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Published in the Financial Post on June 11, 2011 By William B.P. Robson The recent economic crisis highlighted the weak foundations of defined-benefit (DB) pension and social-security schemes around the world. The Canada Pension Plan appears to have weathered that storm well, and some are advocating an expanded CPP to alleviate risks of low incomes in retirement. Proposals for a bigger CPP that…

By Finn Poschmann Published in the Financial Post on March 22, 2012 The federal budget due March 29 almost certainly will unveil the government’s thinking on the future of the Canadian covered bond market. This may prove strangely important, because covered bonds lie at the heart of one of the most contentious public policy issues in the Canadian financial system. The bonds are “covered” because…

Providing a comprehensive, one-size-fits-all guaranteed annual income (GAI) is not the best solution to fighting poverty in Canada, according to a new report from the C.D. Howe Institute. In “Toward a New Balance in Social Policy: The Future Role of Guaranteed Annual Income within the Safety Net,” author Peter Hicks urges policymakers to address poverty by using a “bottom-up” approach and…

The accumulation of past failures in fighting poverty has breathed new life into proposals to introduce a basic income, also known as a Guaranteed Annual Income. Ontario, for example, has a pilot project underway championed by former senator Hugh Segal. But, is the basic income approach, where governments provide direct financial support to low-income people, the best approach? Basic income…

March 19, 2014 – While public debate has mainly focused on the “gold-plated” defined benefits of many public-service pension plans, the real problem lies in a flawed approach to managing compensation costs, according to respected pension expert Malcolm Hamilton.  In, “Evaluating Public-Sector Pensions: How Much Do They Really Cost?” Hamilton says the problem is government sponsors who…