Benjamin Dachis – Time To Re-think How To Do Water And Wastewater Investment
From: Benjamin Dachis To: Canadian Municipal and Provincial Governments Date: January 22, 2021 Re: Time to Re-think How to Do Water and Wastewater Investment COVID-19 has brought forward many questions on infrastructure spending. One post-pandemic infrastructure trend comes from the likely move of many urban residents to outlying areas. House prices outside cities have risen, […] The Good, The Bad And The Ugly Of City Budgets
Outdated practices make the budgets of too many Canadian cities impossible for non-experts to understand, says a new report from the C.D. Howe Institute.
In “Time for an Upgrade: Fiscal Accountability in Canada’s Cities, 2020,” authors… Time for an Upgrade: Fiscal Accountability in Canada’s Cities, 2020
Outdated practices make the budgets of too many Canadian cities impossible for non-experts to understand. In this report, authors William B.P. Robson and Miles Wu grade the clarity, comprehensiveness, and timeliness of the financial presentations of 31 major Canadian municipalities, based on their most recent budgets and financial statements, and prescribe some simple fixes to […] Municipal Fiscal Transparency Scorecard, 2020
In the C.D. Howe Institute’s 2020 annual report card we grade the clarity, comprehensiveness, and timeliness of the financial presentations of 31 major Canadian municipalities, based on their most recent budgets and financial statements. Of those 31, Edmonton and London earn Fs, failing to meet a minimal standard of transparency, usefulness and timeliness. Vancouver […] Rosalie Wyonch – Going Hard And Staying Home: Covid-19 Surge And Mobility Restrictions
From: Rosalie Wyonch To: Canadian COVID Watchers Date: January 20, 2021 Re: Going Hard and Staying Home: COVID-19 Surge and Mobility Restrictions New restrictions on movement are the main feature of the latest provincial lockdowns as COVID-19 advances with unprecedented speed. But mobility data shows that additional measures might be needed in some provinces, while provinces already under severe […] Glen Hodgson – How Badly Damaged Is The Canadian Economy?
From: Glen Hodgson To: Canadian Economy Watchers Date: January 19, 2021 Re: How Badly Damaged is the Canadian Economy? Along with much of the world, Canada’s economy has suffered from the pandemic and other events in 2020, notably the shock to global oil markets. How bad? An examination of the immediate data and longer trends indicates significant damage, […] William B.P. Robson – Addressing The Health Crisis Is Addressing The Economic Crisis
From: William B.P. Robson To: Canada’s Finance and Health Ministers Date: January 18, 2021 Re: Addressing the Health Crisis is Addressing the Economic Crisis The world has bid an unfond farewell to 2020 – but not, sadly, to COVID-19. A good time to review how the pandemic has affected health, livelihoods and public finances in Canada and abroad, […] Benjamin Dachis – Cities Can Speed Development With Early Zoning Pre-approvals
From: Benjamin Dachis To: Canadian Municipal and Provincial Governments Date: January 15, 2021 Re: Cities Can Speed Development with Early Zoning Pre-approvals High home values are partly a product of limited construction. A major limit to construction is a lengthy development approval system and costs on homebuyers. Changing this system has both a public interest […] Bank of Canada Should Hold Overnight Rate at 0.25 Percent, Maintain Government Bond Purchases: C.D. Howe Institute Monetary Policy Council
January 14, 2021 – The C.D. Howe Institute’s Monetary Policy Council (MPC) recommends that the Bank of Canada keep its target for the overnight rate, its benchmark policy interest rate, at 0.25 percent at least until January of 2022. A majority of MPC members also recommends that the Bank of Canada maintain its current quantitative easing purchases of Government of Canada bonds.
The MPC provides an independent assessment of the monetary stance consistent with the Bank of Canada’s 2 percent inflation target. William Robson, the Institute’s CEO, chairs the Council. The Council’s principal recommendations are about the overnight rate target. Members make recommendations for the Bank of Canada’s upcoming interest-rate…
Eu’s In The Spotlight, But Canada’s Investment Treaty With China Still Ties Ottawa’s Hands For The Next Decade – Globe And Mail Op-ed
There’s concern in Washington – even consternation – over December’s conclusion of the European Union-China investment treaty, with some commentators saying it was engineered by China to create a political wedge between the United States and its European allies, coming at a sensitive juncture that can only embarrass the incoming Biden administration.
Whether this is the case remains to be seen. But the fact is that a tough position on China has strong bipartisan support in Washington. Foreign initiatives seen to be cozying up to China would be looked upon negatively by the White House – at the very least, complicating life for the new president and his team.
Erroneously described as a trade agreement, the deal is a more…
Bhatia, Jamieson, Shaw, Piovesan, Kelley, Falk – Embrace A Patient-centric And Cost-effective Healthcare System With Virtual Care
From: R. Sacha Bhatia, Trevor Jamieson, James Shaw, Carole Piovesan, Leah T. Kelley and William Falk To: Canadian Health Policy Watchers Date: January 14, 2021 Re: Embrace a Patient-centric and Cost-effective Healthcare System with Virtual Care A virtual care revolution is underway in Canada, spurred on by the COVID-19 pandemic. Just four percent of doctors […] Robert Asselin – A New Innovation Mandate For A New Innovation Minister
From: Robert Asselin To: François-Philippe Champagne, Minister of Innovation, Science and Industry Date: January 13, 2021 Re: A New Innovation Mandate for a New Innovation Minister You are taking on your new role at a challenging time. Coming out of the COVID-19 pandemic, providing a brighter economic future for all Canadians will require a long-term plan and strategic investments in our productive […]