From: Brain LewisTo: Federal spending observersDate: March 30, 2026 Re: A New Parliamentary Budget Officer and a Chance for Renewal The federal government has nominated a new Parliamentary Budget Officer. That appointment, if confirmed, should do more than fill a long-vacant leadership role – it should mark the start of a broader renewal for the office itself. Annette Ryan, a long-time federal public servant […]
From: John Lester and Benoît Robidoux To: Government spending watchers Date: March 27, 2026 Re: Getting Value for Money From Government Spending Getting value for the money they spend should always be top-of-mind for governments. And with defence and defence-related spending ramping up to 5 percent of GDP over the next decade, it becomes mission-critical. Other spending will have to be scaled back, making robust value for money (VFM) evidence essential to support decision makers. The federal government has started […]
From: Don DrummondTo: Ontario Economics and Education Policy Watchers Date: March 6, 2026Re: Ontario Stops Deepening its Universities’ Financial Pit In February 2026, the Ontario Government announced it was “investing $6.4 billion to support (the) postsecondary sector’s long-term success and sustainability” to produce “one of the most competitive workforces in the G7” and “world-class research.” […]
From: Jerome Gessaroli To: Legislature watchersDate: January 21, 2026Re: The High Cost of Misunderstanding Economics in Policy Decisions Imagine if the federal government passed a law requiring producers to dispose of nutritious food that could otherwise feed large numbers of Canadians. You might assume such a policy would never be permitted, particularly when roughly one […]
From: Nick Dahir and William B.P. Robson To: Federal budget watchersDate: December 22, 2025Re: Slimmer Budgets, Please, and Put the Numbers Up Front Initial buzz about last month’s supposedly “generational” federal budget marking a decisive break from the growth-suppressing fiscal policies of the recent past has now faded. In retrospect, far too much of the […]
Published in Financial Post. Initial buzz about last month’s supposedly “generational” federal budget marking a decisive break from the growth-suppressing fiscal policies of the recent past has now faded. In retrospect, far too much of the budget was discouragingly familiar: more upward revisions of projected spending and borrowing, narrowly focused tax measures and — in […]
It may be safe to mail Christmas cards again, but what will Canada’s posties deliver in 2026? The Institute’s Glen Hodgson on how to bring-down the billion dollar cost of delivering mail from coast to coast to coast.
It may be safe to mail Christmas cards again, but what will Canada’s posties deliver in 2026? The Institute’s Glen Hodgson on how to bring-down the billion dollar cost of delivering mail from coast to coast to coast.
Published in The Hill Times. Prime Minister Mark Carney’s 60-day review of the federal zero-emission vehicle mandate, and the waiver of its 20-per-cent sales requirement for next year, has sparked plenty of debate. But what does hitting the brakes really mean for Canadians? It’s a chance to reflect and to ask whether the mandate, as […]
From: David Jones To: Budget observersDate: November 17, 2025Re: After the Budget: Time for Hard Hats and Signs of Progress Mark Carney’s budget strategy could not be clearer. It’s “build baby build.” It’s a “generational investment.” It’s “invest more and spend less.” Capital investment is the budget’s uncompromising long-term plan. Tuesday’s budget posts a deficit of […]
From: Brigid Waddingham and Eugene LangTo: Federal public service observersDate: November 13, 2025Re: Budget 2025 and the worsening public service executive to rank and file ratio “As the size of the public service adjusts, so too, must the leadership” declares Budget 2025, pledging to cut 1,000 executive positions within two years. This accompanies a commitment […]
From: Colin Busby, Don Drummond and Alexandre LaurinTo: Budget watchers Date: November 12, 2025Re: Rosy Forecasts and Weak Fiscal Anchors in This ‘Generational’ Budget Ottawa’s budget lands at a pivotal moment. As a Globe and Mail editorial put it, we have reached a fork in the road. The test for this budget was whether it would […]
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From: Brain LewisTo: Federal spending observersDate: March 30, 2026 Re: A New Parliamentary Budget Officer and a Chance for Renewal The federal government has nominated a new Parliamentary Budget Officer. That appointment, if confirmed, should do more than fill a long-vacant leadership role – it should mark the start of a broader renewal for the office itself. Annette Ryan, a long-time federal public servant […] 
From: John Lester and Benoît Robidoux To: Government spending watchers Date: March 27, 2026 Re: Getting Value for Money From Government Spending Getting value for the money they spend should always be top-of-mind for governments. And with defence and defence-related spending ramping up to 5 percent of GDP over the next decade, it becomes mission-critical. Other spending will have to be scaled back, making robust value for money (VFM) evidence essential to support decision makers. The federal government has started […] 
From: Don DrummondTo: Ontario Economics and Education Policy Watchers Date: March 6, 2026Re: Ontario Stops Deepening its Universities’ Financial Pit In February 2026, the Ontario Government announced it was “investing $6.4 billion to support (the) postsecondary sector’s long-term success and sustainability” to produce “one of the most competitive workforces in the G7” and “world-class research.” […] 
From: Jerome Gessaroli To: Legislature watchersDate: January 21, 2026Re: The High Cost of Misunderstanding Economics in Policy Decisions Imagine if the federal government passed a law requiring producers to dispose of nutritious food that could otherwise feed large numbers of Canadians. You might assume such a policy would never be permitted, particularly when roughly one […] 
From: Nick Dahir and William B.P. Robson To: Federal budget watchersDate: December 22, 2025Re: Slimmer Budgets, Please, and Put the Numbers Up Front Initial buzz about last month’s supposedly “generational” federal budget marking a decisive break from the growth-suppressing fiscal policies of the recent past has now faded. In retrospect, far too much of the […] 
Published in Financial Post. Initial buzz about last month’s supposedly “generational” federal budget marking a decisive break from the growth-suppressing fiscal policies of the recent past has now faded. In retrospect, far too much of the budget was discouragingly familiar: more upward revisions of projected spending and borrowing, narrowly focused tax measures and — in […] 
It may be safe to mail Christmas cards again, but what will Canada’s posties deliver in 2026? The Institute’s Glen Hodgson on how to bring-down the billion dollar cost of delivering mail from coast to coast to coast. 
Published in The Hill Times. Prime Minister Mark Carney’s 60-day review of the federal zero-emission vehicle mandate, and the waiver of its 20-per-cent sales requirement for next year, has sparked plenty of debate. But what does hitting the brakes really mean for Canadians? It’s a chance to reflect and to ask whether the mandate, as […] 
From: David Jones To: Budget observersDate: November 17, 2025Re: After the Budget: Time for Hard Hats and Signs of Progress Mark Carney’s budget strategy could not be clearer. It’s “build baby build.” It’s a “generational investment.” It’s “invest more and spend less.” Capital investment is the budget’s uncompromising long-term plan. Tuesday’s budget posts a deficit of […] 
From: Brigid Waddingham and Eugene LangTo: Federal public service observersDate: November 13, 2025Re: Budget 2025 and the worsening public service executive to rank and file ratio “As the size of the public service adjusts, so too, must the leadership” declares Budget 2025, pledging to cut 1,000 executive positions within two years. This accompanies a commitment […] 
From: Colin Busby, Don Drummond and Alexandre LaurinTo: Budget watchers Date: November 12, 2025Re: Rosy Forecasts and Weak Fiscal Anchors in This ‘Generational’ Budget Ottawa’s budget lands at a pivotal moment. As a Globe and Mail editorial put it, we have reached a fork in the road. The test for this budget was whether it would […]