
The CDHI Podcast
Hosted by Michael Hainsworth, the CDHI Podcast is your go-to source for trusted policy intelligence. From energy to healthcare, inflation and the labour market, this podcast is an ongoing in-depth interview series with leading experts on the most critical economic issues affecting Canadians.
Latest episodes

Jun 3, 2025 • 19min
Canada's Municipal Class Clowns? with Bill Robson and Nick Dahir
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.

May 22, 2025 • 27min
Intelligent AI Policy with Anindya Sen and Rosalie Wyonch
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.

May 12, 2025 • 21min
Auto Trade Back to the Future with Stephen Beatty and Daniel Schwanen
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.

Apr 23, 2025 • 27min
Negotiating with Trump with Mitzie Hunter and Jason Kenney
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.

Mar 31, 2025 • 29min
Budgeting for Trump in 2025 with Bill Robson and Don Drummond
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.

Mar 24, 2025 • 21min
Growing Small into Big: The Housing Crisis Solution with Paul Beaudry and Jeremy Kronick
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.

Mar 11, 2025 • 25min
Pension Tension and the Trump Trade with Claude Lamoureux
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.

Feb 25, 2025 • 26min
Toronto's Big Smoke (Screen) Budget with Bill Robson and Nick Dahir
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.

Feb 18, 2025 • 18min
Tapping Immigrant Talent with Parisa Mahboubi and Tingting Zhang
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.

Feb 3, 2025 • 20min
Countering Trump's Trade Tariffs with Gary Hufbauer, Daniel Schwanen and Bill Robson
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?