Times of crisis open the door to new economic theories. As governments inflate debt to address them, talk about Modern Monetary Theory has grown into a chorus in some circles – particularly as the Americans discuss the “Green New Deal.” But as report authors Farah Omran and Mark Zelmer tell host Michael Hainsworth, Modern Monetary Theory has a serious flaw: relying on politicians to do the right thing.

The C.D. Howe Institute Podcast

S3 E7: Modern Monetary Theory with Farah Omran and Mark Zelmer

With vaccinations ramping up, our attention turns to the post-pandemic recovery. But how can the country recover without women in the workforce? Dr. Jennifer Robson of Carleton University and McGill’s Ken Boessenkool tell Michael Hainsworth that now is not the time to build a national childcare program from scratch, but work needs to begin now on providing more accessible and affordable childcare, building on structures already in place.

S3 E8: Strengthening Canada's Childcare System

Ottawa is kicking the cost of COVID-19 down the road and crossing its fingers we don’t encounter any additional economic or health crises between now and 2055. The Institute’s CEO Bill Robson is joined by Director of Research Alex Laurin and Senior Fellow Don Drummond to discuss the implications, why we can’t grow our way out of the fiscal hole like we did after the Second World War, and why a consumption tax would be a more effective tool than a wealth tax.

S3 E9: Budget 2021 Reaction

Cigarette smoking is the single largest cause of avoidable premature death in Canada. It’s estimated to cut 10 years off a smoker’s life. Cigarettes have gotten a 21st century makeover since they were first introduced in the 19th century. Concordia University economics professor Ian Irvine says Ottawa should tax vape-based products as a harm reduction strategy aimed at kicking the habit. But by how much?

S3 E11: Taxing Vaping for Harm Reduction

The 1st anniversary of CUSMA is around the corner. But what does the future look like for the Canadian automotive industry in a post-CUSMA, and a post-COVID world? We turned to KPMG Canada’s Joy Nott and Transport Canada’s Megan Nichols to learn how much the breakdown in supply chain management over the last 15 months and a new trade deal will change the sector forever.

The C.D. Howe Institute Podacst

S3 E12: The Future of Automotive in Canada

With most of Canada partially vaccinated and 41% going into a “two dose summer”, is now the time to pull back on COVID-19 related stimulus spending? The Institute’s Bill Robson and Jeremy Kronick tell Michael Hainsworth that the economic data support the move as consumers prepare to open their wallets wide.

S3 E14: Too Much Stimulus with Bill Robson and Jeremy Kronick

As the Delta variant fuels a fourth wave of Coronavirus, small business in Canada is worried about another lockdown. The Canadian Federation of Independent Business reports only one third of businesses are back to "normal" and it fears Ottawa is moving too fast on winding-down support programs. President and CEO Dan Kelly joins the C.D. Howe Institute Podcast's Michael Hainsworth to discuss his petition calling for a plan to help SMB's stay open - and avoid further restrictions.

S3 E16: Small Business Re-opening with Dan Kelly

How will the US Federal Reserve normalize central bank policy without crashing the economy? Dallas Federal Reserve President and CEO Robert S. Kaplan tells Michael Hainsworth why he’s not focused on raising interest rates any time soon, and the role the Delta variant of COVID-19 may play.

S3 E17: Normalizing Monetary Policy with Robert S. Kaplan

Is now the time to pay for COVID-19 and to raise interest rates? Queen's University Stauffer-Dunning Fellow and Adjunct Professor Don Drummond is worried about saddling the next generation with today's debt, while University of British Columbia Professor Kevin Milligan believes a harsh cure may do more damage than good.

S3 E18: Hawks vs Doves: Canada's Fiscal Situation with Don Drummond and Kevin Milligan

The gig economy worker has been doing much of the heavy lifting during COVID-19, delivering everything from shopping packages to dinner. But when one loses their job, they fall through Employment Insurance holes in Canada’s social safety net. Author David Gray asks: should gig workers be covered by the EI regime? The answer, not surprisingly, is complicated.

S3 E20: The Gig Economy and EI with David Gray

We welcome back RBC's John Stackhouse and Cynthia Leach to discuss how an estimated $280B saved by Canadian households during the pandemic will impact economic recovery, and what role public policy should play in guiding Canada out of the pandemic tunnel and into the light.

S3 E22: Canada's Economic Recovery with John Stackhouse and Cynthia Leach

If most Canadians want to die at home, why don't we? Two out of three will die in a hospital and the cost is enormous. Doctors James Downar and Kieran Quinn offer solutions to cut costs and give us the end of life we want.

S3 E23: Canada's Sky High Costs for End of Life Care

Elementary school students educated primarily online during the pandemic are falling behind by as much as an entire letter grade, according to a study delivered by the National Bureau of Economic Research. Brown University Professor of Economics Emily Oster says it’s enough of an impact that policy makers need to consider student performance when making decisions on school closures.

S4 E1: The Effect of Online Learning on Student Performance with Emily Oster

Canada's healthcare system is failing. With the elderly population three times greater than when Tommy Douglas proposed Medicare, Queen's University's Don Drummond and Duncan Sinclair discuss why the Canada Health Act is failing against its five famous principles, and what to do about it.

S4 E2: Fixing Medicare with Don Drummond and Duncan Sinclair

Inflation is at a new 31 year high and the Bank of Canada is taking the unusual step of warning that interest rates are set to substantially rise. Former Bank of Canada governors David Dodge and Stephen Poloz sat down with Michael Hainsworth to discuss what’s different this time around, and why fiscal policy needs to take the wheel when monetary policy has only one lever to pull.

S4 E7: Inflation with David Dodge and Stephen Poloz

Raising interest rates to cool inflation is only part of the solution. But as the C.D. Howe Institute's Bill Robson and Jeremy Kronick tell host Michael Hainsworth, fiscal policy that increases corporate Canada's productive capacity to meet demand isn’t likely, leaving the central bank with the task of dousing the inflationary fire from 2 years of COVID-19 spending.

Inflation And A Recession With Bill Robson And Jeremy Kronick

S4 E9: Inflation and a Recession with Bill Robson and Jeremy Kronick

The economic fall out of COVID-19 could be permanent for Canada’s youth. The Institute’s Parisa Mahboubi tells Michael Hainsworth they’ve been hit with a one two punch of diminished education and poorer job prospects.

Lives Put On Hold The Impact Of The Covid-19 Pandemic On Canada's Youth With Parisa Mahboubi

S4 E11: Lives Put On Hold The Impact Of The COVID-19 Pandemic On Canada's Youth With Parisa Mahboubi

Canada's Emissions Reduction Plan (ERP) is missing details required to make informed decisions about a way forward. And 2030 is right around the corner. But C.D. Howe Institute Fellow-in-Residence Kent Fellows tells host Michael Hainsworth he’s optimistic Canada’s oil patch will remain competitive for years to come even if the ERP doesn’t factor it in.

S4 E12: Canada's 2030 ERP and the Future of Alberta's Oil Patch with Kent Fellows

COVID-19 has intensified the need for digital and STEM skills, but Canada lags in this area. Why? For insight into the solutions to a generational problem, Jayson Hilchie of the Entertainment Software Association of Canada joins C.D. Howe Institute CEO Bill Robson and host Michael Hainsworth to discuss the two paths Canada must take to remain competitive and fuel our economy.

S4 E13: STEM Skills Shortage Solutions with Bill Robson and Jayson Hilchie

Ottawa wants to slash greenhouse gas emissions from Canadian home heating. But is the goal little more than hot air? The C.D. Howe Institute's Charles DeLand tells host Michael Hainsworth that cutting emissions to 0% by 2050 will cost more than $6 billion a year and we need to start renovating homes now.

S4 E14: Only Hot Air? with Charles DeLand

Canada’s small and medium-size enterprises (SMEs) face numerous challenges to scaling-up to compete on the world stage. There are ways to remove those barriers to financing and deepen capital markets. Michael Denham, National Bank of Canada’s Vice Chair of Commercial and Financial Markets, tells C.D. Howe Institute Podcast Host Michael Hainsworth that there are three key hurdles to overcome.

S4 E16: SME Challenges with Michael Denham

What will 2023 bring for inflation, the housing market and healthcare? In episode one of the C.D. Howe Institute Podcast’s fifth season, the Globe & Mail’s Andrew Coyne joins host Michael Hainsworth for insight into the year ahead.

Looking Ahead with Andrew Coyne

What should healthcare in Canada look like after COVID-19? Dr. Robert Bell and William Falk join the C.D. Howe Institute Podcast for our second episode to discuss privatization and the future of telemedicine.

Healthcare After COVID-19 with Dr. Bob Bell and Will Falk

You’re at risk of running out of money in retirement. On episode eight of the C.D. Howe Institute Podcast, CEO Bill Robson tells host Michael Hainsworth why we need to change the rules regarding RRIFs today to ensure Canadians live long – and prosper.

Live Long and Prosper? with Bill Robson

The economics of supply chain politics doesn’t add up. C.D. Howe Institute Fellow-In-Residence Dan Ciuriak tells host Michael Hainsworth that meeting geopolitical goals by binding the invisible hand of the markets only ties it behind a country’s back.

The Economics of Supply Chain Politics with Dan Ciuriak

Privatized healthcare isn’t new to Canada. But for Medcan CEO and Chair Shaun Francis, breaking the government monopoly on how we’re cared for requires competition – and patient education.

Competition in Healthcare with Shaun Francis

Could the Bank of Canada seen the inflation beast coming? C.D. Howe Institute's Jeremy Kronick and Steve Ambler tell host Michael Hainsworth that the Institute saw several signs of it rearing its ugly head long before the Bank raised borrowing costs. But what about now?

Slaying the Beast with Jeremy Kronick and Steve Ambler

When you’ve got more than 2,500 international investor agreements worldwide, you’re bound to have disputes. But as trade lawyer and C.D. Howe Institute Senior Fellow Lawrence Herman points out, reforms to the dispute resolution mechanisms need reformation for greater transparency – and to ensure foreign investors still trust that their capital is being respected.

Reforms Needed for Investor-State Disputes with Lawrence Herman

2022 Donner Prize winner Ryan Manucha and Michael Hainsworth discuss booze, cigarettes, and interprovincial trade in a growing isolationist environment around the world, and the politics at play as we try to remove those barriers to growth.

Booze & Cigarettes and Interprovincial Trade with Ryan Manucha

We’ve been complaining about Canada’s productivity problem for 50 years. One of the secrets to solving our problem is by creating companies that scale up from start up to world class. According to Charles Plant, C.D. Howe Institute author and Founder of The Narwhal Project, the solution isn’t throwing more money at the problem: it’s turning Canadians into salespeople.

Stop Throwing Money at Canada’s Productivity Problem With Charles Plant

One in three Ontarians do not have access to workplace health and dental benefits. In its Commentary titled "Better for Workers, Better for All? Assessing a Portable Health Benefits Plan in Ontario," the C.D. Howe Institute investigates a possible solution for that almost 30% of those in the province who need coverage.

Portable Heath Benefits Plan with Chris Bonnett and Rosalie Wyonch

You wouldn’t let your contractor go over budget without asking why. So why should we give Ottawa a pass? Neil Moss of The Hill Times joins C.D. Howe Institute CEO Bill Robson and host Michael Hainsworth to discuss why MPs weren’t keeping an eye on spending during the pandemic – or today.

Broken Spending Estimates with Bill Robson and Neil Moss

Canada's Housing Affordability Crisis with Romy Bowers and Bob Dugan

How should the Bank of Canada start preparing for the next financial crisis?

Full report: http://ow.ly/4mZ0gy 

The Common Room: Bank of Canada Should Prepare Now for the Next Financial Crisis

Fourth-pillar assets significantly improve the outlook for Canadian households’ retirement readiness.

Full report: https://goo.gl/rYQF0j

Intelligence Chat - “Fourth Pillar” Assets Improve Retirement Outlook for Canadians

In this episode, Michael Hainsworth sits down with auto industry veteran Dennis DesRosiers and Jon Johnson, former advisor to the Canadian government during the NAFTA negotiations, to take a deep dive into the murky rules of origin for autos laid out in the new Canada-United States-Mexico Agreement and the challenges they pose for the industry.  

Also on the subject of cars, Christopher Sands, senior research professor and director of the Center for Canadian Studies at Johns Hopkins University, talks about the U.S. government’s decision to rescind California’s auto industry emissions and fuel standards – and the opportunity it represents for Canada.

The CD Howe Institute Podcast

S1 E9: Auto-Motives

With Canada's 2019 federal election around the corner, and the possibility of a recession, why aren’t the major party leaders talking about what they would do in the event of a downturn? Bill Robson, President and CEO of the C.D. Howe Institute talks with Michael Hainsworth on what spending versus tax cuts means for Canada’s economy.

S1 E13: Pre-Election, Pre-Recession

Canada punches above its weight in Artificial Intelligence Research, but investment is down. Deloitte Canada's Shelby Austin and Uber's Inmar Givoni join Michael Hainsworth on this episode to talk about the advantages of "buying Canada" and the challenges of future government support.

S1 E15: Challenges of AI in Canada

New year, new opportunity. 2020 will be the Federal Government’s first real opportunity to build on the platforms of the October 2019 election. Queen’s University adjunct professor Don Drummond and the Institute’s Ben Dachis look ahead to the first full year of governing the new minority government.

S1 E18: Mandate 2020

The C.D. Howe Institute is an independent not-for-profit research institute whose mission is to raise living standards by fostering economically sound public policies. Widely considered to be Canada's most influential think tank, the Institute is a trusted source of essential policy intelligence, distinguished by research that is nonpartisan, evidence-based and subject to definitive expert review.

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