Travis Toews – In Defence of Alberta’s Pension Report
From: Travis Toews To: Canada Pension Plan Observers Date: November 23, 2023 Re: In Defence of Alberta’s Pension Report Since the release of the Alberta Pension Plan report, I’ve read with interest the steady stream of commentary and opinion and, while there have been some thoughtful pieces, much of it has been ill-informed and misleading. Doubt has been cast on […]William B.P. Robson – High Immigration and Low Investment Won’t Boost Living Standards
From: William B.P. Robson To: Federal Economic Ministers Date: November 22, 2023 Re: High Immigration and Low Investment Won’t Boost Living Standards Immigration is driving a historic surge in Canada’s population. At the same time, Canadian wages and living standards are stagnant. That is a bad combination – and, worse, it is not a coincidence. Here’s the link: Business […] Canada’s fall economic statement spending proves Ottawa is unserious about public finances – Globe and Mail
The 2015 federal election heralded a new approach to federal fiscal policy. Serious was out. Spending only as much as revenue would cover was not cool. Unserious was in. Deficits were the new thing.
That was inevitable during the pandemic. For a time, the government could reasonably claim that hundreds of billions of debt-financed spending were needed responses to sickness and lockdowns.
But the COVID measures are behind us. The 2023 fall economic statement from Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland on Tuesday underlines that the federal government is not serious about managing our money. Yet again, the update has revealed previous fiscal projections as meaningless, with tens of billions of new spending layered on…
It would do good if federal government made more land available: C.D. Howe CEO on housing strategy
Bill Robson, CEO of C.D. Howe Institute, discusses with BNN Bloomberg why he feels the current housing challenges could threaten views on immigration. Empty Seats: Why Labour Shortages Plague Small and Medium-Sized Businesses and What to Do About It
Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEsConsistent with Statistics Canada’s definition, we consider businesses with one-to-99 paid employees as small and 100-499 paid employees as medium-sized.) play a vital role in job creation and economic growth. Their contribution to Canada’s gross domestic product was, on average, 53 percent a year between 2014 and 2018. Canadian small […] The Divide Between Policymakers and Those They Serve with Paul Wells
Why does it seem politics today is stuck in neutral? Veteran political journalist and award winning author Paul Wells explains the increasing divide between policymakers and the public they serve, why short-term thinking sabotages long-term goals, and why valuable institutional knowledge is leaving the public service.
Labour Shortages Hinder Growth of Small and Medium-sized Businesses
November 21 – Canadian small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) often report that they are facing hiring challenges that limit their growth prospects and affect their access to capital, says a new report by the C.D. Howe Institute. This is despite the vital role that SMEs play in job creation…Getting Personal: The Promise and Potential Missteps of Canada’s New Privacy Legislation
Canada’s governments have been grappling with threats to Canadians’ privacy posed by the fast expanding collection and use of their personal data, enabled in turn by increasingly powerful digital technologies. In this context, Canada’s federal Parliament is examining Bill C-27, the Digital Charter Implementation Act, which encompasses three new acts plus related amendments to existing acts (Canada […] In Memoriam: Donald S. Reimer
The C.D. Howe Institute mourns the death of Donald S. Reimer, who… Ottawa should beware pitfalls in new rules addressing privacy
November 20, 2023 – Canada’s governments have been grappling with threats to Canadians’ privacy posed by the fast expanding collection and use of their personal data, enabled in turn by increasingly powerful digital technologies. In that effort, Ottawa should seek to make the protection of…High immigration, low investment won’t boost living standards: C.D. Howe CEO
Bill Robson, CEO of C.D. Howe Institute, says while immigration has historically contributed to growth in Canada, there are certain areas where he thinks investments need to be made. Toughest thing is to resist temptation for more spending: former chief economist
Don Drummond, adjunct professor at Queen’s University, former chief economist at TD Bank and a fellow at the C.D. Howe Institute, joins BNN Bloomberg to talk about his expectations for the Federal Liberal’s Fall Fiscal Update.