Government considering extending debate on pension bill, Senate poised to send Bélanger’s anthem bill to committee
The Liberals are looking at extending debate on proposed changes to the Canada Pension Plan, after facing more opposition from the Conservatives in the House than anticipated. This bill, C-26, alongside two other government bills that are expected to be studied at House committees this week—Bill C-22, establishing the National Security and Intelligence Committee, and Bill C-16, […]
PBO says government has financial room to manoeuvre, economic update on tap this week
A senior official with the Office of the Parliamentary Budget Officer says the government has room to introduce additional spending initiatives and still meet its goals for reducing the national debt-to-GDP ratio, despite a deteriorating economic picture. That assertion came in an interview last week following a new report from the PBO that said that […]
Budget should respect regional economic differences, says Finance Committee Chair Easter
With the House Finance Committee wrapping up it’s 2017 pre-budget consultations, Liberal MP and committee Chair Wayne Easter says one of the key takeaways is the need to show diversity in how economic policy is implemented across Canada. “[The consultations] showed that Canada is really a country of economic regions, very diverse in terms of those economic regions, […]
Boost aid budget to help end polio
Canadians have been proud leaders in global health and on Oct. 24, which marked World Polio Day, Canadians celebrated their commitment to polio eradication since the discovery of the vaccine. In reflection of our achievements in eradication of this disease, there is still much work to be done. The first outbreak of polio was in […]
More immigrants won’t come cheap, says McCallum, as government advisers, Tory leadership hopeful call for uptick
A big influx of immigrants would be too expensive to Canada in the short term, Immigration Minister John McCallum said ahead of this week’s expected release of the government’s next immigration targets. The government plans to let in more immigrants than ever before in the next few years, said Mr. McCallum, but not yet on […]
Morneau tightens mortgage requirements, Liberal MPs concerned new rules will shut out first-time homebuyers
Liberal MPs are concerned sweeping mortgage rule changes introduced by Finance Minister Bill Morneau recently will exclude a significant number of first-time homebuyers from entering the housing market and are wondering why he didn’t consult the national Liberal caucus or the House Finance Committee prior to making the announcement intended to cool down the overheated housing market in major […]
In a time of transition, is Canada’s financial system falling behind?
The shift to a low-carbon economy is well underway. Sustainable development considerations are driving innovation and change in the global economy. Capital for the transition to a low-carbon economy is being mobilized in many parts of the world through the growth of green infrastructure investment, green bonds, carbon-efficient and sustainable indexes, and exchange-traded funds. In […]
Liberals cold to changes to CPP expansion
The Trudeau government appears unwilling to consider changes to its planned expansion of the Canada Pension Plan, despite calls from an influential group representing small business owners. Dan Kelly, president, CEO, and chair of the Canadian Federation of Independent Business, says the government’s proposed CPP enhancement appears imminent after it received support from every provincial government […]
Pundits anticipate expansive, course-setting budget in 2017
The Trudeau government will likely unveil an ambitious, activist budget in 2017 aimed at setting the course for the remainder of its first mandate after last year’s rushed fiscal blueprint merely scratched the surface and largely echoed the Liberals’ campaign platform, pundits predict. “In a lot of ways, this is the Trudeau government’s first budget. Budget 2016 reflected […]
One year of Trudeau-nomics is more than enough
The baseball season may be nearing its end, but the Trudeau government is still trying to win the Triple Crown. Not the one that goes to the player with the best batting average, the most RBIs and the most home runs, but to the government that manages to generate the lowest economic growth, the biggest […]
