From: Daniel Safayeni and Claudia DessantiTo: Political and economic observersDate: March 27, 2025Re: Canada Needs a National Growth Strategy As Canadians prepare to head to the polls, the policies coming out of this snap federal election ought to focus on the long-term. To be sure, the threats posed by a second Trump administration – from protectionist tariffs to […]
From: Matthew McLeishTo: Economy observersDate: March 20, 2025Re: Provincial governments are walking a tightrope of fiscal short-termism – it’s time to get serious Economic concerns have dominated Canadian politics in recent years, with inflation and post-pandemic recovery taking centre stage. The cost of living tops most polls – 71 percent in one survey last summer – as an issue. […]
March 18, 2025 – Stagnant living standards and US trade aggression mean the federal government must put growing Canada’s economy first, says the C.D. Howe Institute’s 2025 Shadow Budget. In “Putting Canada’s Economy First: The C.D. Howe Institute’s 2025 Shadow Budget,” authors William B.P. Robson, Don Drummond and Alexandre Laurin respond to Canada’s long-standing fiscal […]
This Shadow Budget restores surpluses by 2028/29, lowering the debt ratio from its current level above 42 percent to 35 percent by 2029/30. It also sets Canada on a path to increase its defence spending to meet its 2 percent NATO commitment, increasing defence spending $16 billion compared to plans.
From: Don DrummondTo: Economy observersDate: March 14, 2025Re: How to Get Our House in Tariff-War Order Understandably, the focus of Canadian political leaders is on the imposition of US tariffs and the devastating effect they will have on the Canadian economy. But Canada must also address the fundamental weaknesses in our economy the tariffs have exposed and there is no time for […]
From: Christina Caron and Glen HodgsonTo: Economy observersDate: March 12, 2025Re: Slowing the Erosion of Natural Capital: Scope for Policy Action As we outlined yesterday, the erosion of natural capital – or environmental damage, including the impact of climate change – is affecting our economic prosperity. Natural capital’s erosion over the past several decades has […]
From: Lindsay Jones and Judy DezellTo: Municipal infrastructure observersDate: March 7, 2025Re: How to Fund Municipal Water/Wastewater Infrastructure? With international news stories in a daily spin cycle, the everyday issues that dominated the headlines in the last year – like housing and the cost of living – haven’t gone away. Housing supply, we know, is insufficient. […]
The number of federal government employees grew sharply from 340,000 in 2014/15 to nearly 440,000 in the most recent fiscal year. The rise in wages and salaries has grown at an average annual rate of 2.8 percent over the same period – a figure that, while more modest, surpasses the average annual rate of inflation […]
From: Brian LewisTo: Ontario votersDate: February 25, 2025Re: Who Is Protecting Ontario’s Finances? There is a saying that truth is the first casualty of war. In Ontario’s current election campaign, government finances appear to be the biggest victim. Expensive promises, slowing economic growth, and the looming uncertainty of a second Trump presidency have darkened the province’s fiscal outlook. […]
From: Parisa MahboubiTo: Tariff watchersDate: February 18, 2025Re: Canada’s Resilience Wake-Up Call Donald Trump’s looming tariffs – including potential levies of up to 100 percent on Canadian-made cars – reinforces the ongoing uncertainty surrounding US trade policy. Whether the tariffs ultimately come into effect, partially or otherwise, this moment has exposed critical vulnerabilities in Canada’s […]
From: Nicholas Dahir and William B.P. RobsonTo: Toronto taxpayers Date: February 11, 2025Re: Opaque, Confusing and Late – Toronto’s Budget Mess Continues The proposed 6.9-percent property tax increase in the Toronto city budget for 2025 is a nasty shock – not least because it follows a 9.5-percent increase last year. What makes it worse is […]
From: Christopher Worswick To: Concerned CanadiansDate: February 3, 2025 Re: On National Unity, It’s the Economy, Stupid Canadian unity is back on the agenda, given the strong polling of the Parti Québécois and its commitment to a sovereignty referendum. Sovereignty support sits around 36 percent, and there is justifiable concern over the outcome of a third Quebec referendum campaign. For one, […]
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From: Daniel Safayeni and Claudia DessantiTo: Political and economic observersDate: March 27, 2025Re: Canada Needs a National Growth Strategy As Canadians prepare to head to the polls, the policies coming out of this snap federal election ought to focus on the long-term. To be sure, the threats posed by a second Trump administration – from protectionist tariffs to […] 
From: Matthew McLeishTo: Economy observersDate: March 20, 2025Re: Provincial governments are walking a tightrope of fiscal short-termism – it’s time to get serious Economic concerns have dominated Canadian politics in recent years, with inflation and post-pandemic recovery taking centre stage. The cost of living tops most polls – 71 percent in one survey last summer – as an issue. […] 
This Shadow Budget restores surpluses by 2028/29, lowering the debt ratio from its current level above 42 percent to 35 percent by 2029/30. It also sets Canada on a path to increase its defence spending to meet its 2 percent NATO commitment, increasing defence spending $16 billion compared to plans. 
From: Don DrummondTo: Economy observersDate: March 14, 2025Re: How to Get Our House in Tariff-War Order Understandably, the focus of Canadian political leaders is on the imposition of US tariffs and the devastating effect they will have on the Canadian economy. But Canada must also address the fundamental weaknesses in our economy the tariffs have exposed and there is no time for […] 
From: Christina Caron and Glen HodgsonTo: Economy observersDate: March 12, 2025Re: Slowing the Erosion of Natural Capital: Scope for Policy Action As we outlined yesterday, the erosion of natural capital – or environmental damage, including the impact of climate change – is affecting our economic prosperity. Natural capital’s erosion over the past several decades has […] 
From: Lindsay Jones and Judy DezellTo: Municipal infrastructure observersDate: March 7, 2025Re: How to Fund Municipal Water/Wastewater Infrastructure? With international news stories in a daily spin cycle, the everyday issues that dominated the headlines in the last year – like housing and the cost of living – haven’t gone away. Housing supply, we know, is insufficient. […] 
The number of federal government employees grew sharply from 340,000 in 2014/15 to nearly 440,000 in the most recent fiscal year. The rise in wages and salaries has grown at an average annual rate of 2.8 percent over the same period – a figure that, while more modest, surpasses the average annual rate of inflation […] 
From: Brian LewisTo: Ontario votersDate: February 25, 2025Re: Who Is Protecting Ontario’s Finances? There is a saying that truth is the first casualty of war. In Ontario’s current election campaign, government finances appear to be the biggest victim. Expensive promises, slowing economic growth, and the looming uncertainty of a second Trump presidency have darkened the province’s fiscal outlook. […] 
From: Parisa MahboubiTo: Tariff watchersDate: February 18, 2025Re: Canada’s Resilience Wake-Up Call Donald Trump’s looming tariffs – including potential levies of up to 100 percent on Canadian-made cars – reinforces the ongoing uncertainty surrounding US trade policy. Whether the tariffs ultimately come into effect, partially or otherwise, this moment has exposed critical vulnerabilities in Canada’s […] 
From: Nicholas Dahir and William B.P. RobsonTo: Toronto taxpayers Date: February 11, 2025Re: Opaque, Confusing and Late – Toronto’s Budget Mess Continues The proposed 6.9-percent property tax increase in the Toronto city budget for 2025 is a nasty shock – not least because it follows a 9.5-percent increase last year. What makes it worse is […] 
From: Christopher Worswick To: Concerned CanadiansDate: February 3, 2025 Re: On National Unity, It’s the Economy, Stupid Canadian unity is back on the agenda, given the strong polling of the Parti Québécois and its commitment to a sovereignty referendum. Sovereignty support sits around 36 percent, and there is justifiable concern over the outcome of a third Quebec referendum campaign. For one, […]