Lewis, Dupuy – Nostalgia Should Not Drive Ontario’s Economic Development Policy
From: Brian Lewis and Damian Dupuy To: Ontario Economy Observers Date: July 25, 2024 Re: Nostalgia Should Not Drive Ontario’s Economic Development Policy Despite bold promises and billions of dollars of support, Ontario manufacturing jobs remain around the same level as when Doug Ford’s Progressive Conservatives came to power. The province needs to move past the nostalgic view of […] Miville Tremblay – Reflections on a Canadian Tilt to Public Pension Fund Investments
To: Canadian Pension Watchers From: Miville Tremblay Date: July 12, 2024 Re: Reflections on a Canadian Tilt to Public Pension Fund Investments Should Canada’s large pension funds follow the path of Quebec’s Caisse de dépôt et placement and demonstrate a greater home bias, or national preference, in their investments? This burning question is at the […] DeLand, Gilmour – More Work Needed on Major Project Legislation
To: Canadian Project Watchers From: Charles DeLand and Brad Gilmour Date: July 10, 2024 Re: More Work Needed on Major Project Legislation One reason Canada’s per capita GDP has stalled and may continue to stagnate, putting Canadians’ living standards at risk, is that we struggle to build large projects cheaply and quickly. The federal government has finally acknowledged there is too […] A.J. Goulding – Affordability, Practicality, and Reality: The Rocky Path to Net Zero
From: A.J. Goulding To: Provincial Ministers of Energy Date: July 4, 2024 Re: Affordability, Practicality, and Reality: The Rocky Path to Net Zero A recent Canadian Electricity Advisory Council report emphasizes that affordability is critical to the success of the energy transition; affordability is possible, “but the path is narrow” and “pragmatic, thoughtful measures will be needed.” […] Glen Hodgson – What To Do with Canada Post?
From: Glen HodgsonTo: Canada Post clientsDate: June 6, 2024Re: What To Do with Canada Post? Canada Post announced in May that it generated a very large financial loss of nearly $748 million in its 2023 fiscal year, following a 2022 loss of $548 million. The corporation began recording annual losses in 2018 and has since lost $3 billion before taxes. […] John Lester – The federal expenditure management system needs a makeover
From: John Lester To: Members of the Treasury Board Date: April 8, 2024 Re: The federal expenditure management system needs a makeover The federal expenditure management system looks good on paper. Transparency is served by publication of five-year spending plans for major spending categories in the annual budget and detailed information in the main estimates and departmental plans. Efficiency […]Faut-il déchirer sa chemise pour Northvolt ? – La Presse
Pas facile de se faire une tête dans ce dossier, où promoteurs et opposants présentent des arguments valables, mais aussi des positions critiquables. Prenons de la hauteur pour en juger.
L’argument central avancé dans ce journal par le ministre de l’Économie, de l’Innovation et de l’Énergie, Pierre Fitzgibbon, est de « développer au Québec une économie basée sur des secteurs d’avenir » et de « réduire notre écart de richesse avec le reste du Canada » pour financer la santé et l’éducation.
Des objectifs louables, certes, mais le gouvernement de la CAQ ne semble appliquer qu’une moitié de la stratégie préconisée pour lutter contre le réchauffement climatique, qui est de s’attaquer tant aux risques…
The Ontario Infrastructure Bank may hurt more than it helps – Financial Post
Wouldn’t it be great if more government infrastructure were built faster and cheaper? The Ontario government certainly thinks so and is creating the Ontario Infrastructure Bank (OIB) to get that done.
Unfortunately, inadequate funding is not the problem plaguing infrastructure investment. The province never comes close to spending the money it allocates to infrastructure. In 2022-23 alone, it underspent its infrastructure budget by a whopping $3.4 billion (15 per cent). Under-spending has happened every year in recent memory.
What’s more, increasing funding over time has not increased actual infrastructure output. According to Statistics Canada, the combined capital expenditures of all levels of government in Ontario have…
Mario Polèse – Lessons from Montreal’s Failed Inclusionary Zoning Experiment
From: Mario Polèse To: Canada’s housing watchers Date: December 7, 2023 Re: Lessons from Montreal’s failed inclusionary zoning experiment In January 2021, the City of Montreal adopted its flagship bylaw for a diverse metropolis, popularly known as bylaw 20/20/20 because of the requirement for developers (for projects of five dwellings or more) to include social, affordable and […]Marion Steele – The Case for an Affordable Rental Housing Investment Tax Credit
From: Marion Steele To: Canadian housing observers Date: November 17, 2023 Re: The Case for an Affordable Rental Housing Investment Tax Credit Steps to remedy Canada’s rental housing crisis are urgently needed. The federal National Housing Strategy has been a disappointment, resulting in few new housing units under construction and fewer still completed. Four years after launch, its five […]Duncan Munn – The Evil of Short-Termism Bedevils Canada’s Future
From: Duncan Munn To: Concerned Canadians Date: October 30, 2023 Re: The Evil of Short-Termism Bedevils Canada’s Future Canada has long been celebrated for its political stability, economic resilience, and social cohesion. Beneath this seemingly idyllic surface, however, lies a pervasive and destructive force: Short-termism. It has infiltrated the public and private sector, jeopardizing living standards. As we […]