The tidal wave of patriotism unleashed by our country’s performance in the Olympics is subsiding, but in most Canadians the euphoria lingers. Memories of our athletes’ feats at Vancouver and Whistler will be a wellspring of national pride for some time.
Economy and economic indicators
The Ontario government has recently announced major changes to the way that it will pay for generic drugs. The aim is to rein in rapidly increasing costs for the Ontario Drug Benefit Program.
Generics help make public drug plans affordable, but, to get used, they need to be dispensed by pharmacists. In effect, what the pharmacy owners tell the generic companies is that they will not stock their products unless the companies sell to them at a discount.
This article originally appeared on http://www.policynote.ca, the CCPA's blog on BC public policy issues.
Yesterday, the Fraser Institute released their Consumer Tax Index report, which claims to show that the average Canadian family’s tax bill has increased by a whopping 1,624% since 1961. There are a lot of things wrong with Fraser Institute’s math. Here are just a few of them.
On April 19, 2010, the Fraser Institute released The Canadian Consumer Tax Index, 2010. This report overstates average taxes and ignores the introduction of new public services during the past half-century. It does so in the following ways: On taxes The Fraser Institute’s starting point is that all taxes are paid by individuals. According to the report, the “tax bill of the average Canadian family” includes $2,484 of corporate income tax and $397 of charges for natural resources.
OTTAWA—Expanding the Canada Pension Plan would be the most effective way to ensure all Canadian have adequate retirement incomes, says a new report by the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives (CCPA).
The report, by pension expert and CCPA Research Associate Monica Townson, provides an analysis of the options for expanding the CPP in order to address Canada’s pension difficulties.
“There is now widespread concern that unless changes are made, a significant number of workers will reach retirement age without sufficient income to support themselves,” says Townson.
There is a shadow side to this recovery that may undo it in the end. Uncertainty is fast becoming the new normal in the labour market, and that has long-term implications for aggregate demand, household indebtedness, and the rate of defaults on mortgages and credit cards.
The latest Labour Force Survey results show that -- though there are still 253,000 fewer jobs than when the recession began in October 2008 -- employment growth continues its slow path upward. This month’s rising head count is driven by part-time jobs.
OTTAWA—In a report released today by the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives (CCPA), two prominent economists warn of the ongoing the inherent instability of financial markets.
The report, by Doug Peters, former Secretary of State (Finance) and former TD Bank Chief Economist, and economic consultant Arthur Donner, analyzes the recent meltdown in U.S. and European financial markets and finds it was a classic “Minsky moment”—a term named after economist Hyman Minsky to describe a moment of financial frenzy.