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From: Angelo Nikolakakis  To: The Honourable Chrystia Freeland, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance Date: June 13, 2023 Re: A New Bad Idea: Financial Institution Dividend Taxes This year’s federal budget included one very troubling tax policy change. It will end up costing many hardworking Canadians who have invested in Canadian banks and other financial…

‘Tis the season for giving, and as the year ends, many Canadians are planning substantial donations. However, they should consider maximizing those donations in 2023 while full tax relief for charitable giving is still guaranteed. The federal government has yet to table its legislation for reforming the alternative minimum tax (AMT), but if it sticks to its commitments laid out in the 2023 budget…

Since the release of the Alberta Pension Plan report, I’ve read with interest the steady stream of commentary and opinion and, while there have been some thoughtful pieces, much of it has been ill-informed and misleading. Doubt has been cast on the credibility of the firm that researched and delivered the report. Questions have been raised about the relevance of the formula used to calculate…

Severe forest fires, floods and other extreme weather events have hit many Canadian regions hard, with climate change the probable cause. These severe events have destroyed housing, commercial property and infrastructure with a lengthy recovery period ahead. Insured and uninsured losses will be in the billions, in addition to the cost of repairing public infrastructure. Lives have been lost in…

Following passage of the Ford government’s Bill 60, Ontario’s ministry of health now has the option to contract out to independent clinics the provision of certain kinds of health-care services normally provided in hospitals. Its opponents have cast the bill as favouring “privatization” and as a threat to the Canadian model of public health care. An emotionally charged…

From: Duncan Munn To: Canada’s Political Class Date: January 4, 2023 Re: A New Year’s Resolution: Let’s Embrace Realism The New Year traditionally arrives with resolutions and a fresh start at self-improvement. Here’s a simple suggestion for all political leaders: Embrace more realism in public policy. Let’s look at five areas in which Canada has clear goals, but falls short…