Latest C.D. Howe Institute Stories

TORONTO, March 6, 2013 /CNW/ - While the Canadian labour market has shown great resilience since the last recession and is nearly back to normal, important weaknesses remain for youth and the long-term unemployed, according to a report released today by the C.D. Howe Institute. In "Still Standing in Line: Addressing a Mismatch of Skills and Jobs in the Canadian Labour Market," author Philippe Bergevin recommends broad policies to enhance labour mobility and emphasize skills...

TORONTO, Feb. 28, 2013 /CNW/ - The C.D. Howe Institute's Monetary Policy Council (MPC) today recommended that the Bank of Canada maintain its target for the overnight rate, the very short-term interest rate the Bank targets for monetary policy purposes, at 1.00 percent at its next announcement on March 6, 2013. The Council further called for the Bank to hold the target at 1.00 through to March of 2014. The MPC is a C.D. Howe Institute project that provides an independent...

TORONTO, Feb. 21, 2013 /CNW/ - Canada's senior governments have regularly missed budget spending and revenue targets during the last decade, according to a report released today by the C.D. Howe Institute. In "Canada's 2012 Fiscal Accountability Rankings," authors Colin Busby and William B.P. Robson find the combined spending overruns of federal, provincial and territorial governments have surpassed $53 billion in the last 10 years. If budget targets were met more accurately, they...

TORONTO, Feb. 7, 2013 /CNW/ - Quebecers carry a $768 billion fiscal burden - the higher tax bill for increased healthcare costs over the next half-century - and should prepare now for the coming demographic squeeze, says a report released today from the C.D. Howe Institute. In "Managing Healthcare for an Aging Population: The Fiscal Challenge Quebec Has Yet to Face," authors Colin Busby and William B.P. Robson recommend that Quebec prefund selected healthcare services and...

TORONTO, Feb. 6, 2013 /CNW/ - After years of "mission creep" at Canada's Crown financial corporations, their activities have expanded far beyond their original mandates and need reassessment, according to a new report from the C.D. Howe Institute. In "Reining in the Risks: Rethinking the Role of Crown Financial Corporations in Canada," authors Philippe Bergevin and Finn Poschmann assess the risks posed by three major Crown financials for taxpayers and the economy and make...

TORONTO, Jan. 17, 2013 /CNW/ - The C.D. Howe Institute's Monetary Policy Council (MPC) today recommended that the Bank of Canada maintain its target for the overnight rate, the very short-term interest rate the Bank targets for monetary policy purposes, at 1.00 percent at its next announcement on January 23, 2013. The Council further called for the Bank to hold the target at 1.00 through mid-year, recommending a target of 1.25 percent by January of 2014. The MPC is a C.D. Howe...

TORONTO, Jan. 16, 2013 /CNW/ - While critics have raised alarms about the rising cash holdings on corporate balance sheets, there are broader, long-term reasons for the move to cash that go far beyond a knee-jerk reaction by business to current economic uncertainty, according to a new report from the C.D. Howe Institute. In "Not Dead Yet: The Changing Role of Cash on Corporate Balance Sheets," Finn Poschmann finds corporate cash holdings have increased in waves over the past...

TORONTO, Jan. 10, 2013 /CNW/ - Canada should step up efforts to wrap up a trade deal this year with the Caribbean Community (CARICOM), according to a report released by the C.D. Howe Institute. In "A Canada-CARICOM "Trade-not-Aid" Strategy: Important and Achievable," author Phil Rourke says a Canada-CARICOM trade deal could serve as a model for agreements with other low- and middle-income countries. "Canada's aggressive trade negotiation strategy needs to close some deals and...

TORONTO, Dec. 18, 2012 /CNW/ - Despite recent high-profile changes to the pension plans of federal public servants, uniformed personnel and MPs, a critical flaw remains: the contributions to these plans, even after the changes, come nowhere close to covering the rocketing cost of their promises. In "Ottawa's Pension Abyss: The Rapid Hidden Growth of Federal-Employee Retirement Liabilities," author William B.P. Robson finds  the accumulated unfunded liability of these plans, using...

TORONTO, Dec. 13, 2012 /CNW/ - Ottawa must move carefully in deciding the best role for the Bank of Canada in preventing threats to financial stability, according to a report released today by the C.D. Howe Institute. In "Seeking Financial Stability: The Best Role for the Bank of Canada," former Bank of Canada Governor John Crow assesses how much of a role the Bank should play in this new policy front. Since the 2008/09 financial crisis, notes Crow, each G-20 country has had a...