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David Macdonald
David Macdonald is a Senior Economist with the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives – National Office. Since 2008, he has coordinated the Alternative Federal Budget, which takes a fresh look at the federal budget from a progressive perspective. David has also written on a variety of topics, from Canada’s real estate bubble to Aboriginal income inequality, and he is a regular media commentator on national policy issues. David received his BA from the University of Windsor and his MA from the University of Guelph, both in Philosophy.
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Dangerous liaisons: Canada’s toxic mix of interest rate hikes and private debt
The combination of rising interest rates and high private debt catapults Canada into the top third most dangerous economic periods since the Second World War. If the Bank of Canada hikes interest rates by 0.5% or more in September, we’d move into second place.
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Canada’s fight against inflation: Bank of Canada could induce a recession
History tells us that the Bank of Canada has a 0% success rate in fighting inflation by quickly raising interest rates. If a pilot told me that they’d only ever attempted a particular landing three times in the past 60 years with a 0% success rate, that’s not a plane I’d want to be on. Unfortunately, that looks likes the plane all Canadians are on now.
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Non-viable businesses need an”off-ramp”
Throughout the pandemic, many small- and medium-sized businesses have weathered the storm, thanks to federal government help. In his deputation to Canada’s federal Industry Committee, David Macdonald says it’s time to give those businesses an “off-ramp”.
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Truth bomb: Corporate sector winning the economic recovery lottery; workers falling behind
This isn’t a workers’ wage-led recovery; in fact, inflation is eating into workers’ wages, diminishing their ability to recover from the pandemic recession. Corporate profits are capturing more economic growth than in any previous recession recovery period over the past 50 years.
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Changer les règles du jeu
Les provinces et les territoires atteindront-ils les nouveaux objectifs fédéraux en matière de frais de garde d’enfants? Frais de garde d’enfants au Canada 2021 Download…
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Game Changer
Will provinces and territories meet the new federal child care fee targets? Canadian child care fees 2021 Download 1.45 MB 60 pages Are child care…
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Pressure Cooker
Declining real wages and rising inflation in Canada during the pandemic, 2020–22 Download 1.12 MB26 pages This report looks at real wage growth and rising…
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Budget 2022: Some progress, but no need for panic at the country club
Our analysis of the 2022 federal budget
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In March 2020, our world stopped: Seven charts to understand two years of COVID-19
The pandemic, through the eyes of our researchers
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Federal Budget 2022: What we’re watching for
This budget could herald the beginning of a Pearsonian period of progressive policy making
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Profit squeeze: Excess corporate profits are making inflation tougher for Canadians
Twenty-six per cent of higher inflation for Canadian households is being driven by excess profits
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What’s driving inflation and how Ottawa can push back
Prepared remarks to the House of Commons finance committee’s study on inflation
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