Articles by Bill Curry

Dec 14 2018 — Bill Curry — Globe and Mail — After this week’s purchase of nearly $1-billion worth of new trains, VIA Rail President Yves Desjardins-Siciliano is setting his sights on the Liberal government’s 2019 budget in hope that it will green light a multibillion-dollar expansion of its passenger rail network. The Crown corporation’s plan has strong support at the federal cabinet table from Infrastructure […]

Dec 10 2018 — Bill Curry — Globe and Mail — A stronger focus on tourism could add billions to the Canadian economy and create up to 180,000 new jobs, according to a new advisory report prepared for the federal government. The report by the McKinsey & Company advisory firm says one of the main issues holding Canada back is its lopsided tourism profile as most […]

Dec 9 2018 — Bill Curry — Globe and Mail — Quebec will receive $13.1-billion in equalization payments next year – a $1.4-billion increase – while Alberta, Saskatchewan and Newfoundland and Labrador continue to be left out even though Canada’s oil-producing provinces are facing deficits and hard times. The three energy-producing provinces petitioned Ottawa last year to rework the federal transfer formula but Finance Minister Bill […]

Dec 3 2018 — Bill Curry — Globe and Mail — Statistics Canada is suspending its practice of obtaining personal credit records from TransUnion and has written to Canada’s banks to delay its plan to obtain the banking details of 500,000 Canadian households. The moves come as the national statistics agency is under investigation by the federal Privacy Commissioner after concerns were raised over its plans […]

Nov 24 2018 — Bill Curry — Globe and Mail — The Conservative Party says it has concerns about an arrangement between the Parliamentary Budget Officer and the Finance Department that will see ministry officials pitching in to determine the cost of election promises in the run-up to the 2019 federal election. The Tories’ finance critic, Pierre Poilievre, is questioning whether his party will participate, arguing […]

Nov 23 2018 — Bill Curry — Globe and Mail — The Liberal government spent $500,000 on outside advisers to come up with a logo, name and branding for a new agency that promises to alleviate poverty in developing countries, internal documents reveal. Its 2017 budget announced $300-million toward developing an institution that would support sustainable development and poverty reduction in developing countries by aiming to […]

Nov 21 2018 — Bill Curry — Globe and Mail — Billions in new federal revenue from stronger economic growth will go almost entirely toward tax breaks for businesses as Bill Morneau unveiled Ottawa’s effort to keep Canada competitive with the United States. The Finance Minister said new tax breaks for business are needed now to address the real concern that tax cuts enacted this year […]

Nov 19 2018 — Bill Curry — Globe and Mail — The leader of the Senate’s swelling group of independents is calling on federal parties to take clear positions on Senate reform as they write their 2019 election platforms. In an interview with The Globe and Mail, Senator Yuen Pau Woo said he views the Liberal government’s Senate experiment as a success and is hoping other […]

Nov 14 2018 — Bill Curry — Globe and Mail — Canadians strongly oppose Statistics Canada’s plan to obtain personal banking records – and most would not consent to participating, according to a new Nanos Research survey. The survey suggests the federal government is on the wrong side of public opinion in its defence of the plan, with 74 per cent of respondents either opposing, or […]

Nov 8 2018 — Bill Curry — Globe and Mail — Canada’s banks are considering legal action to prevent Statistics Canada from obtaining their clients’ banking records without consent as the federal agency faced criticism from several fronts Thursday during a special Senate hearing. Statscan’s chief statistician, Anil Arora, pledged during the meeting that the plan will not go ahead until the federal privacy commissioner completes […]

Nov 6 2018 — Bill Curry — Globe and Mail — For the second year in a row, the Speaker of the House of Commons has chastised Finance Minister Bill Morneau for stuffing measures into a bill that were never mentioned in his budget. Speaker Geoff Regan ruled Tuesday that measures in Mr. Morneau’s 854-page budget bill – which Mr. Regan called “massive” – related to […]

Nov 4 2018 — Bill Curry — Globe and Mail — Controversy over Statistics Canada’s plan to obtain personal banking records is exposing growing concern over the reliability of the data currently produced by Canada’s statistics agency. The agency’s reports on growth, employment, inflation and other economic statistics routinely dominate the news and heavily influence stock-market fluctuations. But the fast pace of digital trading that occurs […]

Nov 3 2018 — Bill Curry — Globe and Mail — Canada’s chief statistician says he is open to delaying the January launch of a plan to obtain the banking records of 500,000 Canadians in light of concerns from the public, but Anil Arora insists the move is ultimately required to ensure Canada is governed by facts rather than anecdotes and “fake news.” In an interview […]

Oct 31 2018 — Bill Curry — Globe and Mail — The head of Statistics Canada is defending plans to obtain Canadians’ detailed banking records, but is asking the federal privacy commissioner to provide advice on how to move ahead. Chief Statistician Anil Arora posted a statement on Twitter Wednesday morning after the issue landed on the floor of the House of Commons this week. “Traditional […]

Oct 26 2018 — Bill Curry — Globe and Mail — Federal finances remain in surplus five months into the fiscal year, even though the most recent budget projected an $18.1-billion deficit. The latest monthly fiscal monitor report from the Finance Department shows Ottawa ran a $1.9-billion deficit in August, but remains in the black for the fiscal year that started April 1. The $2.6-billion surplus […]