Philip Cross – Policymakers Need Not be Passive Victims of Economic Data Revisions
From: Philip Cross To: Concerned Canadians Date: October 20, 2017 Re: Policymakers Need Not be Passive Victims of Economic Data Revisions Policymakers need not be the passive victims of revisions to the economic data they are scrutinizing. They should proactively take measures to anticipate revisions. To paraphrase Kierkegaard’s observation about life, economic policymaking must be lived forward, but the […]Revisions to Economic Statistics and Their Impact on Policymaking
Policymakers need not be the passive victims of revisions to the economic data they are scrutinizing, according to a report by the C.D. Howe Institute. In “Revisions to Economic Statistics and Their Impact on Policymaking,” Philip Cross, former Chief Economic Analyst at Statistics Canada, says policymakers can proactively take measures to anticipate revisions. Paul Thomas – Modernizing the Governance Framework for Statistics Canada
From: Paul Thomas To: Concerned Canadians Date: October 13, 2017 Re: Modernizing the Governance Framework for Statistics Canada In many countries, national statistical agencies face political pressures to collect and report on data in ways that fit with the preferred messages of the government of the day. However, if such agencies are not seen to be […]Premium Compensation: The Ballooning Cost of Federal Government Employees
The cost of federal employees has risen rapidly, with total compensation per employee jumping nearly 5% per year on average over the past decade, says a new report from the C.D. Howe Institute. In “Premium Compensation: The Ballooning Cost of Federal Government Employees,” authors Alexandre Laurin and William B.P. Robson argue that containing these increases […] Defining the Public Interest in Regulatory Decisions: The Case for Economic Efficiency
Canada’s public utility regulators, in sectors ranging from energy to telecommunications, are facing a crisis of legitimacy because they promise more than they can deliver and do not deliver what they should, according to a new report from the C.D. Howe Institute. In Defining the Public Interest in Regulatory Decisions: The Case for Economic Efficiency, […] Numbers You can Trust? The Fiscal Accountability of Canada’s Senior Governments, 2017
Alberta and New Brunswick come out on top in the Institute’s latest report card on government financial reporting, with Prince Edward Island trailing the pack. In Numbers You can Trust? The Fiscal Accountability of Canada’s Senior Governments, 2017, authors Colin Busby and William B. P. Robson assesses the quality of financial information published by Canada’s […] Wyonch, Robson & Laurin – Why the Small Business Deduction Should be a Young Business Deduction
From: Rosalie Wyonch, Bill Robson, and Alex Laurin To: The Honourable Bill Morneau, Minister of Finance Date: February 28, 2017 Re: Why the Small Business Deduction Should be a Young Business Deduction The federal corporate income tax provides a small business deduction that taxes the first $500,000 in active business income of Canadian-controlled private corporations […] Bill Robson on Bloomberg: C.D. Howe on Budget: Transfers to Provinces Is “A Bottomless Pit”
Bill Robson, President & CEO of C.D. Howe Institute joins Bloomberg TV Canada’s Lily Jamali to discuss his recommendations to the federal government ahead of the 2017 budget.
Getting Real: A Shadow Federal Budget for 2017
Ottawa should set out a path back toward balance to inspire confidence among savers and investors, says the C.D. Howe Institute’s annual Shadow Federal Budget. In “Getting Real: A Shadow Federal Budget for 2017,” authors William B. P. Robson, Alexandre Laurin and Rosalie Wyonch show how the federal government can cut the deficit while boosting […] Hidden Spending: The Fiscal Impact of Federal Tax Concessions
More than $16 billion of annual “tax expenditures” never show up on the federal government’s books, according to a new report from the C.D. Howe Institute. In “Hidden Spending: The Fiscal Impact of Federal Tax Concessions,” authors William B. P. Robson and Alexandre Laurin tally transfers delivered through the tax system that Ottawa should report […] Toronto’s Economy Will Pay The Toll For Wynne’s ‘No’: Globe And Mail Op-ed
Ontario Premier Kathleen Wynne announced on Friday that she will not allow the City of Toronto to proceed with road tolls. I’ll leave the politics of this decision to others, but the economic consequences of the decision will be more congestion and myriad problems for cities reliant on unsustainable provincial grants.
How did we get here? About a decade ago, the province granted the City of Toronto – and only Toronto – the power to levy tolls on roads it operates, among other new tax powers. There was a catch, however: The province retained the final say by having to pass a regulation allowing such a road toll. In December, Toronto City Council voted in favour of asking the province to allow Toronto to place…