Taking Stock with Amanda Lang

The Briefs - Roundup of the top stories: Canada GDP is weak; U.S. Central bank signals rates may stay high longer; More home buyers are waiting for lower rates; London Drugs hit with cyberattack; Loblaw hit with boycott; pot gets re-classified in U.S. New warnings on every cigarette should deter smokers. Ontario's new rule banning cellphones from classrooms says more about the adults than the kids.

The Briefs: Honda to build a new EV plant in Ontario; Competition questions about a big merger in agriculture; UN plastic agreement; wildfire season comes early; basic income lawsuit moves ahead. Amanda Lang speaks to Franco Terrazzano, federal director of the Canadian Taxpayers Federation about taxpayer dollars spent to bring industry like Honda to Canada. Amanda Lang speaks to Daniel Garcia-Maccia, economist with the International Monetary Fund about the best way governments can promote productivity. Amanda Lang speaks to Dennis Darby, president and CEO of the Canadian Manufacturers and Exporters about whether the budget is good for business. Amanda Lang speaks to Gary Sands, VP of the Canadian Federation of Independent Grocers, about efforts to attract foreign players to the Canadian market.

The Briefs: Federal Budget overview; Inflation in Canada; Homeowners bullish on prices; IMF raises global growth forecast; Arrests made in gold heist; Pipeline leak causes Alberta fire. Measures to spur growth in the budget - By The Numbers Amanda Lang speaks with Perrin Beatty, CEO of the Canadian Chamber of Commerce about the federal budget. Amanda Lang speaks with Dino Infanti, partner at KPMG, about new tax measures in the federal budget. Will a national dental plan work if dentists don't sign up?

The Briefs: Bank of Canada decision day; US inflation; More housing supply needed; Consumers feeling better about debt. What we know about next week’s budget. Does a better-performing economy provides cover for a federal budget to spend more? What should – and shouldn’t be in the federal budget.

Block 1 - From the latest Canadian jobs data to Tesla orders falling sharply and Ford delaying EV plant in Ontario, we recap the top stories of the week. Plus, how working shorter weeks can make us more productive: Amanda Lang talks to Joe O'Connor, CEO, Work Time Reduction Centre of Excellence. Block 2 - The long tail of inflation and its dampening effect on business investment: Amanda Lang speaks with Randall Bartlett, Senior Director of Canadian Economics, Desjardins and Stephen Tapp, Chief Economist, Canadian Chamber of Commerce. Block 3 -- Amanda Lang talks to Bruce Hodges, CEO, Parachute. And in this week’s edition of The Takeaway, Amanda says making the carbon tax a political football ignores the fact that it's the best idea we have for reducing emissions and meeting our global commitments. Easy to criticize, but where are the alternative plans?

Block 1 - From Canadian inflation numbers to the latest decision on interest rates by the U.S. central bank and a takeover of a promising Canadian drug company, we recap the top stories of the week. Plus, we check in with Pedro Antunes, chief economist with the Conference Board of Canada, for his insights on when Canadian lending rates might finally start heading lower. Block 2 - It’s harder than ever to buy a home in Canada, which is a big reason why Canada’s home ownership rate is falling. We’ll take a look at Canada’s housing market By The Numbers and speak with some experts who are finding some innovative solutions to the problem. Alex Kjorven, Chief Product Officer of Ourboro, explains the company’s business model of becoming equity partners with prospective buyers by helping out with the down payment. Next, we talk to with Nikolaas Van Der Velde, Finance Manager at Indwell, who are selling community bonds to investors looking to help spur the construction of affordable housing. Block 3 - Climate scientists say we are already missing key targets for emissions, and a new book explores their thoughts about what comes next. Amanda Lang speaks to author and historian, Gwynne Dyer. And in this week’s edition of The Takeaway, Amanda says complex problems like climate change require humanity to resist our innate urge for immediate gratification, and suggests that perhaps we need to get smarter about the ways that we are dumb. 

This week on Taking Stock: A feature interview with Alberta Premier Danielle Smith to discuss how Alberta can continue to grow its economy beyond fossil fuels, take the political temperature in the province and the her view on the role Alberta plays in a united Canada.

What Ottawa can do to make the most of our natural resources, why access to them should be considered of strategic importance, and who can help finance our mining future

The Briefs: Economic growth picks up in Canada and the U.S.; Canada's banks set aside more money for bad loans; As rents hit record levels, more homeowners feel stress; $1.2 B for universities in Ontario, with new freezes on tuition hikes; Warren Buffett's company could be first non-tech firm to hit $1 trillion value. A new pharmacare deal is on the table - can Canada afford a full-blown version? How are consumers spending?: By the Numbers The gap between rich and poor gets wider.

The Briefs: A round-up of the week's top business stories: Inflation cool a little in Canada; Loblaw plans expansion in Canada; Walmart buys smart TV firm Vizio; Feds kick in $2 billion for affordable housing in B.C.; Discover looks to buy Capital One for US$35.3B. Doctors and health spending in Canada: By The Numbers We might save money by spending on preventative care, rather than health care. Social spending gets less attention than health care, but it may be time to revisit those types of investments. Gig workers often make less than minimum wage — who is watching out for them?

The Briefs: US Inflation is stronger than expected; Housing market shows signs of life; New money for housing and medical staff in rural communities; A new report on tent encampments calls for basic services; Ontario's controversial wage law struck down; it will cost more to insure electric vehicles. Achieving housing affordability: By The Numbers Barriers to trade between provinces costs us billions of lost opportunity.  

The Briefs: Jobs climb in Canada, but not by much; BCE lays off 9% of its staff; Feds offer money for home affordability; auto theft summit; Bank of Canada says home affordability not in its control; home sales up in Toronto and Vancouver; cross-border fight over wine. Wages aren’t rising enough to offset the cost of living. Consumer and business debt levels cause a crunch: By The Numbers What can businesses do in the face of high debt and flat sales? Mental health is a problem for entrepreneurs.

Amanda Lang in conversation with Wab Kinew, Premier of Manitoba. What you need to know about Manitoba's 25th premier. The growth opportunity in Manibota. The role Kinew can play in reconciliation and improved economic outcomes for Indigenous Manitobans. Manitoba as a bridge between the federal government and irritated western provinces.

The Briefs: Bank of Canada holds the line on interest rates; Is Canada already in recession?; The wealth gap widens as the rich get richer; International Student Visas will be cut by 35% this year; Netflix is doing just fine after raising its prices; China may intervene in its own stock market. The cost of home ownership keeps climbing: By The Numbers Should we be concerned that a giant U.S. investor is buying rental housing in Canada? Are deep pocketed investors exactly what we need to build more housing? Another kick at the guaranteed income can in Canada - an idea that keeps rearing its head. But can we afford it?

The Briefs: Inflation creeps up again in Canada; The Bank of Canada says businesses are more pessimistic than ever, while consumers change their spending habits to cope with higher rates; Pandemic era business loans come due and many businesses fret they won't survive; Housing starts fall 7% nationally in 2023; Health Minister says Canada will prevent US states from buying all our prescription drugs. Is immigration growing so fast it is stunting growth? The "Population Trap": By the Numbers High interest lenders say new rules from Ottawa will shut some borrowers out of market.

The Briefs: U.S. Inflation rises; More consumers are anxious about debt; Some retailers post strong holiday sales; Boeing's very bad week; Honda mulls an electric plant in Canada; Shell inks long term deal for Canadian gas. Canada is off track in its zero-emission vehicle goals. We are more stressed by debt than ever: here's a look: By the Numbers Inflation in food prices isn't going away this year. What older workers need to understand about their younger colleagues.

Amanda Lang in conversation with Tiff Macklem, governor of the Bank of Canada.

Amanda Lang in conversation with Matthew Boswell, Canada's Commissioner of Competition.

The Briefs: Bank of Canada holds steady on rates; Food inflation to climb again this year; New targets for oil and gas sector to reduce emissions; Credit card fees coming down for some small businesses; Layoffs at CBC and Shopify Higher interest rates hit older Canadians different, here's a look: By the numbers Another failing great for health care with some common sense ideas about fixing it

The Briefs: Jobs in Canada; GDP slows; Consumer confidence craters; Holiday spending holds up; Bank's set aside more for bad loans; Google will pay news orgs 100 million a year Recent legislation makes it illegal to use replacement workers in any strike in a federally regulated industry. A look at small and medium businesses in Canada: By The Numbers How can governments foster growth? Alberta plays hardball over federal clean electricity rules.