The CDHI Podcast

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.