Ben Dachis – How to Deliver on Home Delivery and Canada Post Reform
From: Benjamin Dachis, Associate Director of Research To: Judy Foote, Minister of Public Services and Procurement Date: July 6, 2016 Re: How to Deliver on Home Delivery and Canada Post Reform The threat of a work disruption at Canada Post has set the future of the organization flashing brightly on your radar screen if it wasn’t […]Worse Than It Looks: The True Burden and Risks of Federal Employee Pension Plans
Ottawa’s unfunded liabilities for employee pensions stood at $269 billion at the end of the 2015 fiscal year, far larger than reported, according to a new C.D. Howe Institute study. In “Worse Than It Looks: The True Burden and Risks of Federal Employee Pension Plans,” authors William B.P. Robson and Alexandre Laurin look through the […] Controlling the Public Purse: The Fiscal Accountability of Canada’s Senior Governments, 2016
Canada’s federal, provincial and territorial governments have cumulatively spent $69 billion more than budgeted over the past 15 years, according to a new C.D. Howe Institute report. In “Controlling the Public Purse: The Fiscal Accountability of Canada’s Senior Governments,” authors Colin Busby and William B.P. Robson grade the performance of governments in hitting their budget […] Building Better Budgets: Canada’s Cities Should Clean Up their Financial Reporting
No major city in Canada offers a clear and transparent budget presentation, according to a new C.D. Howe Institute report. In “Building Better Budgets: Canada’s Cities Should Clean Up their Financial Reporting,” authors Benjamin Dachis and William B.P. Robson provide report cards to 24 major Canadian cities on the quality of their budgets. Bill Robson on the Exchange: Thoughts on the New Federal Cabinet
Institute President and CEO, Bill Robson, joins his Big Picture co-panelists, ArmineYalnizyan and Goldy Hyder to talk about the new federal cabinet.
The Effect of First Nations Modern Treaties on Local Income
Modern treaties have boosted incomes in First Nation communities and have led to more resource development, according to a new C.D. Howe Institute Report. In “The Effect of First Nations Modern Treaties on Local Income,” author Fernando M. Aragón shows that, beyond bettering First Nations economically, there are material benefits for resource companies and neighbouring […] First Nations Own-Source Revenue: How Is the Money Spent?
Revenues from First Nations business activities have grown substantially over the last generation. In Ontario, they now comprise nearly one third of First Nation government funds. Where does the money go? A new C.D. Howe Institute report, “First Nations Own-Source Revenue: How Is the Money Spent?” makes use of new data to analyze band finances. The Benefits of Hindsight: Lessons from the QPP for Other Pension Plans
The experience of the Quebec Pension Plan (QPP) offers serious lessons for new public pension plan options, in particular the pending Ontario Retirement Pension Plan (ORPP) and Canada Pension Plan (CPP) enhancements, according to a new C.D. Howe Institute report. In “The Benefits of Hindsight: Lessons from the QPP for Other Pension Plans,” authors Luc Godbout, […] William Robson: The key things our next government can do to create a better and more prosperous country: National Post Op-Ed
By William Robson
Whatever the configuration of the new federal Parliament Canadians will elect on Oct. 19, the incoming government will want to lay out its economic and fiscal strategies early. The following memo could help.
Memo
To The incoming prime minister
Re The new federal government’s economic framework
Congratulations on a successful election and best wishes as your government takes office. A key task is to adjust from the partisan imperatives of the campaign to the enduring economic challenges and opportunities, and the long-term focus Canadians need to prosper in the years ahead. Sustainable fiscal management, developing and deploying human capital, and industrial policy driven…
Why good governance matters: Globe and Mail Op-Ed
By John Richards
A small jurisdiction in a monetary union, with a debt that exceeds 100 per cent of its gross domestic product. Its bonds enjoy more-or-less junk status. An election brings to power a left-wing government that replaces its incompetent conservative predecessor. Members of the new government and its union allies are divided: Should they raise taxes and cut spending – or default, leaving the financial mess for others to clean up? Central agencies had provided some financial relief, but then they cut it.
Greece in 2015? No. Saskatchewan in 1991.
The parallel is not perfect. If the province defaulted, its residents would still use the Canadian dollar. Presumably, the federal government would assume the…
A Prudent Budget In A Time Of Economic Uncertainty – Globe And Mail Op-ed
Published in the Globe and Mail on April 21, 2015
By: Alexandre Laurin
Alexandre Laurin is director of research at the C.D. Howe Institute
Budgets, especially pre-election budgets, inevitably respond to short-term concerns and special interests. This budget is no exception. A prime example is the creation of a new fund to celebrate Canada’s 150th anniversary dedicated to the renovation of community infrastructure across the country, or yet another tax credit targeted to seniors. Over time, though, successive annual budgets write much of our fiscal and economic history – how much the government spends, taxes, and accumulates debts, and how well (or badly) fiscal policy has supported long-term growth.
…William Robson: Following the money should be easy: National Post Op-Ed
Published in the National Post on April 16, 2015
By: William Robson
William Robson is is president of the C.D. Howe Institute and coauthor, with Colin Busby, of By the Numbers: The Fiscal Accountability of Canada’s Senior Governments, 2015.
Get past its circus-like quality, and the fuss over Senate expenses — Nancy Ruth’s airline breakfast; Mike Duffy’s principal residence — is healthy. Canadians have rising expectations about the stewardship of public money. Insisting that legislators justify their spending the same way auditors look at businesses and not-for-profit organizations makes eminent sense.
While the Senate is making headlines with dollar amounts in the tens, hundreds and…