Vancouver, BC – This morning, the Canadian Real Estate Association (CREA) released its national real estate statistics for November showing the largest monthly decline in activity since August 2012. The number of home re-sales now stands at its lowest level since September 2015. Activity was down on a month-over-month basis in about two-thirds of all local markets, including Vancouver and Toronto.

Continue reading Home Sales Cool in November; Moving Forward, Real Estate Unlikely to be as Strong a Source for Economic Growth As Previously at The Afro News.

Governments should use the coming budget season as an opportunity to take serious action to reverse the trend

In the coming months, the federal and provincial governments will release their annual budgets, unveiling their future tax and spending plans. Hopefully they use this opportunity to address a recent worrying trend that has governments across the country racking up heaps of new debt.

Continue reading Growing Government Debt Danger to Canada’s Future Prosperity at The Afro News.

But it’s taking the wrong approach

The Trudeau government delivered its much anticipated Throne Speech earlier this month outlining the main priorities for the coming Parliament. The government emphasized its first and “immediate priority” is to “deliver a tax cut for the middle class,” with legislative changes being announced in the coming days.

Continue reading Trudeau Government Middle-Class Tax Cut Right in Principle at The Afro News.

The policies outlined in the budget simply do not give Canada the economic shot in the arm it needs

In many ways Tuesday’s federal budget wasn’t all that surprising. Many of the government’s key initiatives were already announced (the so-called “Family Tax Cut” package) or telegraphed as part of the Conservatives 2011 platform (raising the TFSA annual contribution ceiling to $10,000).

Continue reading Canada’s Federal Budget Lacks Big Picture Thinking at The Afro News.

The government missed an opportunity to enact tax reform that lays the foundation for stronger economic growth

After seven consecutive years of budget deficits, the federal government is finally set to balance the budget. While the government has long expressed that tax relief is its top post-deficit priority, the major question has always been:

what form will the tax relief take?

Continue reading Income Splitting Not The Best Economic Bang For The Buck at The Afro News.

Continue reading There are no shortcuts to economic growth at The Afro News.

Continue reading Africa Continues to Grow Strongly Despite Global Slowdown at The Afro News.