Blomqvist, Grootendorst – Price Regulation Not the Best Answer for Pharmaceuticals
From: Åke Blomqvist and Paul Grootendorst To: Canadians Concerned about Drug Prices Date: October 12, 2021 Re: Price Regulation Not the Best Answer for Pharmaceuticals Big changes are afoot in the way patent drugs are priced in Canada. At present, Canada’s Patented Medicine Prices Review Board (PMPRB), a federal agency, is responsible for setting maximum prices for patented drugs […] Daniel Schwanen – Reform of the Competition Act
From: Daniel Schwanen To: The Incoming Canadian Parliament Date: October 8, 2021 Re: Reform of the Competition Act Parliament will be considering, in due course, reforms to Canada’s Competition Act to modernize it for the digital age. This is welcome, as long as it does not create greater barriers to investment and innovation in digital […] An Oil Sands Inequity: Alberta’s Outdated Bitumen Valuation Program
Alberta Should Scrap its Outdated Bitumen Valuation Methodology Given the substantial contribution of Alberta’s oil sands to both the province and Canada’s economy, a stable, competitive and fair oil sands regime is essential, according to a new report released by the C.D. Howe Institute. Authors Joel Balyk, Benjamin Dachis and Charles DeLand examine the Bitumen […] Daniel Schwanen – Ill-Thought Regulation Risks Canadian Access to the Full Benefits of Digital Technology
From: Daniel Schwanen To: The Incoming Canadian Parliament Date: October 7, 2021 Re: Ill-Thought Regulation Risks Canadian Access to the Full Benefits of Digital Technology Canada’s newly elected Parliament will be considering a bevy of proposals for reforms aimed at regulating how Canadians interact with social media platforms and other providers of digital services and content. […] Janice MacKinnon – Saskatchewan Model Shows How Private Clinics Can Play in a Public System
To: Canadians concerned about healthcare From: Janice MacKinnon Date: October 6, 2021 Re: Saskatchewan Model Shows How Private Clinics Can Play in a Public System The federal election featured a renewed debate about private healthcare in Canada. Yet only in Canada would the topic of private healthcare spark any debate. Many OECD nations that have systems that are less […] Parisa Mahboubi – COVID Benefits are Ending. Will Workers Return?
From: Parisa Mahboubi To: Canadian labour force observers Date: October 4, 2021 Re: COVID Benefits are Ending. Will Workers Return? Canada’s COVID-related economic recovery measures are set to end soon. What are the likely outcomes and what are the potential steps the federal government can take to soften the blow? In the early days of the pandemic, the […] Entre Charybde et Scylla – La Press Opinion
Les banques centrales s’approchent du dangereux passage entre Charybde et Scylla, les monstres marins de la mythologie grecque qui menaçaient les navires. Sauf que les écueils d’une faible croissance et de l’inflation sont bien réels.
La relance économique est enclenchée. Le Québec, pour l’un, a retrouvé son niveau de PIB d’avant pandémie dès mars. Mais ici comme ailleurs, cette reprise est encore mal assurée et inégale, comme on le voit dans les services livrés en proximité avec la clientèle.
L’inflation est manifeste, provoquée en grande partie par la perturbation des chaînes d’approvisionnement mondiales causée par la COVID-19, ce qui suggère qu’elle serait transitoire. Mais si les goulots d’étranglement persistent, ce…
Martin Eichenbaum – Meet r Minus g: A New Way to Worry about Deficit Spending
From: Martin Eichenbaum To: Canadian deficit watchers Date: October 1, 2021 Re: Meet r Minus g: A New Way to Worry about Deficit Spending Should Canadians worry about the level of government debt when interest rates are so low? Yes. But the primary danger doesn’t come so much from Canada. Instead, it comes from the fiscal behavior of the […] C.D. Howe Institute COVID-19 Vaccination Policy for Members and Guests
Dear Members and guests, As the C.D. Howe Institute (the “Institute”) looks to return to in-person events, we want to thank those of you who participated in our [anonymous] recent survey to ascertain your…Ambler, Kronick – What’s Next for Monetary Policy?
From: Steve Ambler and Jeremy M. Kronick To: Canada’s inflation watchers Date: September 30, 2021 Re: What’s Next for Monetary Policy? Earlier this month, the Bank of Canada left its target for the overnight interest rate at 25 basis points while maintaining the pace of its quantitative easing (QE) program by continuing to purchase Government of Canada debt […] Yes, Canadians Should Worry
Should Canadians worry about the level of government debt when interest rates are so low? Yes. But the primary danger doesn’t come so much from Canada. Instead, it comes from the fiscal behavior of the US government. Government debt levels have risen to historically high levels in all major industrialized countries, including Canada and the […]