The @cleforum.bsky.social webinar series looks fantastic again this year. First up is Jason Hicks from @uvic.ca on October 3. The full list can be found on CLEF's website: clef.uwaterloo.ca/webinar/ Email [email protected] w/ “CLEF webinar” in the subject line to receive reminders and invites.

No other way to slice it: this is incredibly fucked up.

I've made it out to Lund for my first World Economic History Congress. Excited to see lots of new economic history work from outside of the North American circuit. #wehc2025

Why do nation-building projects always have to be about hewing wood and drawing water? Why can't nation-building plans be about knowledge or science?

A lot has changed in the world, so my colleagues and I at the @fordschool are opening up a special emergency admissions cycle for folks who want to start a Masters of Public Policy this fall. Deets are here: fordschool.umich.edu/masters-prog... I hope to see you in class in September!

Registration for the CLEF conference (April 25 & 26, Toronto, in partnership with @stone-centre-ubc.bsky.social) open until April 15. Join us for a keynote lecture by @imarinescu.bsky.social and papers on wide variety of labour topics: stonecentre.economics.ubc.ca/clef2025/

Applications are invited to participate in the 3rd Annual AEA CSQIEP Mentoring Conference to be held July 30-Aug 1, 2025 in Chicago! The conference supports late-stage economics PhD students who are queer-identified or working to support queer-identified economists. Apply asap, deadline Apr 11. 📉📈

NEW POST: Canadians aren't being asked to meet the moment emmettmacfarlane.substack.com/p/canadians-...

At a time when Canada needs MASSIVE investment to transition away from the US, to build new facilities and transpo towards our ports, to rebuild our military, to build HOMES, to rebuild science and post-sec ed... to see the two main parties jump on *tax cuts* for their campaigns is depressing.

I agree with Emmett. One party is promsing a 1 point cut to the lowest income tax rate; the other 2.25 points. Neither has proposed a credible way to pay for it. We need to see credible plans for big economic challenges and big defence/security threats. Hope that will be coming soon.

🚨 I am looking to hire 1-2 pre-docs at the University of Toronto. Some things you could work on: forecasts of research results, guaranteed income, evidence-based policy, AI. For more info and to apply: evavivalt.com/2025/03/pre-... Deadline: March 31. #predoc #econ_ra @econuoft.bsky.social

On top of this, by Trump turning this into a question of Canadians’ very existence as a country, rather than just an economic hit, he has guaranteed Canadians won’t relent.

It is obvious to me that Trump has whatever the opposite of leverage is against Canada right now.

One day, we'll look back on this as just Step 1 of removing women from any position of public authority. No one is making a fuss, because it's just women, so Step 2 will be easier. The broligarchs have already stated repeatedly that they regard women's right to vote in America as a "mistake."

Biting Vermont diss

The attacks on DEI are a pretext for a much more radical agenda of reversing the gains of the civil rights movement, an objective the Trump administration is pursuing with zeal. A Great Resegregation. www.theatlantic.com/politics/arc...

You love to see it.

HANG IT IN THE NATIONAL GALLERY OF CANADA!!!!

Vance and others close to him are setting up the intellectual basis for American withdrawal from and hostile rivalry towards the EU based on the claim that a democratic Europe has betrayed an authoritarian vision that Vance presents as the epitome of "Western" civilisation.

Thrilled to share that Mike and I will be making our way home to 🇨🇦 later this year where I’ll be joining the economics department at McGill University as associate professor. Looking forward to joining their vibrant research community!

Getting out of the immediate moment of crisis was always a prerequisite. But we're a very dumb country if we allow this Sword of Damocles to continue to be hung over us. Keep buying Canadian, keep diversifying trade, keep thinking about a world with a less reliable America. Let's learn something.

Billionaires will do literally anything but income tax.

“For whatever reason, Mr. Lütke appears to be undermining Canada” @robgillezeau.bsky.social said. “His decision to align with the Trump administration, even in the face of this reckless and economically illiterate attack on our country, puts us all at greater risk.” 🔥

Tariffs, sure. But also the Canadarm should extend its middle finger. And we should officially add a "u" after every "o" in US place names on Canadian maps (New Yourk, Califournia, Washingtoun, Ouhiou, etc.)

The United States has declared economic war on its closest ally — showing no one is safe from the declining superpower as it lashes out.

New Canadian Tax Journal Policy Forum call for proposals: Topic: Tax Reform in an Era of Federal Government Transition in Canada and the United States New administration in the US; new PM coming for Canada. What should they do on taxes? Write a proposal for the CTJ: ctf.ca/EN/Publicati...

Ugh. This looks like they are preparing a round of cutesy tariffs on Kentucky bourbon and Wisconsin Harleys. That is too indirect and too cute. Need bigger threats. The incoming WH is aiming a bazooka at our heads and we are going to threaten ping pong balls aimed at pinky toes.

This would be a great example of mid- or late- 19th century American jingoism if it hadn't been posted (and deleted, by House Foreign Affairs Committee Republicans) in the year 2025

I think Trudeau's legacy is much more mixed, but some of his early economic measures were important and well designed (e.g. the CCB, carbon pricing). Over his time in government there really seemed to be a drop off in the quality of policy design (e.g. recent auto handouts).

Over lifetime, each additional year of union membership reduces the odds of mortality by 1.5%. Effects primarily occur between ages of 41 and 67. Nice work @tvanheuvelen.bsky.social www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...

Post-Doc opportunity at VSE/Stone Centre on Wealth and Income Inequality! Starts Sept 1, 2025. Application information at the link below: stonecentre.economics.ubc.ca/applications...

My 2024 Innis Lecture from this summer's CEA meetings is now available *ungated* at the Canadian Journal of Economics website. "The time of your life: The mortality and longevity of Canadians" onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/...

Good, fiscally responsible, decision from @davidebybc.bsky.social and @brendavancouver.bsky.social here. Bravo.

What action should we take to a threatened 25% tariff? Some thoughts.... www.theglobeandmail.com/world/articl...

I'm surrounded by economists every day and I don't think I've heard a single one talk about "the vibe-cession." Rather, I've had plenty of conversations with my economist colleagues about the poorly designed rebate and tax holiday measures from the Minister.

Excellent report by @petertulip.bsky.social on housing affordability and how to fix it. Somehow I missed this nice concise piece when it came out. Very relevant to places outside of Australia, threading Vancouver parallels.

Ok, I tried making a starter pack on intergenerational mobility. I'm sure I've missed many folks so please let me know if you want to be added: go.bsky.app/DvGG8zV

It feels like the GST holiday fiasco is, in part, about broken collaborative processes in Ottawa. We started off with a debatable, but reasonable enough ask from the NDP to remove several essentials from the GST. Somehow that transformed into a totally different & worse policy. [1/4]

I need some Ottawa reporter to explain how this batshit GST holiday/$250 cheques announcement happened. 1) Who was the political hack who came up with it? 2) How hard did Finance Dept fight back (my assumption is very)? 3) Who was in the meeting where green light was given?

We are seeking submissions for Perspectives Journal no. 3 - to be released in Spring 2025. We invite proposals for long-form research and analysis on political economy, theory, policy issues, and historical narrative. Learn more: perspectivesjournal.ca/contribute/

I figured I might as well kick off my presence here with a social contribution: a starter pack of the small, but growing number of Canadian economic historians on @bsky.app

I've got another starter pack ready to go of Canadian progressive economists, labour studies scholars, researchers, and policymakers (generally folks connected with the labour movement, social democracy, or other progressive social movements).

Congratulations to James Macek who won the @bankofcanada.bsky.social best graduate paper award earlier this month. The urban economist is a PhD candidate with the Dept of Economics here at @uoft.bsky.social. newsletter.economics.utoronto.ca/economics-ph... #UrbanEconomics #HousingAffordability

I feel like whoever came up with the GST holiday plan is the same person who decided exempting home heating oil from the carbon tax was a good idea.

The PM announced that starting Dec. 14 for 2 months, there will be a "GST holiday". GST will be eliminated from food, beer & wine, restaurant meals (incl. takeout & delivery) and essentials incl. kids clothes, footwear, toys & Christmas trees (full list not available) www.ctvnews.ca/politics/tru...

Playing Dismal Scientist: Expanding an already large deficit so Canadians can buy a *slightly* cheaper Christmas tree on December 15th and get slightly lower restaurant bills during the post-Christmas-Financial-Hangover, isn't sound fiscal policy. It's a minor plot point in a bad hallmark movie.

Some governments do important, but politically tough reforms when they're on the way out the door to make our country better. Other governments do this.

Reposting this, as it may be of interest to some who have recently joined. #EconSky 📉📈

Hot take: Temporarily reducing the coverage of the GST is not good tax policy and is a last ditch effort by a govt trying to save itself

A seasonal GST holiday is actually a dramatically worse idea than the NDP's proposal to pull the GST off of items like diapers and children's clothing. We've got plenty of high quality evidence from the US showing this kind of measure accomplishes very little while draining fiscal resources.