Canadian households are saddled with unprecedented amounts of debt. As a percentage of income, debt levels of Canadians are higher than at any point in recent history and are now higher than those of American households. Recent debates have largely focussed on the housing market and on the risks...

The southern regions of Alberta, Manitoba and Saskatchewan suffer from periodic drought more than any other part of Canada. They depend heavily on rivers that rise in the Rocky Mountains and traverse all three provinces to their outlet on Hudson Bay. In 1969, after a prolonged period of...

Non-state actors are increasingly engaged in authoritative decision-making over standards. As a result, frameworks for governing international economic transactions are increasingly being maintained by the private sector, both with and without government cooperation. Typically, these privately...

On average, urban Aboriginals are as “happy” as other Canadians. The fact that the results are similar for Aboriginals and for all Canadians will be surprising to anyone whose image of urban Aboriginals is limited to those living in the poorest neighbourhoods of Canada’s cities. Although...

The pension plans of federal government employees are relatively generous and badly underfunded, with the Pension Plan for Members of Parliament (MPs), which covers members of the House of Commons and the Senate, standing out on both counts. The MP plan promises much higher retirement incomes...

In the wake of the financial crisis, Credit Rating Agencies (CRAs) have been criticized for having played a significant role in the market turmoil. Numerous reports have identified failures on the part of CRAs that have affected the quality and integrity of the rating process. In light of the...

Retiring babyboomers are driving a shift from retirement-fund accumulation to decumulation, but they need better choices to protect against longevity risk. The author says to enhance retirees' options, policy reforms should level the playing field for annuity products and promote market-driven...

The Canada Health Act (CHA) creates a series of “grey zones” in which considerable discretion is granted to the federal health minister to determine what is subject to penalty under the Act. This report outlines the provisions of the CHA, and examines four current issues relating to the Act:...

Important changes are now underway to Canada Pension Plan “adjustment factors” that will increase the penalty for those who retire before age 65, and will raise the amount of additional CPP benefits available for those who delay retirement beyond 65. The new pension adjustment factors have...

As Canada’s society ages, more personal care and health support will be needed for people who, either as a consequence of disability or aging, require assistance to function independently. As this happens, policymakers face the daunting challenge of balancing the fiscal burden on taxpayers...