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1. Provinces in Atlantic Canada must align government compensation with private sector

   The economic fallout from COVID-19 will pose significant challenges to government finances in each of the four Atlantic Provinces. As such, governments must carefully review all spending, including compensation for government workers. ...

2. Stimulus didn’t work in 2009—don’t expect it to kick-start the economy now

   Appeared in the Toronto Star, June 6, 2020 As the worst of the COVID experience subsides and economies begin to reopen, provincial governments are busy announcing plans to ramp up infrastructure spending to “kick-start” their economies. So far Quebec, ...

3. On the Passing of Harvard economist Alberto Alesina

   The fields of economics and public policy suffered a great loss recently, as leading political economist Alberto Alesina passed away at the age of 63. One of the world’s most influential economists, his contributions to the study of ...

4. Trudeau government should kill rumours about capital gains hike

   Appeared in National Newswatch, May 21, 2020 At a time when the country faces momentous economic challenges, it’s hard to think of a more damaging policy than a capital gains tax hike. Yet rumours persist that prior to the COVID crisis and economic ...

5. Alberta must target government wages, benefits in post-COVID world

   Appeared in the Calgary Sun, May 20, 2020 Due to the economic fallout from COVID-19, Alberta’s government finances will face significant challenges. As such, the Kenney government must carefully review all spending, including compensation for government ...

6. We need a new federal approach to the oil industry

   Appeared in the Calgary Herald, May 16, 2020 With Canada’s energy sector on its knees, two prominent politicians—Elizabeth May, MP and former leader of the Green Party and Bloc Québécois Leader Yves-François Blanchet—earlier this month declared the sector ...

7. Ontario must align government compensation with private sector

   The economic fallout from COVID-19 will pose significant challenges to Ontario’s government finances. As such, the Ford government must carefully review all its spending, including compensation for government workers. The province spends ...

8. The disproportionate pain of economic “shutdowns” by government

   With Statistics Canada releasing its latest job report on May 8, the media jumped all over the dismal news: “Canada lost nearly 2 million jobs in April” stated the CBC.ca headline and “Two million Canadian jobs lost in April as ...

9. Misinformation clouds reignited debate over guaranteed basic income

   Appeared in the National Post, April 28, 2020 Rahm Emanuel, President Obama’s chief of staff during the financial crisis, famously said “ never allow a good crisis go to waste. ” The idea being that during a crisis, citizens are more open to large changes ...

10. Getting political responsibility right in times of crises

    More often than not, politicians are given too much credit for both economic expansions (i.e. prosperity) as well as recessions. That’s not to say that policies don’t matter because they do. But the idea that a politician or government ...