Tapping the Land: Tax Increment Financing of Infrastructure
Cities across Canada should consider new and innovative approaches to financing their share of infrastructure spending, according to a new C.D. Howe Institute report. In “Tapping the Land: Tax Increment Financing of Infrastructure,” author Adam Found shows how cities could use tax increment financing (TIF) to finance infrastructure ranging from sports arenas to public transit. How Cities Can Finance Their Share Of Infrastructure Spending
Cities across Canada should consider new and innovative approaches to financing their share of infrastructure spending, according to a new C.D. Howe Institute report. In “Tapping the Land: Tax Increment Financing of Infrastructure,” author Adam Found shows how cities could use…Thorsten Koeppl Re-appointed As A Fellow-in-residence And Scholar In Financial Services And Monetary Policy, C.D. Howe Institute
William Robson, President and CEO of the C.D. Howe Institute, announces the re-appointment of Thorsten Koeppl, Associate Professor and RBC Fellow at Queen’s University, as a Fellow-in-Residence and the Institute’s Scholar in Financial Services and Monetary Policy. “Thor…No luck for Edmonton in employment insurance lottery: Edmonton Journal Op-Ed
A decade of failure has propelled the Edmonton Oilers to win four of the last six NHL draft lotteries. The most recent lottery win landed Edmonton the hockey phenom, Connor McDavid, giving down-trodden Oilers fans a glimmer of hope.
However, when it comes to EI, Edmontonians are not so lucky. According to the 2016 federal budget, only Albertans outside Edmonton will see increases to EI benefit duration between five and 20 weeks.
These changes, which are well timed for the majority of Albertans caught in an avalanche of energy-related layoffs, also expose the major flaws in Canada’s regionally-based EI system.
In the words of professor Keith Banting and Vuk Radmilovic, EI is a postal code lottery. A laid-…
A deficit can be stimulus, but debt can be a burden: Globe and Mail Op-Ed
The first budget of a new government is particularly important. It not only spells out the financial commitments of the coming fiscal year, but also provides strong guidance on the government’s priorities. The 2016 budget delivers on the Liberal election platform, but it comes with fiscal risks.
The budget provides near-term support to economic growth, aims to boost future competitiveness through investment in infrastructure and other priorities, and helps those who are disadvantaged – particularly low- and middle-income Canadians; aboriginals and First Nations people; and youths. These are all worthy goals.
The main criticism of the budget delivered Tuesday is that it is “overreaching.” It paints a bleak picture of the…
Liberals’ 2016 Budget Opts For Big Spending Over Restraint: Huffington Post Blog
With historically low economic growth projections in the backdrop, Bill Morneau’s first budget as finance minister opted for big spending over restraint, compromising the return to a balanced budget within the first mandate of the new government.
The accumulation of deficits will add over $100 billion to Canada’s gross debt over the new government’s mandate. Despite budget projections showing the debt-to-GDP ratio stabilizing over the long term, this relative stability is contingent on indefinitely low interest rates and economic stability.
As widely expected, the budget implements a series of campaign commitments, including reforming the child tax benefit system, increasing federal cash transfers to seniors and veterans,…
Edward Iacobucci Re-appointed As A Fellow-in-residence And Competition Policy Scholar, C.D. Howe Institute
William Robson, President and CEO of the C.D. Howe Institute, announces the re-appointment of Edward Iacobucci, Dean and Professor of Law at the University of Toronto, as a Fellow-In-Residence and as the Institute’s Competition Policy Scholar…Ottawa needs to build on recent immigration reforms: Globe and Mail Op-Ed
The federal government announced changes to Canada’s immigration system this week. It will make it easier for foreign students in Canada to stay and work after they graduate – these are the kind of immigrants Canada needs. But it also quietly approved changes that allow Atlantic Canadian seafood processors to use temporary foreign workers in seasonal jobs in place of Canadian workers.
The previous government changed the rules of the two main economic immigration channels: the temporary foreign worker (TFW) program and the permanent immigrant system that awards points to prospective immigrants. The changes were substantial and are likely to profoundly change the type of people who migrate to Canada.
…
The Problems In Canada’s Job Market Aren’t What The Headlines Tell Us: Financial Post Op-ed
Statistics Canada’s latest jobs report, released on Friday, paints a picture of an economy struggling to adapt to the collapse in commodity prices. Fully 2,300 jobs were lost, but the headline-grabbing number was the 7.3 per cent unemployment rate — the highest since March 2013. The sobering labour market performance will almost certainly fuel demands for the federal government to include boosts for the economy in next week’s budget. But to assess how the government can best provide support, one needs to look beyond the unemployment rate, which only tells part of the story.
The unemployment rate comprises both a numerator and a denominator. Without getting too deep into the weeds, the numerator tells us how many people…
Where the Bucks Stop: A Shadow Federal Budget for 2016
Ottawa must rein in expectations for huge increases in federal spending and borrowing, says the C.D. Howe Institute’s 2016 shadow federal budget. In “Where the Bucks Stop: A Shadow Federal Budget for 2016,” William Robson and Alexandre Laurin target deficits of $15.3 billion and $12.2 billion in the next two fiscal years, setting the stage […]