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David Macdonald

@davidmaccdn.bsky.social
2.1K followers 176 following 146 posts

Canadian Centre For Policy Alternatives Senior Economist in Ottawa

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David Macdonald @davidmaccdn.bsky.social · 20/04/2026
Do you want to work at @policyalternatives.ca ? We've partnered with the School for Moral Ambition to offer an incredible Tax Fairness Fellowship. Its a 6 month paid position to put you on the front line of the debate. Apply now: www.moralambition.org/fellowships/...
moralambition.org
Tax Fairness Fellowship | The School for Moral Ambition
Our Moral Ambition Fellowships offer a transformative journey — one that demands your full commitment as you pivot your career alongside a cohort of ambitious peers. ‍ In response to rising inequality...
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David Macdonald @davidmaccdn.bsky.social · 20/04/2026
These funds, along with cuts in many departments, are going to fund Defence which hit the NATO goal of 2% this year. This is a fundamental shift of our foreign policy away from "helpful fixer" to self-interested trader and defence spender. Read all about it: www.policyalternatives.ca/news-researc...
policyalternatives.ca
The end of Pearson’s dream: The devastating impact of federal cuts on international aid | CCPA
Planned cuts will shift Canada’s foreign policy away from peacekeeping and development to self-interested trade and defence
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David Macdonald @davidmaccdn.bsky.social · 20/04/2026
The actual spend on ODA will fall by $2 bil over the next 3 yrs due to the cuts at global affairs, but also the cuts in asylum and refugee support sat IRCC (which also count) 4/x
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David Macdonald @davidmaccdn.bsky.social · 20/04/2026
PM Lester B Pearson challenged Canada and the world in 1969 to contribute 0.7% of our economy to the development of lower income countries. We never achieved this target, but we were close in the 80s. This latest budget will push us down to 0.17%. Lower than in 1969 when Pearson made the pledge 3/x
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David Macdonald @davidmaccdn.bsky.social · 20/04/2026
The cuts emerging from the fall budget at Global Affairs and Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship will drastically cut Canada's official development assistance over the next 3 yrs. We haven't seen values this low since 1964. 2/x
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David Macdonald @davidmaccdn.bsky.social · 20/04/2026
New research out today showing the collapse of Canada's development assistance as featured in the @ottawacitizen.com this morning 🧵👇👇 @policyalternatives.ca ottawacitizen.com/public-servi...
ottawacitizen.com
Cuts at Global Affairs Canada marks an 'end of Pearson's dream,' report says
Budget cuts at GAC could "shift Canada's foreign policy focus away from peacekeeping and development to self-interested trade and defence."
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Reposted by David Macdonald
Hadrian @hadrianmk.bsky.social · 17/04/2026
Hey it's Friday and the Canadian oil industry made $1.5 billion in profits this week. 🧵 Thread...
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David Macdonald @davidmaccdn.bsky.social · 09/03/2026
This is just a single department and this is going to be happening across almost all fed departments, more details to come. There is much more in our full analysis at www.policyalternatives.ca/news-researc...
policyalternatives.ca
Budget cuts are about to wreck Canada’s immigration system - CCPA
Crunching the numbers on the announced cuts at Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship Canada shows a bloodbath in the making
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David Macdonald @davidmaccdn.bsky.social · 09/03/2026
Finally IRCC has slashed its staff by between 2,000 and 3.000 people starting in early 2025. Those staff had managed to get backlogs under control in 2023 and 2024, most application streams on track. But with so many fewer staff application backlogs are blowing up again. 5/x
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David Macdonald @davidmaccdn.bsky.social · 09/03/2026
In several big cities roughly half of the homeless pop is actually just asylum seekers. The cities pick up the tab and the feds re-imburse them...or they did. The feds are now cancelling that program to "save" money, but its really just cost downloading that onto four cities 4/x
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David Macdonald @davidmaccdn.bsky.social · 09/03/2026
We're going to accept about 5% more new Canadians in the next 3 years because of their skills, but now we're going to slash the integration supports by 30%. The Settlement Program helps them get jobs and use their skills to benefit us all. 3/x
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David Macdonald @davidmaccdn.bsky.social · 09/03/2026
The biggest efficiency "savings" is actually about cutting refugee and asylum seeker health care. People with nothing aren't going pay 1/4 billion a year, instead they'll avoid treatment making the situation worst 2/x www.policyalternatives.ca/news-researc...
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David Macdonald @davidmaccdn.bsky.social · 09/03/2026
Today we're revealing the cuts plans for our immigration system from Budget 2025. TLDR: These aren't efficiency savings they are major services cuts and cost downloads to cities poised to wreck our immigration system. @policyalternatives.ca 1/x
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David Macdonald @davidmaccdn.bsky.social · 25/02/2026
Yes exactly. If the corporate sector is only passing on higher prices along the supply chain, you wouldn't see margins increase ... but you are seeing margins increase which means that costs are being passed along and part of the higher prices is being scooped as profits
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David Macdonald @davidmaccdn.bsky.social · 25/02/2026
Things like tariffs can be very bad for corporate profits, but much higher prices on everything combined with higher margins are what is driving the record high dollar profits in 2025.
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David Macdonald @davidmaccdn.bsky.social · 25/02/2026
One if the big reasons for this is that corporate margins are just much higher than they used to be, hitting on average 10.3% in 2025, just like the inflation/profit hey days of 2021-22. The "ordinary" margins we see now would have been extremes pre-pandemic
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David Macdonald @davidmaccdn.bsky.social · 25/02/2026
Corporate profits hit a new all time high of $676 bil in 2025, besting the previous 2022 record www150.statcan.gc.ca/n1/daily-quo... @policyalternatives.ca
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David Macdonald @davidmaccdn.bsky.social · 18/02/2026
Today we uncovered that just under half of the budget 2025 cuts at Dept immigration, refugees and citizenship are just cuts to dental and prescription coverage for asylum seekers. Read about it in the @ottawacitizen.com or the full @policyalternatives.ca www.policyalternatives.ca/news-researc...
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David Macdonald @davidmaccdn.bsky.social · 17/02/2026
Ahh, I think he's doing it to fund defence which is seeing its budget double while everyone else's is being cut.
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David Macdonald @davidmaccdn.bsky.social · 17/02/2026
Great article in the @theglobeandmail.com this morning that I'm quoted in. It's looking at the self-inflicted job losses in Ottawa www.theglobeandmail.com/business/art... @policyalternatives.ca @jasonkirby.bsky.social
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David Macdonald @davidmaccdn.bsky.social · 11/02/2026
Today I'm appearing before the Senate committee on finance about the upper income tax cut that the middle class happens to see a small benefit from. Here is my full analysis www.policyalternatives.ca/news-researc... @policyalternatives.ca
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David Macdonald @davidmaccdn.bsky.social · 09/02/2026
We just put up the application for this summer's progressive economics fellowship. Its a paid 4 month term to work with me at @policyalternatives.ca and 100 other progressive policy experts to create this year's Alternative Federal Budget. Apply now: ccpa.bamboohr.com/careers/48
ccpa.bamboohr.com
Research Assistant - 4 Month Term
Research Assistant Research · Ottawa, Ontario The Organization: The Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives (CCPA) is an independent, non-partisan research institute concerned with issues of social, ...
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David Macdonald @davidmaccdn.bsky.social · 05/02/2026
Yeah definitely some of the folks losing their jobs will move to dnd as their budgets for everything explode
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David Macdonald @davidmaccdn.bsky.social · 05/02/2026
My preliminary take on the new stats on federal job job cuts . Which depts and services could be hit hardest? There's plenty more analysis to come @policyalternatives.ca
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David Macdonald @davidmaccdn.bsky.social · 04/02/2026
New research out today from @policyalternatives.ca on the groceries and essential benefit. Read the full details at www.policyalternatives.ca/news-researc...
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David Macdonald @davidmaccdn.bsky.social · 21/11/2025
Interesting to see that HALF of all econo activity in Canada is just gvts providing: health care, education, infrastructure, pensions. The other half is the private sector selling things. Cuts to govts are cuts to GDP growth...shocking ;) @policyalternatives.ca www150.statcan.gc.ca/n1/daily-quo...
www150.statcan.gc.ca
The Daily — Public Sector Universe, 2024
Today, Statistics Canada is publishing the 2024 list of entities in the Public Sector Universe. This year's product presents public sector units from 2008 to 2024.
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David Macdonald @davidmaccdn.bsky.social · 28/10/2025
If folks are interested, here's the full write up with a detailed list of over 120 programs that will "sunset" in the coming years putting them at real risk of being lost: www.policyalternatives.ca/news-researc...
policyalternatives.ca
Budget cuts by stealth: Letting programs “sunset” to cut costs won’t be painless - CCPA
The feds will quietly “sunset” programs as part of their cost-cutting in the November 4, 2025 budget. Quiet cuts can still hurt.
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David Macdonald @davidmaccdn.bsky.social · 28/10/2025
Some great coverage on my latest analysis of what programs may be lost due to the 15% fed program cuts in the @ottawacitizen.com : ottawacitizen.com/public-servi... @policyalternatives.ca
ottawacitizen.com
Social programs could be 'sunset' along with jobs of public servants who administer them: analysis
The Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives estimates that 52 of 88 departments and agencies will "sunset" programs.
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David Macdonald @davidmaccdn.bsky.social · 28/10/2025
Budget are about choices. We don't have to choose these cuts, we can choose to invest in Canadian priorities instead. Today our Alternative Federal Budget includes 100s of costed programs we should be choosing: www.policyalternatives.ca/news-researc... 7/x
policyalternatives.ca
Alternative federal budget 2026: Building true Canadian sovereignty - CCPA
What true Canadian sovereignty and independence might look like when the public good is at the heart of budgetary planning
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David Macdonald @davidmaccdn.bsky.social · 28/10/2025
Read the full details about what we'll be losing: www.policyalternatives.ca/news-researc... 6/x
policyalternatives.ca
Budget cuts by stealth: Letting programs “sunset” to cut costs won’t be painless - CCPA
The feds will quietly “sunset” programs as part of their cost-cutting in the November 4, 2025 budget. Quiet cuts can still hurt.
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David Macdonald @davidmaccdn.bsky.social · 28/10/2025
So what's at risk? We've compiled over 120 programs that are going to sunset in the next three years. Many climate change programs, women fleeing violence, airline complaints resolution, student jobs programs are at risk 5/x
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David Macdonald @davidmaccdn.bsky.social · 28/10/2025
One of the ways depts will get to their 15% cut target will be to just sit on their hands and let programs sunset and not get renewed. It will be an accident of timing of what will be lost 4/x
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David Macdonald @davidmaccdn.bsky.social · 28/10/2025
Depts of Women & Gender, Transport & environment the majority of programs are sunsetting in next 3 yrs. Although you can see the full list here: www.datawrapper.de/_/Ee4AB/ 3/x
datawrapper.de
Table 1: Proportion of expenditures that sunset by department | Created with Datawrapper
Departments have to cut 15 per cent of expenditure. Many departments have far more than that in sunsetting programs in the next three years.
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David Macdonald @davidmaccdn.bsky.social · 28/10/2025
Many fed programs aren't permanent, they have to be renewed every few years. Over the next 3yrs, almost no programs will be renewed due to the 15% cuts. This "sunsetting" affects some depts more than others. 2/x
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David Macdonald @davidmaccdn.bsky.social · 28/10/2025
Budgets are meant to be good news docs. This one will downplay all that will be lost with 15% cuts in most depts. We've scoured dept docs to identify programs likely to be "sunset" and the 52 depts likely to use this strategy @policyalternatives.ca 🧵👇👇👇
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David Macdonald @davidmaccdn.bsky.social · 21/08/2025
We set it at 5km radius in urban areas or 10km in rural. That's about 2 to 3 times further than the closest public school so its a generous "nearby"
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David Macdonald @davidmaccdn.bsky.social · 21/08/2025
Read the full report here: www.policyalternatives.ca/news-researc...
policyalternatives.ca
Cash cow: Assessing child care space creation progress - CCPA
Canada’s $10-a-day child care program isn't creating enough spaces to meet demand and isn't doing enough to make sure that new spaces are non-profit
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David Macdonald @davidmaccdn.bsky.social · 21/08/2025
Now that fees are falling fast, the real challenge is public space creation. Without strong public planning, for-profits will keep expanding in the easiest places—not where children actually live. We need much more proactive planning to hit the targets and do it with non-profit spaces. (8/10)
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David Macdonald @davidmaccdn.bsky.social · 21/08/2025
Many cities still struggle badly: • 75% of kids in Kitchener, Oshawa, Fort McMurray live in child care deserts • Calgary: half of kids in deserts, • Quebec cities & Charlottetown are near universal access Find your city in this interactive map: www.policyalternatives.ca/news-researc... (7/10)
policyalternatives.ca
Childcare deserts in Canada: find where your community fits in 2025 - CCPA
Canada’s federal child care program, which began rolling out in 2021, has two main goals: lower fees to $10 per day per child, and expand the amount of space available in licensed childcare facilities...
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David Macdonald @davidmaccdn.bsky.social · 21/08/2025
The program was supposed to grow public and non-profit child care. Instead, it’s become a cash cow for private operators who dominate the growth: • 57% of new spaces since 2022 are for-profit • Only 30% are non-profit or public (6/10)
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David Macdonald @davidmaccdn.bsky.social · 21/08/2025
But the real issue isn’t just how many spaces are created—it’s whether parents can find one. The federal benchmark is 5.9 spaces per 10 children. Only Quebec and PEI are already there. Many provinces won’t hit it, even if they hit their space creation targets (which many won’t). (5/10)
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David Macdonald @davidmaccdn.bsky.social · 21/08/2025
That being said, child care deserts—blocks with almost no nearby child care spaces—are shrinking, but still widespread. BC, Alb, Sask, NL, Ontario have all rapidly reduced the number of kids living in child care deserts 4/10
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David Macdonald @davidmaccdn.bsky.social · 21/08/2025
Overachievers who are above their space creation targets: NB, BC & PEI Already have decent coverage: Quebec and PEI Strugglers: MB, NS & SK: only a fraction of their goals Progress is uneven—and often behind. (3/10)
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David Macdonald @davidmaccdn.bsky.social · 21/08/2025
The fed’s goal isn’t just $10-a-day fees by 2026—it’s also 210K new full-time child care spaces by April 2025. So far, provinces are short 57,030 spaces. Some prov are on target or ahead. Others are far behind. (2/10)
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David Macdonald @davidmaccdn.bsky.social · 21/08/2025
Canada’s $10-a-day child care program is cutting fees—but is it creating enough spaces? My new report from @policyalternatives.ca shows big promises, mixed results, and a growing role for for-profit care. Here’s what the data tells us🧵👇👇👇
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David Macdonald @davidmaccdn.bsky.social · 24/07/2025
DND is exempt
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David Macdonald @davidmaccdn.bsky.social · 24/07/2025
So the point is that this will be a mindless chainsaw through services that Canadians rely on. All in trade for more defense spending and a tax cut. These are Trump-approved priorities when we need Canadian priorities. Here's the full analysis: 8/x www.policyalternatives.ca/news-researc...
policyalternatives.ca
A stiff price to pay: Predicting federal job losses due to Carney’s cuts - CCPA
The newly elected federal government has promised major military spending increases and tax cuts. To pay for it, the government is seeking 15 per cent in cuts across all federal departments except the...
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David Macdonald @davidmaccdn.bsky.social · 24/07/2025
While the service impacts will be country-wide the employment impacts will be biggest in #ottawa and #gatineau where over 24,000 jobs could be lost by 2028. Here's the projected impact by region 7/x www.datawrapper.de/_/jV9Lz/
datawrapper.de
Job losses by 2028, divided by geography | Created with Datawrapper
A regional breakdown of potential job losses due to coming federal cuts. The hardest-hit zone, by far, would be the National Capital Region of Ottawa-Gatineau, where nearly half of the total job loss...
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David Macdonald @davidmaccdn.bsky.social · 24/07/2025
Cutting that many people would almost certainly affect service levels. Folks will likely notice it in longer wait times on the phone to get help with your taxes. No help if your EI claim gets fouled up. Backlogs once again to get a passport. 6/x
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David Macdonald @davidmaccdn.bsky.social · 24/07/2025
These departments would see the highest cuts as they are service heavy departments. You need alot of people to process personal and biz tax returns, deal with missing transfer payments, help people get EI and their pension, as well as help people deal with passports and immigration issues. 5/x
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