Taking Stock with Amanda Lang

Would cities work better if people were more engaged in municipal politics? Given its importance in our lives, it is in some ways the most opaque level of government. Amanda Lang gets insight from John Tory, the former mayor of Toronto. And in her Takeaway, Amanda explains how making cities attractive for business makes them attractive for everyone.

The race to build new homes is always hobbled by how they are built - labour intensive, and one at a time. Now, Mattamy Homes is working with Stelumar Advanced Manufacturing to make prefab components for up to 3,000 housing units a year. Amanda Lang finds out more from Peter Hass, General Manager of Stelumar.

The Bank of Canada made a call on interest rates this week - but the market is making its own call on rates that will affect the debt most of us pay.   Amanda Lang speaks with Penelope Graham, Director of Content at Ratehub.

The OECD's latest review of the Canadian economy includes some familiar themes - like tackling weak productivity and fixing housing affordability. But have those concerns been Trumped by changing policies from the United States? Amanda Lang speaks with Alvaro Pereira, Chief Economist and G20 Finance Deputy of the OECD. 

This week's meeting of G7 finance ministers and central bankers was overshadowed by concerns about global trade ... But what should g7 countries be working on? Amanda Lang speaks with Matthew Holmes, Chief of Public Policy at the Canadian Chamber of Commerce.

Amanda Lang looks at Canada’s latest employment numbers – and the pressures the manufacturing sector is facing. She then takes a deeper dive on the employment picture with Brendon Bernard, Senior Economist at Indeed.com. Amanda then circles back to the outlook for manufacturing in this country with Dennis Darby, President and CEO of the Canadian Manufacturers and Exporters.

The rise of red tape is a huge concern for Canadian business. It feels like an easy fix for a government hoping to help the economy. Amanda Lang speaks with Krystle Wittevrongel, Director of Research at HTE Montreal Economic Institute.

The newly minted federal government ran on plans to help the housing market - but if they follow through on those plans, will it be enough to right a market that is structurally imbalanced? Amanda Lang speaks with Robert Hogue, Assistant Chief Economist at RBC.  

Campaigns are often heavy on promises and light on specifics ... but one thing both major parties have in common is a willingness to keep deficit spending ... and some creative math on where the money comes from. Amanda Lang speaks with a person who specializes in holding the federal government to account when it comes to budgeting and accounting: Kevin Page, President and CEO of the Institute of Fiscal Studies and Democracy.

How are Canadian businesses being affected by U.S. tariffs – and what are they doing to deal with the uncertainty? Amanda Lang speaks with  Candace Laing, President and CEO of the Canadian Chamber of Commerce.

How can economists make meaningful projections with all the uncertainty (and sudden reversals) in policies on the global stage?  For his assessment, Amanda Lang speaks with Jean-Francois Perrault, Chief Economist at Scotiabank.

The Canadian economy is under attack - and let's face it, we had problems before Donald Trump came along ...What's the best plan for protecting it in the months ahead? For his assessment, Amanda Lang speaks with Jim Stanford, Director of the Centre for Future Work

It's a tough time to make economic predictions, with tariffs on one side, and new promises from an election campaign on the other. For his assessment, Amanda Lang speaks with Benjamin Tal, Deputy Chief economist at CIBC.

 After filling you in on all the news you need to know this week in The Briefs, Amanda Lang speaks with Aled Ab Iowerth, Deputy Chief economist at Canada Mortgage Housing Corporation, on the rising threat of stagflation – that is, prices rising while economic growth stagnates.

Amanda Lang fills you in on the news you need to know this week in The Briefs and checks in with B.C.’s Minister of Jobs, Economic Development and Innovation, Diana Gibson, for more on how her province is working with businesses to unlock economic development and internal trade.

After filling you in on all the news you need to know this week in The Briefs, Amanda Lang checks in with Flavio Volpe, head of the Automotive Parts Manufacturers Association for an update on how Canada’s automotive sector is feeling headed into tariffs next week.

After a look at the state of Canada’s trading output by the numbers, Amanda Lang checks in with Roger Martin, author and former Dean of the Rotman School of Management for his thoughts on what Canada needs to do to rebalance its trade policy for the new normal we are now in.

After catching you up on all the news that was in the business world in The Briefs this week, Amanda Lang checks in with Satish Rai, the former chief investment officer with Ontario pension plan OMERS to discuss his new book on financial literacy, focusing on what ordinary people can do to get their financial lives in order.

After catching you up on the week that was in The Briefs, Amanda Lang checks in with Jean-Francois Perrault, chief economist with Scotiabank, for his thoughts on the Bank of Canada’s decision to cut rates this week and the outlook for Canada’s economy headed into a potential trade war.