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…
How Does Your City Rank on Fiscal Transparency?
All governments should present financial information that is transparent, useful and timely. However, as the C.D. Howe Institute’s latest annual report card on the fiscal transparency of Canada’s largest cities shows, too many do not.
In “The Municipal Money… The Municipal Money Mystery: Fiscal Accountability in Canada’s Cities, 2023
by William B.P. Robson and Nicholas Dahir The budgets municipal governments present around the beginning of their fiscal years, and the audited financial statements they publish after year-end, are crucial for decision-making and accountability. A review of the budgets and audited financial statements of 32 major Canadian municipalities reveals a troublingly mixed picture. The fiscal […] Government, be serious – The Hub
Yesterday’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 buried the numbers on revenue, expenses, deficit, and debt that ought to be upfront under 350-plus pages of spin. And while the numbers themselves look serious—relentlessly rising taxes and spending, chronic deficits, and interest eating ever more revenue—we have no reason to believe them.
Why would we? The government’s first projections for the current budget year of 2024/25 were in its 2019 fall economic statement. That statement showed federal spending of $421 billion in 2024/25. The government presented no budget at all in…
Skuterud, Mahboubi – Shrinking Canada’s NPR Population: How Best to Do It
To: The Honourable Marc Miller, Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada From: Mikal Skuterud and Parisa Mahboubi Date: April 17, 2024 Re: Shrinking Canada’s NPR Population: How Best to Do It Canada has in recent years witnessed an unprecedented and unsustainable surge in its non-permanent resident (NPR) population. In response, Minister of Immigration Marc […] Bill Robson on BNN: To say this is fairness for all generations when you’re adding this much to the debt? Part 1/3
Bill Robson, CEO, C.D. Howe Institute, joins BNN Bloomberg and talks about how the federal government is looking at the capital gains tax, digital services tax and global minimum tax to do a lot of the heavy lifting for government spending.
DeLand, Gilmour – Canada Needs More Major Project Investment: Here Are Some Ideas
To: Canadian major project watchers From: Charles DeLand and Brad Gilmour Date: April 16, 2024 Re: Canada Needs More Major Project Investment: Here Are Some Ideas It has not been easy for Canadian companies to plan and complete major projects in Canada recently. Hydroelectric dams, pipelines, mines, rail hubs, and port expansions and others are […]Bill Robson on BNN: Business investment is so low, we’re working harder but not seeing the benefit of it 3/3
This budget does nothing to help on that front, says Bill Robson, CEO, C.D. Howe Institute
Drummond, Robson – Grading the 2024 Federal Budget: A 10-point Scheme
To: Canadian Budget Watchers From: Don Drummond and William B.P. Robson Date: April 15, 2024 Re: Grading the 2024 Federal Budget: A 10-point Scheme Canada’s fiscal situation is dire, with bloated spending, excessive borrowing and growth-stifling taxes. Canadians need a responsible federal budget — if not an A-grade fiscal plan, at least a solid B. It needs to […] Bill Robson on BNN: Increasing taxes on businesses is going to depress investment further Part 2/3
Somebody’s going to have to pay, either the business, the employees or the customers says, Bill Robson, CEO, C.D. Howe Institute.
Tax Reform is Taxing with Heather Evans
If you care about the direction of the country, you must care about tax reform. That’s the sentiment from the Canadian Tax Foundation’s Heather Evans who warns “fiscal pollution” is clouding our ability to attract business development. But is a 2 percent increase in the GST the solution?
Parisa Mahboubi – How to Improve Our Skilled Migrant Programs
From: Parisa Mahboubi To: The Honourable Marc Miller, Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada Date: April 11, 2024 Re: How to Improve Our Skilled Migrant Programs Canada’s immigration point system is designed to select skilled individuals who have the potential to contribute to our country’s economic growth and meet its evolving labour needs. Since the mid-2010s, it has […]