Ben Dachis – Airport Overhaul Readying for Takeoff
From: Benjamin Dachis To: Marc Garneau, Minister of Transport and Bill Morneau, Minister of Finance Date: July 21, 2017 Re: Airport Overhaul Readying for Takeoff Congratulations. The revelation this week that you are proceeding with the study of selling equity stakes in airports is good news indeed. It took an access-to-information request, but CBC has […]Ben Dachis – How to Kickstart the Infrastructure Spending Boom
From: Benjamin Dachis To: Finance Ministers across Canada Date: July 12, 2017 Re: How to Kickstart the Infrastructure Spending Boom Governments across Canada are planning one of the largest collective infrastructure investments in history. With hundreds of billions of dollars of infrastructure investments on the books, governments need to find a way to pay for […]Adding More Juice: How Private Investors can Improve the Performance of Provincial Power Assets
Consumers would likely enjoy lower power bills if provincial governments welcomed more private investment in electricity utilities, according to a new report from the C.D. Howe Institute. In “Adding More Juice: How Private Investors can Improve the Performance of Provincial Power Assets,” author Steven Robins shows how provinces can shift the risk of mistaken demand […] Banking on Infrastructure: How the Canada Infrastructure Bank can Build Infrastructure Better for Canadians
Canada’s Infrastructure Bank (CIB) holds great potential, but still needs work to realize its potential, states a new report from the C.D. Howe Institute. In Banking on Infrastructure: How the Canada Infrastructure Bank can Build Infrastructure Better for Canadians, author Steven Robins suggests that the bank could significantly improve the quality of infrastructure development in […] Steve Robins on BNN – How Canada’s new infrastructure bank could be improved
Steven Robins, author of a new C.D. Howe Institute report on how to improve the Canada Infrastructure Bank, joins BNN to discuss some of the ideas he outlined.
Casting Off: How Ottawa Can Maximize the Value of Canada’s Major Ports and Benefit Taxpayers
Ottawa should cash in part of its $3 billion stake in major sea ports by bringing in private investors, finds a new report from the C.D. Howe Institute. In “Casting Off: How Ottawa Can Maximize the Value of Canada’s Major Ports and Benefit Taxpayers,” author Steven Robins suggests that major port authorities should rely on private […] Different Approaches to Meeting Canadians’ Electricity Needs
Electricity systems can be considered in three independent parts – generation (converting energy to electricity), transmission (sending the electricity over long distances) and distribution (running power lines from local transformer stations to houses). In this infographic we illustrate the potential configurations of companies to meet these different electricity steps. Publicly or privately owned companies can […] Steve Robins on BNN – There’s money to be made in Canada’s seaports
Steven Robins, 2017 Joint MBA and Master in Public Policy Recipient from Harvard University, joins BNN to discuss the C.D. Howe Institute’s latest report about Canada’s seaports. He says Canada stands to gain around $3 billion if the federal government invests the money made from seaports into other infrastructure projects.
Up in the Air: Canadian Airport Fees in Context
Canadian airports collect most of their revenue through fees that are largely passed on to consumers in the form of high ticket prices. That may well change if the federal government pursues plans to sell some of its ownership to raise funds for other infrastructure projects. Australia, where the major airports were privatized decades ago, is […] Surge Capacity: Selling City-owned Electricity Distributors to Meet Broader Municipal Infrastructure Needs
Cities across Canada should sell their electricity distribution companies and invest the proceeds in critical municipal infrastructure, according to a new C.D. Howe Institute report. In “Surge Capacity: Selling City-owned Electricity Distributors to Meet Broader Municipal Infrastructure Needs,” author Steven Robins demonstrates why there is no compelling public policy rationale for municipalities to hold these […] How Private Investment in Infrastructure Can Benefit Taxpayers: Globe and Mail Op-Ed
Canada is about to embark on one of the largest infrastructure investment programs in recent history, and Ottawa is poised to set up the Canada Infrastructure Bank to attract institutional investment. An infrastructure bank is a great start, but governments at all levels have more to do to enable private investment in the program.
While Canadian governments worry about their limited ability to rack up debt to finance infrastructure investment, major Canadian institutional investors are investing in such programs abroad. They invest abroad because Canadian governments have opened few opportunities for institutional infrastructure investment here.
It’s important to remember the benefits of using private investment in place…
Why the B.C. Liberals and NDP are Both Wrong About Bridge Tolls: Maclean’s
Read the latest opinion piece from Blake Shaffer in Maclean’s.