A key question in Canada's pensions debate is whether Canadians will be able to maintain their living standards in retirement, and if policy needs to respond to the risk that some will experience painful declines. To date, it has been very difficult to estimate how current trends might affect...

Tax measures announced in the latest Quebec budget strike a balance between good economic outcomes and attention to fairness in how tax burdens are shared. The author assesses Quebec's budget measures according to their impacts on the tax burden and how well provincial taxes match citizens'...

January 10, 2019 — The Ontario government's proposed childcare rebate will offer working mothers relief and create a windfall of tax revenues for the federal government, according to a new report from the C.D. Howe Institute. In “Mothers at Work: The Fiscal Implications of the Proposed...

Canada faces a deep long-term fiscal challenge, as its population ages and its labour force growth slows, states a new report from the C.D. Howe Institute. In “Tax Reform Priorities for Canada: Creating More Wealth to Go Around,” authors Craig Alexander and Alexandre Laurin address how the...

Defined-benefit (DB) pension plans have been in trouble in recent years, largely because their sponsors have tended to underestimate their liabilities. As Canadians saving for retirement in registered retirement saving plans and defined-contribution pension plans have begun to realize, low...

The pandemic has kicked Canadian government debt to high levels. Federal and provincial budget plans could well see it go higher for decades and even generations. The 2021 federal budget demonstrates the sensitivity and fragility of Canada’s fiscal prospects. In this E-Brief, we explore...

Working families with children in Canada face high tax hurdles that could dissuade them from earning extra income, according to a report released today by the C.D. Howe Institute. In "Treading Water: The Impact of High METRs on Working Families in Canada," authors Alexandre Laurin and Finn...

Spending control and greater reliance on their own revenues are more promising responses to provincial budget pressures than higher federal transfers, according to a new report released today by the C.D. Howe Institute. In “Adaptability, Accountability and Sustainability: Intergovernmental...

Governments are major employers, and many provide defined benefit pension plans with full inflation indexing and generous early retirement provisions. Hence, changes in thinking about, and accounting for, the costs of defined benefit pension plans have major implications for government finances....