The CDHI Podcast

What leverage does Canada have heading into upcoming CUSMA negotiations and what is at stake?In this episode, Professor Meredith Lilly, former International Trade Advisor to Prime Minister Stephen Harper, joins Steve Verheul, Canada’s chief negotiator for NAFTA, to discuss Canada’s negotiating leverage, the pressures shaping North American trade, and what the next round of CUSMA talks could mean for Canada’s economy.

Is Canada in a technical recession? Following the latest GDP figures from Statistics Canada, Business Cycle Council members Jeremy Kronick and Philip Cross unpack what a technical recession actually means and why Canada's current economic challenges run much deeper.

Youth unemployment in Canada is soaring, entry-level jobs demand years of experience, and many Gen Z graduates are wondering if AI will replace the careers they studied for. In this episode, economist and University of Laurier professor Tammy Schirle breaks down what’s really happening in the job market — and why young Canadians are struggling more than previous generations.

In this episode, host Michael Hainsworth speaks with Kate Koplovich, Senior Policy Analyst at the C.D. Howe Institute, about Ottawa’s proposed Canada Strong Fund and what a new $25 billion sovereign wealth fund could mean for Canadians. They break down how sovereign wealth funds work, why Canada’s model differs from successful funds in places like Norway and Quebec, and whether borrowing billions to invest is a smart economic strategy or a risky bet.Read her Financial Post opinion piece: https://cdhowe.org/publication/the-25-billion-sovereign-wealth-fund-is-not-enough-for-canadas-investment-challenges/The C.D. Howe Institute is Canada’s most influential think tank. Hosted by Michael Hainsworth, subscribe to the CDHI Podcast feed to get all our best content: https://podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast/the-cdhi-podcast/id1093920522 (Apple) https://open.spotify.com/show/1jIiUjOjlCUrzi6ZTI3GCM?si=ed51bb3130984f5b (Spotify) Watch a video version on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@CDHoweInstitute Want more CDHI? Subscribe to our FREE newsletter: https://cdhowe.org/newsletter-signup/ Follow us on socials: https://www.linkedin.com/company/c-d--howe-institute https://www.instagram.com/c.d.howeinstitute https://www.facebook.com/cdhoweinstitute https://www.x.com/CDHoweInstitute

More than 9 million Canadians don’t have a company pension plan because they work for a small business that doesn’t think it can afford one. Finance veteran Keith Ambachtsheer and industry leader Alex Mazer have a solution that keeps SMEs competitive during unprecedented times.https://cdhowe.org/publication/spreading-the-benefits-a-targeted-tax-credit-is-needed-to-expand-retirement-plan-coverage-in-canadas-private-sector/

Canada promised over 250,000 new childcare spaces – but many still haven’t materialized. While $10-a-day fees have improved affordability, families are increasingly stuck on waitlists as demand outpaces supply. Economists Parisa Mahboubi and Tingting Zhang explore what’s behind the gap and how it can be fixed.

A $300 billion global AI race is underway - but is Canada falling behind? Daniel Schwanen and Rosalie Wyonch join the podcast to discuss AI's explosive growth and what’s needed for Canada to turn world-class research into real economic gains before it’s too late.

Trump may waver on NATO, but Canada’s 5% commitment isn’t going anywhere - and it could cost $150 billion. .The question is: how do we pay for it? Colin Busby and Nicholas Dahir lay out a path forward that avoids piling on debt.

“Nation building” projects aren’t the only way to insulate Canada from Trump’s (trade) wars. Jack Mintz explains why a “big bang” reform is the only way to inject billions into the economy.Read the report: https://cdhowe.org/publication/big-bang-tax-reform-unleashing-growth-in-the-canadian-economy/The C.D. Howe Institute is Canada’s most influential think tank. Hosted by Michael Hainsworth, subscribe to the CDHI Podcast feed to get all our best content.Watch a video version on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@CDHoweInstitute Want more CDHI? Subscribe to our FREE newsletter: https://cdhowe.org/newsletter-signup/ Follow us on socials: https://www.linkedin.com/company/c-d--howe-institute https://www.instagram.com/c.d.howeinstitute https://www.facebook.com/cdhoweinstitute https://www.x.com/CDHoweInstitute

After almost 40 years at the C.D. Howe Institute, President Emeritus Bill Robson reflects on the Institute’s success, the future of Canada, and the state of political discourse. Watch the exit interview as host Michael Hainsworth tours the new headquarters with the man who built it.The C.D. Howe Institute is Canada’s most influential think tank. Hosted by Michael Hainsworth, subscribe to the CDHI Podcast feed to get all our best content: https://podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast/the-cdhi-podcast/id1093920522 (Apple) https://open.spotify.com/show/1jIiUjOjlCUrzi6ZTI3GCM?si=ed51bb3130984f5b (Spotify) Watch a video version on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@CDHoweInstitute Want more CDHI? Subscribe to our FREE newsletter: https://cdhowe.org/newsletter-signup/ Follow us on socials: https://www.linkedin.com/company/c-d--howe-institute https://www.instagram.com/c.d.howeinstitute https://www.facebook.com/cdhoweinstitute https://www.x.com/CDHoweInstitute

Canada’s kids are being outperformed by many of their global peers in math, despite spending more than the OECD average. Dr. Anna Stokke of the University of Winnipeg tells our Michael Hainsworth that there are several factors, from discovery-based learning to lack of standardized testing, but there are solutions.

How will Canada’s new Defence Investment Agency strengthen our sovereignty? Canada’s top soldier, General Jennie Carignan, on the Arctic, a 400,000-strong civil defence force, and whether purchasing F-35 fighter jets from a key ally remains in Canada’s best interests.

The Bank of Canada held its benchmark interest rate, but the decision comes as uncertainty around CUSMA looms large. Dr. Jeremy Kronick and Steve Ambler break down what the Bank's latest decision means.

AI is at the center of “creative destruction” of the Canadian Economy. The Institute’s 2025Nobel winner Peter Howitt sits down with our Michael Hainsworth to discuss the technology, our trade war with Washington, and why you should always keep your phone charged.

Canada can’t fall behind in the digital currency revolution. We famously adopted the bank machine before the US, and outpace most countries in digital adoption. On this episode of the C.D. Howe Institute Podcast, senior policy analyst Peter MacKenzie and fellow-in-residence Mark Zelmer tell host Michael Hainsworth why Stablecoin isn’t just a cryptocurrency fad, what the risks are if we stick our heads in the sand, and what path Ottawa should take to forge our own currency.

Canada needs new infrastructure fast – but major projects still take years or decades. Why? Host Michael Hainsworth speaks with economist David Jones about what’s slowing us down and how projects under the Building Canada Act could speed things up.

It may be safe to mail Christmas cards again, but what will Canada's posties deliver in 2026? The Institute's Glen Hodgson on how to bring-down the billion dollar cost of delivering mail from coast to coast to coast.

Pull the plug on the Zero Emissions Vehicle mandate until we’ve got clarity on trade. That’s the advice from industry watcher Brian Livingston. The Institute’s fellow-in-residence has crunched the numbers and warns hundreds of thousands of Canadians won’t be able to buy the car they need. Want more insights like this? Subscribe to our newsletter for the latest research and expert commentary: https://cdhowe.org/newsletter-signup/

About a third of Canadians are taking financial advice from “finfluencers”. Golfdale Consulting’s Gary Edwards warns that this is a recipe for disaster for a demographic that can’t afford to gamble with their retirement funds. He offers two solutions.

Canada does not have a credible fiscal plan. After Ottawa revealed the details of its “sea change” budget, the Institute’s Bill Robson explains why Mark Carney’s first budget in the age of Trump fails to get a passing grade.

Think Canada has a productivity problem? Polytechnique Montreal’s Catherine Beaudry connects the dots between productivity, innovation, and one of the country’s other big issues: scaling-up small businesses.

The fall sitting of the House of Commons begins today, and it’s an uphill battle for Canada’s novice politician turned Prime Minister. Veteran political affairs reporter Paul Wells joins the C.D. Howe Institute’s Colin Busby to discuss what Parliament Hill's policy priorities should be.

With foreign student caps now firmly in place, how are Canada’s colleges and universities fairing? According to Alex Usher of Higher Education Strategy Associates and the University of Waterloo’s Mikal Skuterud, Ottawa needs to prioritize students — and the provinces need to prioritize spending.

Ottawa won’t meet its goal of reducing temporary immigration at this rate. The Institute’s Parisa Mahboubi asks why the federal government set a target it can’t meet, and tells Michael Hainsworth what needs to be done to bring more skilled labour into the economy.

What does it take to protect $1 trillion in trade? Three CUSMA negotiators share the importance of preserving duty‑free trade between Canada, the US, and Mexico – and why these relationships remain vital for all three economies.

Should Canada adopt America’s monetary policy? The Institute’s Jeremy Kronick and Steve Ambler explain to our Michael Hainsworth that changing the way we guide the economy to be more like the U.S. would have disastrous results. 

In the age of tariffs, it’s now or never, and Ottawa needs to accelerate the breaking-down of inter-provincial trade barriers. Institute trade expert and research fellow Ryan Manucha tells Michael Hainsworth that there’s been progress, but not enough.

Canada needs new infrastructure, but there’s a catch-22: developers can’t move forward without financing, and investors are wary of early-stage risk. So how do we break the cycle?Banking on the United States is risky, which is why McGill’s Sebastien Betermier tells us that Canada’s infrastructure banks need a sense of direction from Ottawa as we decouple our economies. There are also other countries – such as Australia – we can turn to for advice.

Energy independence from the United States requires resolve. Alberta’s Travis Toews and Rory Johnston of Commodity Context tells our Michael Hainsworth that threats against our sovereignty are bringing more Canadians around to the idea of pipelines to the coast.

Your high school teacher would fail you for it. So why areCanada’s biggest cities getting away with fudging their fiscal homework? The C.D. Howe Institute’s Bill Robson and Nick Dahir hand out grades that have them writing the scathing “could do better” criticism which no student wants to read.

Canada is great at AI development, but what should the country’s first Minister for Artificial Intelligence make his key priorities? University of Waterloo’s Anindya Sen and the C.D Howe Institute’s Rosalie Wyonch offer strong insight — and geek out a bit about the economics-oriented nature of machine learning algorithms.

Turning back the clock to 1965 is the secret to automotive trade negotiations with the United States. Former Toyota executive Stephen Beatty and C.D. Howe Institute vice president Daniel Schwanen explain how the Auto Pact should be a template for the future.

Canada is largely following our Trade Crisis Working Group’s strategy. But how do we implement massive changes to the country’s inter-provincial trade, expand globally, and improve productivity while negotiating with a president who doesn’t respect his own trade agreements? Co-chairs Jason Kenney and Mitzie Hunter explain.

In the age of Trump, how do you prepare Canada’s finances for a protracted trade war? The Institute’s Bill Robson and Don Drummond advise we balance the books, raise the GST, and tell Canadians why the pain is necessary.

Solving Canada’s multiple housing crises requires thinking big – about smaller cities. In this episode of the CDHI Podcast with Michael Hainsworth, Vancouver School of Economics professor Paul Beaudry and C.D. Howe Institute Vice President of Economic Analysis Jeremy Kronick discuss why focusing on growing our smaller urban centres into larger cities will help ease the pain nationwide.

We're saying “bye America, buy Canada” amid Donald Trump’s trade war. But even before he returned to office, there has been a growing drumbeat to turn pensions into a policy tool. Ontario Teachers’ Pension Plan guru Claude Lamoureux joins host Michael Hainsworth to discuss why forcing a “buy Canadian” strategy won’t work long-term.

Torontonians might be shocked to learn their back-to-back property tax increases come at a time when city hall has more than a billion dollars in the bank. The Institute’s Bill Robson and Nick Dahir tell host Michael Hainsworth that a lack of transparency is keeping politicians from understanding the true cost of running the country’s biggest city.

Canada is squandering a vital resource in its skilled immigrants. On this episode ofthe CDHI podcast with Michael Hainsworth, two C.D. Howe Institute immigrationexperts discuss this and explain the importance of tearing down barriers tolabour mobility.

Elbows up: Canada is fighting Trump’s tariffs and a former US Treasury insider likes our strategy. Gary Hufbauer warns US standing will continue to shrink and China’s will continue to rise. Will bringing down interprovincial trade barriers counter Trump’s trade tariff move?

Canada’s healthcare system must continue to evolve, according to Federal Minister of Health Mark Holland. On our latest episode, Minister Holland joins host Michael Hainsworth and the C.D. Howe Institute Associate Director of Research Rosalie Wyonch to discuss the Minister’s recent Canada Health Act interpretation letter and more.

Donald Trump isn't backing down from his threat to hit Canada with 25 percent tariffs. But Canada is fighting back. Michael Hainsworth speaks with Meredith Lilly of Carleton University and Daniel Schwanen, Senior Vice-President of the C.D. Howe Institute, about what options Ottawa and the provinces have to respond to American tariffs, and how much Canada reasonably can do in the short term to get Trump and his administration to back down. Topics covered: Canadian trade and international policy, Canada-US relations, tariffs, trade wars, the Canadian economy, federal-provincial relations, oil and gas, energy, Donald Trump, Justin Trudeau, Danielle Smith, Doug Ford, and Canadian politics.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s decision to step down has put the controversial capital gains tax plan’s future into question. Is it a bullet dodged, or should it be revived? Jack Mintz of the University of Calgary and the Institute’s Alex Laurin discuss with Michael Hainsworth. Topics covered: Tax policy, capital gains taxes, Canadian politics, economics, the Canadian economy, and Justin Trudeau.

With 2024 almost behind us, Michael Hainsworth shares some of the CDHI podcast's most fascinating interviews and policy conversations during the course of a tumultuous year. Featuring: Wilbur Ross, Conrad Black, Martha Hall Findlay, John Baird, John Manley, Jason Kenney, John Tory, Mitzie Hunter, Rosalie Wyonch, Jane Philpott, Michelle Alexopoulos, Jeremy Kronick, Heather Evans, A.J. Goulding, Nik Nanos, Andrew Coyne, Trevor Tombe, and Martin Wolf. Topics covered include: Canada-US relations and trade, immigration policy in Canada, pharmacare, Canadian economic productivity, the GST and Canadian tax policy, carbon pricing and climate change, Canadian public opinion, federal and provincial budgets finances, healthcare costs, debt-to-GDP ratios, and international relations and trade.

Two bombshells were dropped on Canadians this week with the abrupt departure of Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland – and news that Canada spent $20 billion more than it budgeted. On this episode of the podcast, C.D. Howe Institute President and CEO William Robson explains where all this leaves Canada's finances.

The holidays may be about eating to excess, but Ottawa’s “GST Holiday” is little more than “fiscal junk food”. On this episode of the CDHI podcast, Institute CEO Bill Robson and Fellow-in-Residence Don Drummond tell our Michael Hainsworth why a two-month tax break isn’t making these public policy elves jolly this holiday season.

Ever since ChatGPT started making headlines for helping students write their essays, artificial intelligence (AI) has gotten a bad rap. But machine learning algorithms and the AI that comes from them have been used for several years in the healthcare sector. Helen Angus of AMS Healthcare and C.D. Howe Institute’s Rosalie Wyonch join us to discuss AI's impact and potential.

The decision by American voters to send Donald Trump back to the White House continues to reverberate around the world. Canada’s biggest trading partner is about to become more insular, protectionist, and volatile. How do we, as polite Canadians, keep our economy strong, our inflation low, and stay off Trump’s radar? In this week’s podcast, Michael Hainsworth talks to two former senior cabinet ministers with extensive knowledge of the Canada-US relationship: John Manley, who served under Liberal prime minister Jean Chrétien, and John Baird, who served under Conservative prime minister Stephen Harper. They discuss their reaction to Trump’s win, what Canada has to do to up its economic game, and how Canadian leaders should deal with Trump’s America.

When it comes to Canada's finances, the country is aging in more ways than one. With a shrinking workforce, government revenue growth slowing, and costs for healthcare, pensions, and seniors benefits escalating. This issue disproportionately affects provincial governments, who bear the brunt of healthcare spending. In the recent C.D. Howe Institute commentary "Another Day Older and Deeper in Debt: The Fiscal Implications of Demographic Change for Ottawa and the Provinces," we learn that over the next four decades governments face an implicit $2 trillion liability because of these demographic changes. Michael Hainsworth talks to commentary authors Parisa Mahboubi and Bill Robson about their research, their conclusions, and the possible solutions to problems caused by this aging trend.

Like it or not, Canada is living in interesting times. Our only neighbour and biggest trading partner is holding an election that could determine the global order for a generation and send shockwaves through the world economy. How should Canada handle its relationship with the US during such a volatile time? For answers, Michael Hainsworth speaks with US Ambassador to Canada David Cohen. They discuss how Canada should manage a number of irritants between the two countries, such as supply management and defence spending. Cohen also offers advice on how Canadians can advance their interests south of the border.

Should Canada be worried about a possible second Trump presidency, or excited? On September 24th, the C.D. Howe Institute hosted a Regent Debate – Be It Resolved: Canada can turn a Trump presidency from a threat into an opportunity. Podcast host Michael Hainsworth talks to two of the debaters, Conrad Black and Martha Hall Findlay, about what was said at the debate and delved further into their views about what Canada should do in the era of Trump. Hainsworth learns the two are closer on key issues than one might expect.