Canada Infrastructure Bank CEO pushes back against calls for its abolishment
The federal government hopes Canadians will have more incentive to switch to electric cars thanks to a $500-million investment in the creation of zero-emission vehicle (ZEV) charging and hydrogen refuelling stations recently announced by the Canada Infrastructure Bank (CIB). The official opposition Conservatives, however, believe the CIB is the wrong vehicle for anything, and simply […]
Federal government working at cross-purposes in realizing UNDRIP
The conclusion we are left to draw is the feds are not fully committed to entrusting key services to Indigenous institutions, to working as our partner, or to recognizing Indigenous economic rights in practice.
How a budget is made: a Q&A with former insider Sahir Khan
When does the budget process really start and finish? How are decisions made, and how do the best lobbyists get their issues addressed? A financial guru and former government budget-maker walks us through the process.
Big banks, challengers jockey for position as government plans open banking rollout
Conservative MP Adam Chambers says open banking will encourage more competition in the financial sector and generate more choice for consumers.
‘Inconceivable’ the Liberals have not eliminated archaic, discriminatory ‘gold digger’ clauses from survivor pensions for veterans, say advocates
Veterans groups and parliamentary critics are urging the Liberals to live up to a 2015 election promise to remove restrictions to survivor pension payouts that NDP MP Rachel Blaney says are “sexist” and “archaic” and discriminate against couples who get married late in life. In a new costing of Blaney’s private member’s bill to address […]
Canada’s financial sector is not robust, but the federal government can fix that
A robust system can withstand pressure, because it doesn’t put all its eggs in just a few baskets. As it happens, Canada’s financial sector is little more than a few egg-stuffed baskets.
‘No brainer’: consultations should not delay federal crack down on high-interest loans, say NDP MP, ISG Senator
Independent Senator Pierrette Ringuette says she worries Finance Canada’s consultations won’t be accessible to the vulnerable people most affected by predatory lending and the results will be biased towards the industry.
Coalition warns of ‘death knell’ to cryptocurrency industry under proposed tax law changes
A new coalition of companies representing Canada’s cryptocurrency sector are urging the federal government not to move forward with a proposed tax law change, which they argue has the potential to kill their nascent industry. “The reality is that by putting in these proposed changes to the tax code, they’re going to increase our costs […]
Burying our heads, and carbon dioxide, in the sand
Budget 2022 adds detail to the investment tax credit for carbon capture, utilization, and storage proposed in the previous budget. Credit rates are set at 60 per cent for investment in equipment to capture carbon dioxide (CO2) via direct air capture and 50 per cent for capture by other methods. The rate is only 37.5 […]
Budget’s anti-vaping measures a breath of fresh air, but more must be done
Teenagers are notorious for hearing what they want to hear and ignoring the rest. They’re also notorious for believing they’re invincible. So perhaps it’s no surprise that even government messages as clear as “vaping is less harmful than smoking, but it’s still not safe,” can get taken out of context. In recent years, because of […]
