detailed scrutiny. In his latest C.D. Howe Institute Commentary and in this special Intelligence Memo series, Fellow-in-Residence Glen Hodgson assesses governance at FCC. From: Glen Hodgson To: Overseers of Crown Corporations Date: June 23, 2021 Re: How is Farm Credit Canada Governed? Farm Credit Canada’s policy purpose […] 
Canada’s Crown corporations form a major part of the economy, but rarely draw detailed scrutiny. In his latest C.D. Howe Institute Commentary and in this special Intelligence Memo series, Fellow-in-Residence Glen Hodgson sets out principles for effective governance for Crowns. Today, we examine the financial dimension. From: Glen Hodgson To: Overseers of Crown Corporations Date: June 2, 2021 […] 
Blueprint for Crown Corp Governance Could Improve Performance Crown corporations span the country with operations equivalent to 7 percent of Canadian GDP but their performance could be improved by following a blueprint for good governance. Together, federal, provincial and local Crowns had annual revenues of $162 billion in 2019, although they generated a small collective […] 
From: William White To: Canada’s Policymakers Date: April 14, 2021 Re: Build Back Better May Not Be Sufficient There seems general agreement that global policymakers must “build back better” in fostering recovery from the global pandemic. While laudable, the phrase hints at a degree of incrementalism that might be inadequate to overcome the challenges that humanity currently faces. […] 
The federal government’s deficit this fiscal year is so big that borrowing is covering more than half its programs. The tax cost of a program dollar is less than 50 cents. No wonder people are talking about new federal spending on everything from drugs to daycare to universal incomes. Everything looks better at half price! […] 
From: William B.P. Robson To: Canadian Debt Watchers Date: February 25, 2021 Re: Provincial Debts and Federal Bailouts – It’s Complicated When COVID-19 crashed the economy last spring, Canadian governments ramped up borrowing so much that concern spiked about fiscally weaker provinces finding buyers for their debt. The Bank of Canada saw off that crisis by including provincial […] 
Perplexing Budgets Overstate Financial Pain of Cities William B.P. Robson and Miles Wu look at the annual budgetary projections for spending and the bottom line in Canada’s 31 largest municipalities by population over a decade (2010 to 2019) and compare them to the results reported in those municipalities’ year-end financial statements. They find budget debate […] 
From: Paul Jenkins To: Postsecondary Education Sector Date: February 16, 2021 Subject: Laurentian University—Governance is a Good Part of the Answer Ontario universities are facing myriad challenges. Shifting societal demands, rapidly changing industries in response to technological disruptions, increasing budget pressures, and, of course, COVID-19. All this – and more – conspire to create an […] 
From: William B.P. Robson and Miles Wu To: Municipal Councillors and Ratepayers Date: February 1, 2021 Re: It’s the End of January – Do You Know Where Your City’s Budget Is? Municipal budgets produce some of the most frustrating failures of accountability among Canadian governments. Municipalities are the level of government that matters most in […] 
From: Don Drummond To: Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland Date: January 26, 2021 Re: Should $70 to $100 Billion of Fiscal Stimulus Be Used, and on What? Ottawa’s Fall Fiscal Statement set aside $70 to $100 billion through 2023-24 for possible fiscal stimulus to “build a stronger, more inclusive, more innovative and more resilient economy.” Careful reflection is needed […] 
In the C.D. Howe Institute’s 2020 annual report card we grade the clarity, comprehensiveness, and timeliness of the financial presentations of 31 major Canadian municipalities, based on their most recent budgets and financial statements. Of those 31, Edmonton and London earn Fs, failing to meet a minimal standard of transparency, usefulness and timeliness. Vancouver […]