Scaling Up Is Hard To Do: Financing Canadian Small Firms
What’s holding back small business growth in Canada? Canada’s small and medium-sized enterprises are vital to job creation and economic prosperity but struggle with access to financing compared to peers in other advanced economies. Canadians’ SME Engine Needs More Fuel
The growth of Canada’s small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) – the engine of our country’s economy – lag behind those in other advanced economies and face hurdles to financing that are dampening their prospects, according to a new report from the C.D. Howe Institute. …Kronick, Ambler – The Last Spike for the Bank?
To: Inflation Watchers From: Jeremy M. Kronick and Steve Ambler Date: July 17, 2023 Re: The Last Spike for the Bank? Last Wednesday, the Bank of Canada increased its policy rate to 5 percent, a level not seen since March 2001. Citing continuing tightness in labour markets and still-firm consumer spending, the Bank reasoned there is still excess […]Reforms Needed for Investor-State Disputes with Lawrence Herman
When you’ve got more than 2,500 international investor agreements worldwide, you’re bound to have disputes. But as trade lawyer and C.D. Howe Institute Senior Fellow Lawrence Herman points out, reforms to the dispute resolution mechanisms need reformation for greater transparency – and to ensure foreign investors still trust that their capital is being respected.
Tingting Zhang – Let’s Embrace a Golden Age for Career Guidance
To: Labour Force Observers From: Tingting Zhang Date: July 13, 2023 Re: Let’s Embrace a Golden Age for Career Guidance As digital technology and the green transition sweep through Canada’s labour market, career navigation becomes increasingly complex and increasingly important to help both employed and unemployed people. This makes the availability and quality of career guidance services, which aim […]Bank of Canada’s latest interest rate hike may be one too many – Globe and Mail
On Wednesday, the Bank of Canada increased its policy rate to 5 per cent, a level not seen since March, 2001. Citing continuing tightness in labour markets and still-firm consumer spending, the bank reasoned there is still excess demand in Canada’s economy, and that Wednesday’s rate hike was necessary to continue to bring activity in line with productive potential. But if that adjustment is already happening, this hike may turn out to be one too many.
Among the many challenges a central bank faces in a fight against high inflation is the mixed signals it gets as it hikes rates to get inflation down. In Canada, the year-over-year headline inflation rate fell to 3.4 per cent in May. However, most of that was driven by a fall in…
Jon Johnson – Does NAFTA Live on in TC Energy’s Claim Against Washington?
From: Jon Johnson To: Keystone saga watchers Date: July 11, 2023 Re: Does NAFTA Live on in TC Energy’s Claim Against Washington? There have been recent developments in the investor/state case brought by TC Energy – TransCanada Pipelines of old – against the US under the rules of procedure established by the International Centre for […] Fiscal Accountability in Canada Was Already Unhealthy. COVID Made it Sicker
The COVID-19 pandemic strained the finances of Canada’s senior governments, and also undermined their accountability, says a new report from the C.D. Howe Institute. In “Fiscal COVID: The Pandemic’s Impact on Government Finances and Accountability in Canada,” the C.D. Howe…Fiscal COVID: The Pandemic’s Impact on Government Finances and Accountability in Canada
Beyond its damage to Canadians’ health and their economy, COVID-19 strained public finances, and both highlighted and exacerbated gaps in governments’ accountability to legislators and voters. Spending by all senior governments jumped in the 2020/21 fiscal year – up 7 percent on average across provinces and territories, and up more than 70 percent for the […] Åke Blomqvist – Nightmarish Commercial Simply Wrong: Healthcare Outsourcing is not Privatization
From: Åke Blomqvist To: Canadians concerned about healthcare Date: July 10, 2023 Subject: Nightmarish Commercial Simply Wrong: Healthcare Outsourcing is not Privatization Following passage of the Ontario government’s Bill 60, the Ministry of Health has the option to contract out to independent clinics the provision of certain kinds of healthcare services normally provided in hospitals. Opponents have cast the bill as favouring “privatization” […] I’m not convinced the earlier rate hikes have worked their way through: Economist Jeremy Kronick
Jeremy Kronick, director of monetary and financial services research at the C.D. Howe Institute, joins BNN Bloomberg to preview the Bank of Canada’s next rate decision due on Wednesday, and explains why he believes there is no need for further interest rate hikes at this time. Drummond, Sinclair, Walker, Jones – An Unparalleled and Urgent Task Faces Premiers Next Week
From: Don Drummond, Duncan Sinclair, David Walker and David Jones To: Canada’s Premiers Date: July 7, 2023 Re: An Unparalleled and Urgent Task Faces Premiers Next Week When you journey to Manitoba this weekend for a crucial Council of the Federation meeting, the route to healthcare reform should be top of mind. Rarely has a summer road trip been […]