Max Bell School Director Chris Ragan and Professor Stephen Gordon of Universit茅 Laval penned this opinion piece to highlight the importance of monetary policy and the upcoming revision of the Bank of Canada's mandate. As the COVID-19 pandemic continues to affect many spheres of public policy, the Bank of Canada will need to carefully consider all policy objective alternatives.
to read the article and聽learn more.聽
By how much will the pandemic cause federal spending to rise? How much revenue are we expecting to lose? And how will the Canadian government manage their debt and avoid a financial emergency? As the COVID-19 crisis continues to spread uncertainty across Canada and the around the world, economists and policymakers must ask themselves these questions and devise ways to manage the post-pandemic financial landscape.
June 3, 2020 | Given the early-warning signal from bank earnings last week, we should be expecting a wave of business failures in the months ahead, and demands for taxpayer assistance will soon follow. Now is the time for governments to commit to clear principles to guide their response. In this Financial Post article, Max Bell School Director Chris Ragan and Dr. Paul Boothe explain how we can use lessons from the financial crisis of 2008-09.
June 2, 2020 | The spread of the COVID-19 virus has resulted in a severe 鈥� and unique 鈥� recession, which continues to ravage many corners of the Canadian economy. What makes the current "pandemic" recession so different from a "normal" recession, and how should government policy reflect this reality? In this Maclean's article, Max Bell School Director Chris Ragan and Dr. Paul Boothe break down the role of governments and the shortcomings of conventional stimulus in this pandemic context.
April 16, 2020 | With climate change being one of the most contentious issues in the 2019 federal election, it has become evident that Canadians are concerned with reducing the national carbon footprint. Despite this, policy responses to this issue have not been united. In this podcast, Max Bell School Director Chris Ragan elaborates on the nuances of environmental policy, and how it serves both the economy and the climate.聽
March 9, 2020 | Christopher Ragan, the director of the Max Bell School of Public Policy and former chair of Canada鈥檚 Ecofiscal Commission, sat down with the 9I制作厂免费 Reporter to discuss the ways in which policy can impact climate change. In this interview, Ragan聽comments on resistance to decarbonization, current government initiatives, and the divestment movement.
February 24, 2020 | What are the consequences of endless economic expansion? To discuss the potential risks, Steven Paikin spoke to Chris Ragan, director of 9I制作厂免费's Max Bell School聽of Public Policy;聽Celine Bak, president of Analytica Advisors; Atif Kubursi, professor Emeritus of Economics at McMaster University;聽Peter Victor, author of "Managing Without Growth: Slower by Design, not Disaster;" and Sarah Kaplan, director at U of T's Institute for Gender and the Economy at Rotman School of Management.
With the final report of Canada鈥檚聽Ecofiscal Commission聽out and its clear support for carbon pricing 鈥� most notably, a 40-cent tax hike on a litre of gas over the next decade 鈥� making headlines,聽Christopher Ragan, commission chairman, can鈥檛 help thinking about how the now concluded six-year project got its start. Like most origin stories, it began at a low point 鈥� at least for Ragan.
January 27, 2020 | 9I制作厂免费 economist Chris Ragan, Chair of Canada's Ecofiscal Commission, and Director of the Max Bell School, explains the think tank's聽final report exploring Canada's聽options for reducing聽its greenhouse gas emissions.
November 27, 2019 | Max Bell School Director Chris Ragan discusses the聽Ecofiscal Commission's final report on how Canada can meet its 2030 emissions goals with a carbon pricing policy.
November 27, 2019 | In this opinion piece, it is argued how聽an escalating carbon price over the years accompanied by rebates, as shown by Chris Ragan,聽is the most transparent and the least costly for the economy and taxpayers.
November 27, 2019 | Chris Ragan, Director of the Max Bell School says quadrupling Canada's carbon price by 2030 is the easiest and most cost-effective way for the country to meet its climate targets.
August 12, 2019 | In this piece, Christopher Ragan, Director of the Max Bell School of Public Policy, argues that economists know the more we lean on carbon pricing, the better off our economy will be. He draws on the experience of Sweden's carbon tax and the U.S efforts to reduce acid rain by taxing sulfur-dioxide producing plants. Instead of opting for intrusive and complex policies to fight climate change, Ragan argues that Canada should create economic incentives that give households and businesses the freedom to respond to the market how they see fit.聽
June 24, 2019 | Climate change affects many aspects of people's lives. As it is a common source of worry to doctors and economists alike, the proposed solutions to聽climate change are numerous.聽Chris Ragan, director of the Max Bell School of Public Policy and聽Courtney Howard, clinical associate professor at the Cumming School of Medicine (University of Calgary) argue that carbon pricing is the right solution. This piece connects the dots between health outcomes and worsening climate crisis, while exposing its societal financial costs.聽
June 30, 2019 |聽For doctors across Canada, the evidence at the bedside is increasingly hard to ignore: climate change poses a serious health risk. Chris Ragan, Director of the Max Bell School of Public Policy, adds that "Economics has a very clear prescription for these challenges: carbon pricing.聽In the same way that penicillin treats an infection, carbon pricing can help fight climate change."聽
