Op-Eds
Published in the Globe and Mail on June 2, 2014
Benjamin Dachis and John Lester are co-authors of the recent C.D. Howe Institute commentary “Small Business Preferences as a Barrier to Growth: Not So Tall After All.”
Governments give small businesses special tax breaks and subsidies with a view to boosting job creation and innovation-led growth. Critics point out that because firms have to stay small to receive benefits, these programs could be causing firms to give up on growth. Both sides are missing the real point: the net impact on the economy. Our analysis shows that small-business tax breaks do not create significant barriers to growth, but they still have a high economic cost by shifting investment from…
Published in the Globe and Mail on April 21, 2015
By: Alexandre Laurin
Alexandre Laurin is director of research at the C.D. Howe Institute
Budgets, especially pre-election budgets, inevitably respond to short-term concerns and special interests. This budget is no exception. A prime example is the creation of a new fund to celebrate Canada’s 150th anniversary dedicated to the renovation of community infrastructure across the country, or yet another tax credit targeted to seniors. Over time, though, successive annual budgets write much of our fiscal and economic history – how much the government spends, taxes, and accumulates debts, and how well (or badly) fiscal policy has supported long-term growth.
…Published in the Globe and Mail on April 21, 2015
By: Alexandre Laurin
Alexandre Laurin is director of research at the C.D. Howe Institute
Budgets, especially pre-election budgets, inevitably respond to short-term concerns and special interests. This budget is no exception. A prime example is the creation of a new fund to celebrate Canada’s 150th anniversary dedicated to the renovation of community infrastructure across the country, or yet another tax credit targeted to seniors. Over time, though, successive annual budgets write much of our fiscal and economic history – how much the government spends, taxes, and accumulates debts, and how well (or badly) fiscal policy has supported long-term growth.
…Published in the Globe and Mail on April 21, 2015
By: Christopher Ragan
Christopher Ragan is an associate professor of economics at McGill University in Montreal and a research fellow at the C.D. Howe Institute in Toronto.
It’s natural for public discussion to focus on today’s problems and how to best solve them. But it’s also worthwhile to remind ourselves what past challenges we’ve already come together to solve. In comparison with only a few decades ago, things look remarkably good today.
Quebec had its first referendum on separation in 1980. Not only did this create much angst across Canada, it led Pierre Trudeau’s federal government to devote enormous energy to constitutional negotiations.…
Published in the Globe and Mail on December 16, 2014
By: Christopher Ragan
Christopher Ragan is an associate professor of economics at McGill University and a research fellow at the C.D. Howe Institute.
Events in the world economy, combined with recent data released from the Bank of Canada, reveal why conducting monetary policy is so difficult. We may not need to feel sympathy for Bank of Canada Governor Stephen Poloz, but we should at least understand and appreciate how conflicting economic forces can complicate his policy decisions.
The first major force is the massive decline in the world price of oil from $105 (U.S.) a barrel in June to below $60 today. As is the case for most changes in…
