My latest: What would a serious growth agenda look like? theglobeandmail.com/opinion/articl…

Today's data: payroll jobs! Down slightly in Feb (but basically flat). Up 0.9% over the past year. Here's the change since Feb 2020 by sector. Hotels/restaurants remain below pre-COVID levels. Prof/sci and health lead gains.

Details: www150.statcan.gc.ca/n1/daily-quoti… #cdnecon

The Hunter Prize is shaking up Canadian policymaking. Submit your idea to address Canada’s housing affordability crisis by May 31st.

This evening’s waxing gibbous #Moon . #astronomy

Insight from Michael Smart on the capital gains inclusion rate change that is worth reading: financialpost.com/opinion/higher…

Grok has a pretty good description of the capital gains debate!

Today the AB govt announced changes to the default 'Regulated Rate Option', including a name change ('Rate of Last Resort!') and moving from monthly pricing to 2-year fixed price terms.

Some initial thoughts from someone who has followed this closely for a while (me, i mean me):

There is such a thing as an optimal level of risk-taking. Investors are perfectly well equipped to judge whether the return on an investment is sufficient to justify the risk. All that a tax subsidy does is to induce them to take risks that would not otherwise be justified.

Repeats the classic non-argument for special treatment of cap gains: risk. The reward for risk is supposed to be *the return.* Riskier investments already pay higher returns. They don’t need, and shouldn’t get, an additional premium from the taxpayer.

Federal government business subsidies are huge. And mostly wasteful | Financial Post financialpost.com/opinion/federa…

Derrick Hunter: Slower growth, fewer jobs, a worse economy—the consequences of the capital gains tax shouldn’t be shrugged off

thehub.ca/2024-04-19/der…

Canadian health care is the envy of no one, and our fierce loyalty to the mirage of a functioning system is literally killing people.

We can’t even get the basics right, and we’re adding new programs on top. This is insane.
theglobeandmail.com/opinion/articl…

The first report from the 2024 Confederation of Tomorrow survey is out, and it features a number of findings of interest to those who are focusing on the current dispute between the PM and the premiers on the carbon tax. #CoT2024 #cdnpoli #cdnpoli tics

(Correction to prior tweet)

You can align the capital gains and dividends treatment by lowering PIT rates alone!

What would it take? A move to two federal brackets of 15/19 (with 2nd bracket at 56k).

Effect on revenue? Roughly $30b (but probably less).