Like the 2008/09 financial crisis and recession a decade earlier, the COVID pandemic triggered a build-up of debt by Canadian households, nonfinancial corporations, the federal government and other (provincial and local) governments. After 2008/09, the debts of households, nonfinancial corporations and other governments tended to rise relative to GDP, while fiscal consolidation lowered the federal […]
From: Les VinerTo: Postal observersDate: August 6, 2025Re: It’s Time to Stop Canada’s Postal Bleeding Canada Post, which predates Confederation, is a vital national institution, playing a particularly important role in serving rural, Northern and Indigenous communities across our vast country. But today, Canada Post is effectively insolvent. Indeed, it would have run out of […]
Published in The Globe and Mail Canada Post, which predates Confederation, is a vital national institution, playing a particularly important role in serving rural, Northern and Indigenous communities across our vast country. But today, Canada Post is effectively insolvent. Indeed, it would have run out of cash had the government not recently extended a billion-dollar […]
From: Trevor Tombe To: Deficit observers Date: August 1, 2025Re: Confronting Canada’s Fiscal Future Canada’s pledge to spend 5 percent of GDP on defence, if acted upon, will come with potentially large fiscal costs. Following through will require either sustained deficits, tax increases, or difficult reductions in other areas of federal spending. More likely, it […]
Published in Financial Post By John Lester and Alex Laurin The federal government has promised a spending review aimed at limiting the growth in its operating spending, also known as direct program expenses, to two per cent a year. With the new NATO commitment to increase defence-related spending by over $100 billion a year by 2035, restraining non-defence […]
June 26, 2025 – Canadian auto insurance rate regulations, intended to protect consumers, are reducing necessary insurer agility – risking long-term competitiveness in the market, according to a new report from the C.D. Howe Institute. In “The Price of Over-Regulation: Assessing the Impact of Rate Controls on Auto Insurance Market Flexibility in Canada,” Gherardo Caracciolo finds […]
From: Nicholas Chesterley To: Prosperity watchers Date: June 20, 2025Re: Measure Everything That Matters, not Just GDP Discussions of national performance by governments, the media, and the public often focus on GDP, how much a country has produced in a year. They spend less time on national wealth – the total value of our national […]
From: William B.P. Robson and Nick DahirTo: Municipal spending observersDate: June 19, 2025Re: Let’s Get Off the Chronic Municipal Budget Crisis Carousel An annual Canadian ritual starting just after New Year’s is the panic over municipal budgets. Concerns about deficits and consequent spending cuts and tax increases dominate the headlines – “Torontonians face property tax hike!” “Vancouver overspending on policing!” […]
From: Erik De Lorenzi To: Postal observersDate: June 18, 2025Re: A Way Forward: Canada Post Deregulation and Commercialization (II) Yesterday, we outlined the sorry history that has led to Canada Post’s major financial – $4 billion and counting – and operational strain. To better serve consumers and improve the effectiveness of federal spending, […]
From: Erik De Lorenzi To: Postal observersDate: June 17, 2025Re: A Way Forward: Canada Post Deregulation and Commercialization Canada Post is under major financial and operational strain. Mail volumes are declining, its market share in parcel delivery is evaporating and it lost another $840 million last year, which taxpayers have had to cover. Meanwhile, it […]
From: Ian IrvineTo: Canadians Concerned About VapingDate: June 9, 2025Re: Governments Continue Their War Against Our Best Anti-Smoking Tool In Ode to a Nightingale, John Keats described how “but to think is to be full of sorrow/And leaden-eyed despairs.” Such pervasive, perpetual gloominess sounds exactly like Canadian health lobby groups contemplating the latest statistics on smoking, which are, […]
To: Fiscally responsible members of Parliament From: Colin Busby, Nicholas Dahir and William B.P. RobsonDate: June 4, 2025Re: Excuses for Federal Budget Delay Get Thinner By the Day Last week’s Speech from the Throne delivered by King Charles III will be remembered as an anomaly, and not just because of the speaker. Here’s how it usually […]
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Like the 2008/09 financial crisis and recession a decade earlier, the COVID pandemic triggered a build-up of debt by Canadian households, nonfinancial corporations, the federal government and other (provincial and local) governments. After 2008/09, the debts of households, nonfinancial corporations and other governments tended to rise relative to GDP, while fiscal consolidation lowered the federal […] 
From: Les VinerTo: Postal observersDate: August 6, 2025Re: It’s Time to Stop Canada’s Postal Bleeding Canada Post, which predates Confederation, is a vital national institution, playing a particularly important role in serving rural, Northern and Indigenous communities across our vast country. But today, Canada Post is effectively insolvent. Indeed, it would have run out of […] 
From: Trevor Tombe To: Deficit observers Date: August 1, 2025Re: Confronting Canada’s Fiscal Future Canada’s pledge to spend 5 percent of GDP on defence, if acted upon, will come with potentially large fiscal costs. Following through will require either sustained deficits, tax increases, or difficult reductions in other areas of federal spending. More likely, it […] 
Published in Financial Post By John Lester and Alex Laurin The federal government has promised a spending review aimed at limiting the growth in its operating spending, also known as direct program expenses, to two per cent a year. With the new NATO commitment to increase defence-related spending by over $100 billion a year by 2035, restraining non-defence […] 
From: Nicholas Chesterley To: Prosperity watchers Date: June 20, 2025Re: Measure Everything That Matters, not Just GDP Discussions of national performance by governments, the media, and the public often focus on GDP, how much a country has produced in a year. They spend less time on national wealth – the total value of our national […] 
From: William B.P. Robson and Nick DahirTo: Municipal spending observersDate: June 19, 2025Re: Let’s Get Off the Chronic Municipal Budget Crisis Carousel An annual Canadian ritual starting just after New Year’s is the panic over municipal budgets. Concerns about deficits and consequent spending cuts and tax increases dominate the headlines – “Torontonians face property tax hike!” “Vancouver overspending on policing!” […] 
From: Erik De Lorenzi To: Postal observersDate: June 18, 2025Re: A Way Forward: Canada Post Deregulation and Commercialization (II) Yesterday, we outlined the sorry history that has led to Canada Post’s major financial – $4 billion and counting – and operational strain. To better serve consumers and improve the effectiveness of federal spending, […] 
From: Erik De Lorenzi To: Postal observersDate: June 17, 2025Re: A Way Forward: Canada Post Deregulation and Commercialization Canada Post is under major financial and operational strain. Mail volumes are declining, its market share in parcel delivery is evaporating and it lost another $840 million last year, which taxpayers have had to cover. Meanwhile, it […] 
From: Ian IrvineTo: Canadians Concerned About VapingDate: June 9, 2025Re: Governments Continue Their War Against Our Best Anti-Smoking Tool In Ode to a Nightingale, John Keats described how “but to think is to be full of sorrow/And leaden-eyed despairs.” Such pervasive, perpetual gloominess sounds exactly like Canadian health lobby groups contemplating the latest statistics on smoking, which are, […] 
To: Fiscally responsible members of Parliament From: Colin Busby, Nicholas Dahir and William B.P. RobsonDate: June 4, 2025Re: Excuses for Federal Budget Delay Get Thinner By the Day Last week’s Speech from the Throne delivered by King Charles III will be remembered as an anomaly, and not just because of the speaker. Here’s how it usually […]