On March 19, Canada’s federal finance minister tabled the Trudeau government’s 2019 budget titled Investing in the Middle Class. Key social policy announcements include a new Canada Training Credit, increased funding for municipalities, some increased funding for women’s organizations and increased earnings’ exemptions for low-income seniors. Budget 2019 also has…
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The Scott Moe government boasts that Saskatchewan’s a low-tax province. It shouldn’t. Taxes serve important objectives, and our leaders need to understand that. On March 20, the Saskatchewan government tabled its 2019-20 provincial budget, projecting a balanced budget for the upcoming year. In many ways that’s quite remarkable, with Saskatchewan’s…
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A meaningful feminist agenda demands bold action and sustained funding to achieve significant change in the lives of women and girls. Budget 2019 targets many areas essential to advancing gender equality, building on initiatives announced over the last three years, but falls short on investments in child care, pay equity…
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Despite a “surprise” boost in government revenue due to the strong economy, there aren’t many big ticket items compared to previous Liberal budgets. There are actually big risks in baking big programs into the budget before an election, as all the parties can use the increased fiscal room for their…
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Canada faces significant and unpredictable headwinds going into 2019. Their source, and what we should do about them, however, depends on who you ask. According to business lobby groups, the biggest threats to Canada come from uncertainty in our trade relationship with the United States, our relative tax competitiveness in…
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Alberta is the only Canadian province without a sales tax. That needs to change. With its own sales tax, Alberta could afford to make important new investments in social programs. For example, it could hire more teachers, improve staffing levels in long-term care facilities and build more affordable housing. Without…
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Am I happy with the 2018 federal budget? Well, many of the items in it can be found in this year’s and past Alternative Federal Budgets (AFB), which of course is a good thing. But in general I’d say this is an ambition constrained budget. The government had the fiscal…
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This year’s Alternative Federal Budget (AFB) has just been released. I was proud to be part of this year’s effort, coordinated by staff of the National Office of the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives (CCPA). Here are 10 measures proposed in this year’s AFB: Create 470,000 new (full-time equivalent) jobs….
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The following remarks are excerpted from the 2018 Alternative Federal Budget press conference, featuring Gauri Sreenivasan, David Macdonald and Peter Bleyer (February 22, Parliament Hill). Today we are releasing the CCPA’s 23rd annual Alternative Federal Budget. Our Budget is a roadmap for policymakers; a set of realistic, fully costed proposals based…
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After many years of “serial disappointment” and concerns about secular stagnation, Canada’s economy is finally growing at a solid pace, as Finance Minister Morneau and the Bank of Canada Governor Poloz underlined in the recent Fall Economic Statement and Monetary Policy Report. This has led to higher revenues, lower deficits,…
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