Uncertainty and the Burden of Proof in Canadian Competition Law
• There are good reasons to take stock of Canadian competition law. The vulnerability of digital markets to market power stemming from network externalities and scale economies encourages reflection on whether the Competition Act continues to be suitable for present times. • Recently, a number of statutory amendments have been proposed to amend the […] Beware Overreach in Competition Law Reforms
May 1, 2024 – Many of the federal government’s recent reforms in competition law sensibly strengthen the enforcement powers of the Competition Bureau and private actors seeking redress for allegedly anti-competitive behaviour. However, amendments to the Competition Act that…Munn, Manley and Duncan – Short-sighted Capital Gains Changes Will Bring Long-Term Consequences
From: Duncan Munn, John Manley and Dwight Duncan To: Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland Date: April 30, 2024 Re: Short-sighted Capital Gains Changes Will Bring Long-Term Consequences This month’s federal budget asks the wealthiest among us to pay for spending initiatives to address intergenerational fairness. A better way to finance new spending would be to arrest and reverse Canada’s growth and […]Kronick, Ambler – No Rate Cut Yet. Here’s Why There Should Have Been
To: Interest rate watchers From: Jeremy M. Kronick and Steve Ambler Date: April 26, 2024 Re: No Rate Cut Yet. Here’s Why There Should Have Been The latest data indicate that the battle against inflation is almost over. Despite this, the Bank of Canada again held its policy rate at 5 percent this month. What gives? The Bank, like many other central […] Chris Bonnett – Aspiration and Ambiguity. That’s the Pharmacare Story
From: Chris Bonnett To: Pharmacare Watchers Date: April 24, 2024 Re: Aspiration and Ambiguity. That’s the Pharmacare Story For decades, pharmacare has been a day late and a dollar short. How much did Bill C-64 change that? Very few Canadians have no drug insurance, but a much larger number probably need more coverage. The lack of an integrated national drug system […] Drummond, Robson – The 2024 Federal Budget Gets a Grade of D
To: Canadian Budget Watchers From: Don Drummond and William B.P. Robson Date: April 24, 2024 Re: The 2024 Federal Budget Gets a Grade of D Before the federal budget, we laid out a 10-point grading scheme. We were hoping the document would deserve better than the ‘D’ we gave the government’s fall economic statement. Unfortunately, it falls well short of what […] William B.P. Robson – An Unserious Budget With Unserious Projections
To: Canadian public finance watchers From: William B.P. Robson Date: April 23, 2024 Re: An Unserious Budget With Unserious Projections Last week’s federal budget showed again – as if it were needed – that this government is not serious about public finances. It was late, given that the 2024/25 fiscal year started more than two weeks ago. It […] Seniors’ Care Scenarios with Rosalie Wyonch
Building more LTC facilities won’t solve Canada’s long-term care crisis. The C.D. Howe Institute’s Rosalie Wyonch tells host Michael Hainsworth that the solution involves rethinking the way we deliver care, and each province could benefit from the lessons learned by their neighbours.
The global economy has become fragmented. Here’s how Canada can help repair it – Globe and Mail
The global economy has become fragmented, and an important cause has been the inability of international trade and finance governance institutions to adapt to changing realities. However, Canada has a unique opportunity to help repair today’s global trading system.
This year, the country is chairing the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership Commission. The CPTPP is a free-trade agreement between Canada and 10 other countries in the Indo-Pacific (Australia, Brunei, Chile, Japan, Malaysia, Mexico, New Zealand, Peru, Singapore and Vietnam).
The commission’s role includes considering new applicants and setting the standards they must meet. As chair, Canada can help move the global economy back…
Capital gains tax hike is a shortsighted move with long-term consequences – Financial Post
This week’s federal budget focuses on spending initiatives that, in the name of intergenerational fairness, it asks the wealthiest among us to pay for. A better way to finance new spending would be to arrest and reverse Canada’s growth and productivity challenges. Not only does the budget not do that, but its increase in the capital gains inclusion rate from 50 per cent to 66 per cent for corporations, trusts, and individuals on gains in excess of $250,000 a year is likely to make these challenges worse.
Some owners of small businesses who are active in their businesses will catch a break — just a 33 per cent inclusion rate up to a maximum of $2 million in lifetime capital gains — provided they don’t operate in the financial,…
Grading the federal budget: The government earns another ‘D’ – Financial Post
Before the federal budget, we laid out a 10-point scheme for grading it. We were hoping the document would deserve better than the ‘D’ we gave the government’s fall economic statement. Unfortunately, it falls well short of what Canadians need and therefore gets another ‘D.’ Here’s our detailed report card:
1. Timely release. The budget was late — more than two weeks into the fiscal year and six weeks after the Main Estimates. Money is being spent without due consideration by Parliament. D.
2. Cut the spin and just give us the figures. The key numbers — revenue, expenses, deficits and debt — should be up front but were buried under 350-plus pages of spin. D.
3. Make clear what is rehashed and what is new. The budget…
The budget got one thing right — living standards are slipping. Then it made things worse – Financial Post
This week’s federal budget paid passing lip service to the challenge of Canada’s dismal productivity and falling living standards. In an over-long and mostly self-congratulatory preamble, the budget acknowledged: “Canada has struggled with productivity growth — how much more income we are able to generate with each hour worked. This has led to a longstanding productivity gap, notably with the United States. Expanding the productive capacity of the Canadian economy and overcoming Canada’s productivity challenges are essential.”
Important words, but whoever wrote them seems to have had no influence over what came next. The budget’s projections and measures prefigure nothing but more handouts, higher taxes, mounting debt and…