Tell-tale Signals: A Customized Toolkit for Tracking the Economy
To make informed decisions, policymakers need reliable and robust economic data, and researchers at the C.D. Howe Institute have created many unique data sets for their analyses and recommendations over the years. This Commentary brings together some novel data series from previous C.D. Howe Institute studies to provide third parties, including the Bank of […] William B.P. Robson – A Cheer for Nova Scotia’s New Inflation Indexing
From: William B.P. Robson To: Beleaguered taxpayers Date: March 21, 2024 Re: A Cheer for Nova Scotia’s New Inflation Indexing Nova Scotia’s budgets do not always make national headlines, but the one recently delivered by Minister of Finance and Treasury Board Allan MacMaster got some well-deserved attention. It indexed the province’s personal income tax to inflation. Starting next January, the thresholds […] Hodgson, Smallridge – The Best Indigenous Financing Gap Solution? An Indigenous Development Bank
From: Glen Hodgson and Diana Smallridge To: Reconciliation watchers Date: March 20, 2024 Re: The Best Indigenous Financing Gap Solution? An Indigenous Development Bank Access to financing is critical if the Indigenous economy is to make meaningful progress on sustained economic development as a basis for reconciliation. There are significant market gaps in existing Indigenous financing and it’s time for […] Godbout, Samoisette – Maximiser le bon d’études canadien en l’offrant à tous les enfants de familles à revenu modeste
De: Luc Godbout et Luce Samoisette À: Chrystia Freeland, ministre des Finances et Marie-Claude Bibeau, ministre du Revenu national Date: 19 mars 2024 Sujet: Maximiser le bon d’études canadien en l’offrant à tous les enfants de familles à revenu modeste Il y a 20 ans, le budget fédéral annonçait une nouveauté afin de favoriser l’accès […] Godbout, Samoisette – On Its Anniversary, Has the Goal of the Canada Learning Bond Been Achieved?
From: Luc Godbout and Luce Samoisette To: Chrystia Freeland, Minister of Finance and Marie-Claude Bibeau, Minister of National Revenue Date: March 19, 2024 Subject: On Its Anniversary, Has the Goal of the Canada Learning Bond Been Achieved? Twenty years ago, the federal government launched an initiative to promote post-secondary access for children from low-income families with a Canada Learning Bond […] Rosalie Wyonch – The Lingering Pharmacare Questions
From: Rosalie Wyonch To: Healthcare observers Date: March 18, 2024 Re: The Lingering Pharmacare Questions The Liberals and NDP have reached a deal on pharmacare, but there are many challenges to overcome. It will take years to implement and many questions remain unanswered. Canada is the only developed country with universal insurance for hospital and physician services but not […] Canada’s immigration system isn’t living up to its potential. Here’s how to fix it – Globe and Mail Op-Ed
Canada’s immigration point system is designed to select for skilled individuals who have the potential to contribute to our country’s economic growth and meet its evolving labour needs. Since the mid-2010s, it has yielded improvements in the overall labour market outcomes for immigrants.
However, recent policy changes warrant immediate attention – especially as the role of skilled immigrants has become increasingly vital. Compared with similar countries, it’s evident that there are several missed opportunities and systemic challenges hindering our immigration system from reaching its full potential and enhancing the well-being of all Canadians.
Canada and Australia, in particular, share similarities in their skilled…
Pharmacare in Critical Condition with Dr. Jane Philpott, Fred Horne and Rosalie Wyonch
Ottawa has rolled out the first stage of its national pharmacare program. But it’s a far cry from what the NDP required to prop-up the minority government. Former federal health minister Dr. Jane Philpott joins former Alberta health minister Fred Horne and the Institute’s Rosalie Wyonch to discuss why $1.5 billion isn’t anywhere near enough to pay for the medications Canadians consume today, and how likely the program is to survive.
Kudos to Nova Scotia for a budget that declines to profit from inflation – Financial Post
Nova Scotia’s budgets do not always make national headlines, but the one recently delivered by Minister of Finance and Treasury Board Allan MacMaster got some well-deserved attention. It indexed the province’s personal income tax to inflation. Starting next January, the thresholds for all Nova Scotia’s tax brackets and its non-refundable credits for spouses and dependents will rise with the consumer price index each year.
As Alexandre Laurin and I argued in a recent C.D. Howe Institute report, this move is long overdue. Price surges during the pandemic reminded everyone that inflation and taxes are a toxic combination. Governments that tax nominal amounts even when inflation is eroding money’s purchasing power dodge…
Laurin, Dahir – Here’s a Suggestion: A Revenue-Neutral Tax Reform for an Economic Boost
From: Alexandre Laurin and Nick Dahir To: Canadians concerned about economic growth Date: March 14, 2024 Re: Here’s a Suggestion: A Revenue-Neutral Tax Reform for an Economic Boost A change in Canada’s tax mix was among the ideas circulating last summer at the C.D. Howe Institute’s two-day conference on tax policy. This country is an average-tax nation overall, but relies […] Strength in Diversity: What We Can Learn from BC’s Target-benefit Plans
With the significant decline in single-employer defined-benefit (DB) pension plans in the private sector, it’s important to understand other alternatives. One such alternative is the target-benefit plan. The regulation of target-benefit plans (TBPs) in all provinces across Canada can be made more straightforward and effective using lessons learned from real-life experiences. With target-benefit plans currently […]