Spain & The Madness of Europe
There’s a saying that defines madness as doing the same thing over and over while expecting different results. By that criteria, it’s clear that the European Union’s response to the…
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Europe’s Export of Political Integration
From democracy to banking, Europe has launched institutions that have shaped the world; with its recent financial crisis, Europe might be about to do it again. The European financial crisis…
Mulcair on the euro crisis
This is audio from an interview Mulcair did with Michael Enright on CBC radio this weekend where the eurozone financial crisis came up: That is a brief excerpt but I…
More Europe bashing from the Harper crew
From the “Today’s Must Reads” on the Globe’s Politics page, an op-ed from Conservative Senator and former Harper campaign chair Doug Finley with a familiar refrain: “Europe needs to take…
The world ponies up to the IMF
The IMF released this table at the end of the G20 yesterday showing pledges received over the past few months by countries around the world to increase IMF resources: That’s…
Canada, the IMF and the G20
The Harper government decided to attack Thomas Mulcair on the issue of Canadian support for additional IMF resources to deal with the euro area crisis, implying that Canadian taxpayers should…
SYRIZA leads in final Greek poll: Tsipras firm on rejecting bailout
A final poll before the Greek election on June 16 has the radical left SYRIZA in front of the pack. Greek law bans the publication of any new polls in…
Flaherty’s no to the IMF
From Canadian Press last night: “Flaherty digs in heels on calls to pony up more bailout money for euro zone.” Jim is all talk to the hand, Eurozone: Finance Minister…
Fiscal Austerity and Growth
This may come as a bit of a shock to Andrew Coyne and Jim Flaherty, but even the IMF are warning in their most recent fiscal policy update that austerity…
Greece: You Say You Want A Revolution?
It’s hard to make sense of the hubris and cruelty of European Union leaders towards Greece, unless their goal is to goad the Greek population into overthrowing their government. Why…
New column day
Here, on the Wall government’s insistence that public-sector cuts are the answer no matter what the question – and the cautionary tale we should draw from their Irish model. For…
The IMF and Austerity
Today’s IMF economic update further downgrades growth projections, including here in Canada where growth in 2012 is forecast to be just 1.7%, down from the IMF’s September forecast of 1.9%.…
The Price Of Austerity
Austerity, we have been told repeatedly by pundits and political leaders, is the defining issue in these uncertain times, the solution to our economic challenges. We have been given fair…
Five Lumps of Coal for Canada’s Economy
The recent IMF Report on Canada prompts me to remind everyone of some startling figures about the Canadian economy: 1) The private and federal debt combined ratio to GDP is…
Harper government flips and flops on Europe
Yesterday: “Canada could pay into IMF Europe fund, Flaherty says.” Hmmm, maybe they should have been a little more open-minded initially. Here in early November was Harper’s shortsighted message at…
New study dispels myths about public sector pay
OTTAWA – December 14, 2011: There is no evidence the average pay of public sector workers in Canada is consistently higher than comparable occupations in the private sector, reports a…
Shortsighted
This may come back to bite: "Harper says no Canadian money for European bailout." Pay some now or will we be paying much more later? We'll see. Great photo accompanying…
Recovery Demands Increase in Labour’s Share
The just-released 2011 ILO World of Work Report is a must read for progressive economists. Released on the eve of the G-20 meetings, the report underlines the gravity of the…
IMF Hints at Need for Less Fiscal Austerity and a Plan B for Canada
Albeit in a highly nuanced way, the IMF has called on the G-20 to temper short-term fiscal austerity now that the global economy “has entered a dangerous phase.” In their…
Harper’s Unearned Economic "Credibility"
It's one of those "truths" in politics that is beyond questioning, like the "necessity" of an independent (i.e. free from democratic controls) central bank, but which, like everything else has…