What we need ….credibility….

Carney’s "Long-Time Friend" Budget Watchdog Isn’t Backing His Numbers ... Nor Should She

When the federal government unveiled its new “sovereign‑style” investment fund—one that promises both to boost Canadian infrastructure and let ordinary Canadians “share in the upside”—the spin was polished and upbeat. Mark Carney’s team framed it as a way to fill a critical financing gap, crowd‑in private capital, and give households a shot at better returns than the stock market. But one of the people who should be most sympathetic to that pitch isn’t buying it.

Annette Ryan, Canada’s new Parliamentary Budget Officer, has spent her career steeped in the machinery of federal finance—and she’s not shy about saying when the numbers don’t add up.

Who Is Annette Ryan?

Annette Ryan isn’t a political appointee in the usual sense. She’s a career public‑finance professional whose résumé reads like a primer on how Ottawa actually manages money. She spent years at Finance Canada, where she worked on fiscal policy, budget planning, and the kind of ...

An interesting, common sense look with no fear mongering, but honesty about the characters, characterization of their future, current actions and intentions. Time will tell…..

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William D. Marriott is a retired economist who specialized in public policy analysis of the oil and gas industry.

Things are starting to get both real and serious. If you’ve been ignoring the debate or hoping it doesn’t matter, it is time to wake up. The Stay Free Alberta (SFA) petitions have been delivered. At this point, there is north of 700,000 Albertans who want to vote “stay” or “leave” on an independence referendum. This is a substantial voting bloc that cannot be ignored. So, what’s the current state of play?

First, language matters. It influences how we think and thus how we vote. Both sides should choose respect, although I am not optimistic. “Loaded” keywords broadcast intent; separatist vs secessionist or sovereigntist, independence vs separation. The name-calling by Don Braid in a recent Calgary Herald column...