Devlin, Forssell – Federal Mortgage-Bond Consolidation Should be a Non-Starter
To: Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland From: Ed Devlin and Anders Forssell Date: June 26, 2023 Re: Federal Mortgage-Bond Consolidation Should be a Non-Starter The federal government intends to engage in market consultations on the potential consolidation of Canada Mortgage Bonds (CMB) within the Government of Canada borrowing program, it said in its last budget. A decision is expected in […] Benjamin Dachis – Three Measures to Reduce House Prices in Toronto and Across Canada
From: Benjamin Dachis To: Toronto Mayoral Candidates CC: Canadian Municipalities and Provinces Date: June 23, 2023 Re: Three measures to reduce house prices in Toronto and Across Canada Despite recent softening, the cost of housing in Canada has increased dramatically in recent years. In some cities, barriers to getting new homes built are a major reason and drive a […]Simple Tax Changes Can Improve Retirement Security, Make Retirement System More Equitable: Study
June 22, 2023 – Simple changes to tax rules can improve retirement security for Canadians, as well as make the retirement system more equitable among different classes of savers, according to a new report from the C.D. Howe Institute. In “…Strengthening Retirement Income Security: Fairer Tax Rules and More Options Needed
Simple changes to tax rules can improve retirement security for Canadians, as well as make the retirement system more equitable among different classes of savers, and more efficient at managing longevity risks for capital decumulation. This E-Brief provides a discussion of needed retirement-related tax changes impacting members of capital accumulation plans, such as RRSPs and […] 3 ways to help reduce house prices — construction targets, lower fees and zoning reform – Financial Post Op-Ed
The cost of housing in Canada has increased dramatically in recent years. In some cities, barriers to getting new homes built are a major reason why.
Barriers to constructing new single-detached homes drive a wedge between what it costs to build and the market price. On average between 2011 and 2021, a single-detached home in the Vancouver area cost homebuyers $2 million. But the construction cost of a new home was only about $700,000. The $1.3-million difference reflected high costs for the right to build on the limited land governments allowed housing to be built on. Homes in the Toronto area now cost homebuyers $350,000 more than they cost to build. In the Montreal area, however, the difference between cost…
Ted Carmichael – How to Tame Inflation Without Breaking the Economy
From: Ted Carmichael To: Canadian inflation watchers Date: June 21, 2023 Re: How to Tame Inflation Without Breaking the Economy The trigger for the sharp rise in Canadian inflation in spring 2021 is still debated. And it’s a debate that matters: The relative importance of the pandemic supply chain disruption, Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, “greed,” or central bank financing of a […] Tingting Zhang – Where are the Early Childhood Educators?
To: Childcare policymakers From: Tingting Zhang Date: June 20, 2023 Re: Where are the Early Childhood Educators? The nationwide shortage of early childhood educators (ECEs) is the biggest obstacle to the rollout of Canada’s new national childcare plan. ECEs provide a critical service to support mothers who re-enter the labour force. Sufficient ECE numbers contribute to both the accessibility […] Dan Ciuriak – Supply Chains are No Place for Politics
From: Dan Ciuriak To: Canadian supply chain watchers Date: June 19, 2023 Re: Supply Chains are No Place for Politics The geographical organization of global supply chains has been roiled by several unrelated shocks: the black swan event of a pandemic that sent a rolling shock wave through the global economy, arbitrarily disrupting supply chains in a sequence no […] Slaying the Beast with Jeremy Kronick and Steve Ambler
Could the Bank of Canada seen the inflation beast coming? C.D. Howe Institute’s Jeremy Kronick and Steve Ambler tell host Michael Hainsworth that the Institute saw several signs of it rearing its ugly head long before the Bank raised borrowing costs. But what about now?
Ambler, Kronick – Why the Bank of Canada Should Have Kept Its Finger on Pause
From: Steve Ambler and Jeremy M. Kronick To: Canadians Worried About Inflation Date: June 16, 2023 Re: Why the Bank of Canada Should Have Kept Its Finger on Pause Amid conflicting signals, the Bank of Canada decided to press the brakes on the economy a little harder last week, raising its overnight target rate by 25 basis points to 4.75 percent. And with […]Roadmap for Reform: A Consensus View of the Viable Options Ahead for Canada’s Healthcare “System”
Discussions on healthcare in Canada typically revolve around spending and who pays. The people’s actual needs for healthcare and support get less attention and even less action. Yet far too many Canadians lack access to timely primary care and experience long wait times for services; planning is inadequate for the surging needs of the population […] Pecman, Do and Mangaly – Unnecessary and Costly EU Style Regulations Would Not Serve Canada Well
From: John Pecman, Huy Do and Peter Mangaly To: Canadians Concerned about Competition Date: June 15, 2023 Re: Unnecessary and Costly EU Style Regulations Would Not Serve Canada Well In response to the federal government’s consultation and discussion paper on the Future of Competition Policy in Canada, we raised concerns about moving away from identifying anti-competitive conduct through evidence-based […]