Weekly Digest – 20 November 2024

Welcome to our Weekly Digest – stay in the know with some recent news updates relevant to business and the economy.

Canada Post strike: What’s at stake for the Canadian economy?

The Canada Post strike is set to have the sharpest impact on small businesses and customers of the postal service, particularly those living in remote and rural communities. Saturday marked the second day in a nationwide strike of Canada Post workers represented by the Canadian Union of Postal Workers (CUPW), with no indication yet that the two parties are getting closer to a deal.

Montreal port operations to resume Saturday after government orders end to lockout

Management at the Port of Montreal says operations were set to resume Saturday after being disrupted by a labour dispute. The port authority confirms that the Canada Industrial Relations Board has ordered operations to resume as of 7 a.m. But it adds that it will take several weeks to fully re-establish the fluidity of the supply chains for both imports and exports.

Trudeau’s immigration cuts could reduce housing gap by 45%

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s plan to restrict inflows of newcomers will narrow the country’s gap between housing supply and demand, according to a budget watchdog. If Trudeau is successful in curbing immigration over the next three years, that would reduce the housing gap in 2030 by 534,000 units, or 45 per cent, said the Office of the Parliamentary Budget Officer.

October inflation expected to show mild bump up despite longer-term downward trend

The latest inflation reading due out Tuesday from Statistics Canada is expected to show a slight uptick for the month of October — but economists say the measure is still on a longer-term downward trend.

We must do something about the frequent labour disruptions harming Canada

Railways. Airlines. Ports. Seaways. All have experienced significant labour disruption in the past 18 months. Canada has experienced 62 work stoppages in the transportation sector alone in 2023 and 2024, involving close to 20,000 workers, according to government of Canada statistics.

Why Canada could become the next nuclear energy ‘superpower’

Uranium is making a comeback thanks to a renewed focus on nuclear energy as a climate crisis solution. Canada, rich with high-grade deposits, could become a nuclear “superpower”. But can its potential be realised?

Trump victory means Canada must get serious about tax reform

Following Donald Trump’s victory in the US presidential election, lower taxes for both U.S. businesses and individuals will be at the top of his administration’s agenda. Meanwhile, Prime Minister Trudeau has raised taxes on businesses and individuals, including with his recent capital gains tax hike. Clearly, Canada and the United States are now moving in opposite directions on tax policy. To prevent Canada from falling even further behind the U.S., policymakers in Ottawa and across Canada should swiftly increase our tax competitiveness, say the Fraser Institute.

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