Economy

Geopolitical Policy Challenges on a New Canadian Path, Part 1: New Disrupting Forces
- May 3, 2017
Canada needs to move beyond a policy perspective largely shaped by relations with the US and EU and build upon partnerships with the Global South.

The future is always hard to predict, but we already know that there is …
By John Sinclair
READ MORE
Trump vs. the Climate, Round 1
- April 6, 2017
Trump’s executive order, “Promoting Energy Independence and Economic Growth,” is the latest and perhaps most wide-ranging assault on climate change policy under the Obama administration in the US. Much has already been said about it, with excellent commentaries …
By Matthew Paterson
READ MORE
Harper Lite? The Trudeau Government on Foreign Aid
- April 2, 2017
Shifting from petty and mean to sunny ways, Justin Trudeau’s Liberal government has done a remarkable job of changing the tone of Canada’s international engagement. When it comes to foreign aid, however, the rhetoric has not been matched by action. …
By Stephen Brown
READ MORE
Changes South of the Border Offer both Challenges and Opportunities for Sustainable Agriculture in Canada
- February 23, 2017
By Ryan M. Katz-Rosene, Marie-Josée Massicotte, and Christopher Kelly-Bisson

A number of obstacles presently stand in the way of efforts to make Canada’s agricultural system more sustainable. A heavy reliance on chemical inputs, industrial processing, and long distances between farm …
By Ryan Katz-Rosene
READ MORE
Tax Carbon, Not Meat Part 2: Fossil Fuels are the Climate Problem, not Animals
- February 13, 2017
Besides the various agricultural production practices outlined in part one of this blog, many cite the atmospheric impacts of farm animals themselves as a reason to tax meat. However, direct GHG emissions from animals, known as “biospheric emissions,” are qualitatively …
By Ryan Katz-Rosene
READ MORE
Tax Carbon, Not Meat Part 1: Differentiating Livestock Management Practices
- February 13, 2017
The idea of applying a tax on meat has recently received a lot of attention, both in Canada and internationally. However, the leading proponents of taxing meat make some big assumptions about all meat being “bad” for the climate. …
By Ryan Katz-Rosene
READ MORE

Why We Need Better Central Bank Accountability
- June 16, 2016
As pundits debate whether the US Federal Reserve will raise interest rates again this summer or fall, we are reminded of just how much of the economy’s direction hinges on central bankers’ decisions.

Since the 2008 financial crisis, the power …
By Jacqueline Best
READ MORE
Central Banks Facing Credibility Trap
- April 27, 2016
When the Governor of the Bank of Canada, Stephen Poloz, insisted in New York this week, “the idea that monetary policy just isn’t working any more [is] one myth I’d like to dispel right off the top,” he was right …
By Jacqueline Best
READ MORE
West Politicizes IMF to Support Ukraine
- December 10, 2015
By Paul Robinson

Power is shifting worldwide. As previously less developed economies grow at a faster rate than those of the West, Western states are becoming relatively less powerful. It is in the West’s interest, therefore, to use the years …
By Paul Robinson
READ MORE
Rebuilding the Middle Class: The Liberals Have a Chance to Rectify their Past Economic Mistakes
- November 5, 2015
By Jacqueline Best

After a decade under a Conservative leadership that actively undermined the government’s capacity to conduct research, Canadians have elected a government that has promised to base its policies on evidence.

Yet, if the new Liberal government wants …
By Jacqueline Best
READ MORE
Canada Would Be Foolish Not to Join the TPP
- October 1, 2015
A few days ago, cows and their owners were marching in front of Parliament in Ottawa. They were protesting against the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP), which, they argued, would cause the demise of the dairy industry’s supply management regime. Last week, …
By Patrick Leblond
READ MORE
D-Day for Greece is Coming Fast
- June 12, 2015
For months, the Greek government (run by the neophyte left-wing Syriza party), its euro-area partners, and the International Monetary Fund (IMF) have been engaged in negotiations about payment of the last tranche of an existing bail-out program. In exchange for …
By Patrick Leblond
READ MORE