Marc Lee
banner
marclee.bsky.social
Marc Lee
@marclee.bsky.social
Economist, talking head, Vancouver.
Reposted by Marc Lee
Industrial transformation and renewal is essential if Canada wants to weather Trump’s economic warfare—but we cannot afford to be so haphazard with public funds. By @marclee.bsky.social and Stuart Trew @policyalternatives.ca
www.policyalternatives.ca/news-researc...
Algoma Steel layoffs signal it’s time for Canada to up its game on trade and industrial policy - CCPA
Algoma Steel’s announcement that it will lay off more than 1,000 workers in Sault Ste Marie is just the latest in a string of bad news from President Trump‘s trade war. Canada needs to respond quickly...
www.policyalternatives.ca
December 10, 2025 at 5:52 PM
New from Stuart Trew and myself: How the Algoma Steel layoffs signal it’s time for Canada to up its game on trade and industrial policy
www.thestar.com/opinion/cont...
Layoffs are another wound inflicted by Donald Trump. But this is how Canada can rebuild its industrial base
Among the options are the government taking a stake in key industrial companies.
www.thestar.com
December 8, 2025 at 5:59 PM
Reposted by Marc Lee
A vision for Canada’s industries needs to be cocreated with workers, governments and the industry itself. By @marclee.bsky.social and Stuart Trew. #canlab @policyalternatives.ca www.thestar.com/opinion/cont...
Layoffs are another wound inflicted by Donald Trump. But this is how Canada can rebuild its industrial base
Among the options are the government taking a stake in key industrial companies.
www.thestar.com
December 8, 2025 at 3:40 PM
Reposted by Marc Lee
POD DROP! Marc Lee reports back on Elbows Up: A Practical Program for Canadian Sovereignty and the need for a generational investment in non-market housing. @policyalternatives.ca @marclee.bsky.social @ricardotranjan.bsky.social tiny.cc/c62w001 #canPoli #housing
Canada needs a generational investment in non-market and public housing
Podcast Episode · Redeye · 2025-12-05 · 18m
tiny.cc
December 5, 2025 at 4:28 PM
Reposted by Marc Lee
Watch economist @marclee.bsky.social @policyalternatives.ca explain the problems with contracting out HandyDART to multinational corporations, and the benefits of fully public provision. www.youtube.com/watch?v=gPEr... #TransLink #bcpoli #vanpoli
December 3, 2025 at 7:50 PM
Reposted by Marc Lee
Watch celebrated economist James K. Galbraith talk about North America's changing place in the world—during and after Trump—with @marclee.bsky.social in this year's Rosenbluth lecture. @policyalternatives.ca
www.policyalternatives.ca/news-researc...
How James K. Galbraith understands North America’s place in the global economy - CCPA
On November 26, the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives hosted a lecture by celebrated economist James K. Galbraith. The event was broadcast live to CCPA supporters, and today we make the recordin...
www.policyalternatives.ca
December 1, 2025 at 3:00 PM
Reposted by Marc Lee
Saturday | 10:55 PT Marc Lee reports back on Elbows Up: A Practical Program for Canadian Sovereignty and the need for a generational investment in non-market housing. @policyalternatives.ca @marclee.bsky.social @ricardotranjan.bsky.social
November 28, 2025 at 7:21 PM
Reposted by Marc Lee
Energy use "in Asia and Europe is shifting to renewables that are cheaper than LNG" @marclee.bsky.social.

Losing money exporting a fossil fuel that is as bad for the climate as coal is a fail on so many levels. Solar and wind are the future of energy, not fracked gas. #bcpoli
November 29, 2025 at 10:20 PM
ICYMI the 2025 Rosenbluth lecture featuring Jamie Galbraith is online. Jamie's review of the state of geopolitics and global economic relationships in the era of Trump is not to be missed. Followed by a Q&A session led by me on what it all means for Canada.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=EIc9...
Rosenbluth Lecture featuring James Galbraith: North America in the world economy
YouTube video by Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives
www.youtube.com
November 27, 2025 at 4:46 PM
Reposted by Marc Lee
“It seems like we’ve just put climate in the drawer and forgotten about it,” said @marclee.bsky.social, a senior economist for @policyalternatives.ca #bcpoli #climatecrisis thetyee.ca/Analysis/202...
Will BC Electrify Its Economy? BC Hydro Doubts It | The Tyee
The Crown corporation’s new long-term plan for BC’s energy future is a missed opportunity to commit to electrification, experts say.
thetyee.ca
November 25, 2025 at 10:51 PM
Reposted by Marc Lee
"[the tax implies] ... the government is [working] to combat housing [unaffordability], but there are core issues ... particularly the failure to invest in non-market housing … that [are] not fundamentally being addressed federally or provincially,” @marclee.bsky.social www.biv.com/news/real-es...
B.C. speculation tax to rise in 2026 as Carney axes federal version
Policy divergence revives questions about efficacy and legality
www.biv.com
November 26, 2025 at 4:03 PM
Reposted by Marc Lee
www.policyalternatives.ca/news-researc... 'this economic plan...does not appear to have been the result of any kind of broader public engagement process, & largely serves as a PR exercise for resource extraction projects & that double down on fossil fuels at a time when we need to ditch them.'
Not a good look: BC’s new environmentally destructive economic plan - CCPA
Look West is the Government of British Columbia‘s newly minted economic strategy. Premier David Eby is calling it a plan to attract $20 billion of investment from the federal government and private se...
www.policyalternatives.ca
November 21, 2025 at 2:25 PM
Reposted by Marc Lee
“[government officials] seized on this kind of bogus issue of trade barriers [but] the real barriers for businesses and trading across Canada are distance and transportation costs.” @marclee.bsky.social @policyalternatives.ca #cdnecon www.cbc.ca/news/canada/...
Provinces sign agreement to drop interprovincial trade barriers on goods except food, alcohol | CBC News
An agreement, signed today, between all Canadian provinces, territories, and the federal government, will drop interprovincial trade barriers on many goods except food and alcohol. It's part of an eff...
www.cbc.ca
November 20, 2025 at 2:51 PM
Reposted by Marc Lee
Senior economist w/ @policyalternatives.ca, @marclee.bsky.social, said the whole debate over interprovincial trade is simply political posturing so that provinces and the federal government can seem like they are doing something to respond to Trump’s tariffs. #cdnecon theprovince.com/news/will-ne...
Will new deal between provinces on interprovincial trade actually help Canada's economy?
The agreement is designed to provide mutual recognition for products like clothing, toys and vehicles but doesn't address barriers on food.
theprovince.com
November 20, 2025 at 3:02 PM
Reposted by Marc Lee
The BC government’s new “Look West” economic plan doubles down on resource extraction—while ignoring sectors of the economy that could have a larger impact on well-being. By @marclee.bsky.social @policyalternatives.ca #bcecon
www.policyalternatives.ca/news-researc...
Not a good look: BC’s new environmentally destructive economic plan - CCPA
Look West is the Government of British Columbia‘s newly minted economic strategy. Premier David Eby is calling it a plan to attract $20 billion of investment from the federal government and private se...
www.policyalternatives.ca
November 21, 2025 at 2:57 PM
New from me: BC is back on the front lines of a big extraction agenda in the north that doubles down on being a petro state
www.policyalternatives.ca/news-researc...
Not a good look: BC’s new environmentally destructive economic plan - CCPA
After factoring key infrastructure challenges, inflation and the potential for delays and cost overruns, it becomes highly unlikely that the project can be delivered within the budget estimates initia...
www.policyalternatives.ca
November 21, 2025 at 5:53 PM
Reposted by Marc Lee
“The real barriers for businesses and trading across Canada are distance and transportation costs.” @marclee.bsky.social @policyalternatives.ca
November 20, 2025 at 12:46 AM
Reposted by Marc Lee
www.cbc.ca/news/canada/... “They seized on this kind of bogus issue of trade barriers and are basically painting themselves as the knights in shining armor that are going to go slay this dragon, but the reality is, there's no dragon.”
@marclee.bsky.social @policyalternatives.ca
Provinces sign agreement to drop interprovincial trade barriers on goods except food, alcohol | CBC News
An agreement, signed today, between all Canadian provinces, territories, and the federal government, will drop interprovincial trade barriers on many goods except food and alcohol. It's part of an eff...
www.cbc.ca
November 20, 2025 at 12:46 AM
Reposted by Marc Lee
Policies supporting low-wage workers may help the #BC economy more, argues @marclee.bsky.social
“When I think about jobs and prosperity, some of the biggest gains...[would be in improving] conditions for people who are delivering our food and driving our Ubers." vancouversun.com/news/david-e...
'Relentless and remorseless': David Eby promises new jobs plan will supercharge B.C.'s economic growth
B.C.'s new jobs plan includes spending on skills training, expansion of shipbuilding and doubling employment in life sciences
vancouversun.com
November 18, 2025 at 10:31 PM
We're thrilled to have the great American economist Jamie Galbraith deliver a major keynote lecture on Nov 25. Please join @ccpa as Jamie shares his insights on the US and world economies at this pivotal moment in history.

Register here:
us02web.zoom.us/webinar/regi...
November 18, 2025 at 6:00 PM
Reposted by Marc Lee
Despite all the talk of “generational investments” in budget 2025, no one seems particularly inspired by this budget or its investment plan. Where’s the moon shot, the national project(s) that Canadians can rally behind? By @marclee.bsky.social #Budget2025
www.policyalternatives.ca/news-researc...
Talking ‘bout my generational investment: Why the federal budget fails to meet the moment - CCPA
Budget 2025 featured talk of “generational investments” and proclaimed a headline number of $1 trillion in combined new public and private investment over five years. Yet no one seems particularly ins...
www.policyalternatives.ca
November 17, 2025 at 6:46 PM
Reposted by Marc Lee
www.policyalternatives.ca/news-researc... 'Lost in all of this is any sort of vision for the Canadian economy. Instead, it’s an “all of the above” strategy while simultaneously downplaying other social expenditures that matter to our standard of living.' @marclee.bsky.social @policyalternatives.ca
Talking ‘bout my generational investment: Why the federal budget fails to meet the moment - CCPA
Budget 2025 featured talk of “generational investments” and proclaimed a headline number of $1 trillion in combined new public and private investment over five years. Yet no one seems particularly ins...
www.policyalternatives.ca
November 17, 2025 at 7:15 PM
I take a deeper dive into into those “generational investments” in federal budget 2025 and why they feel so underwhelming
www.policyalternatives.ca/news-researc...
Talking ‘bout my generational investment: Why the federal budget fails to meet the moment - CCPA
Budget 2025 featured talk of “generational investments” and proclaimed a headline number of $1 trillion in combined new public and private investment over five years. Yet no one seems particularly ins...
www.policyalternatives.ca
November 17, 2025 at 11:37 PM
Reposted by Marc Lee
“It very well could be a good start, but my concern is that it’s not going to scale up fast enough. The fiscal commitment is pretty weak … it’s not what I would think of as a generational investment," says CCPA senior economist
@marclee.bsky.social www.theglobeandmail.com/investing/pe...
.
Federal budget falls short on housing affordability, experts say
Academics and builders’ associations say the Liberal government has watered down its election pledges
www.theglobeandmail.com
November 13, 2025 at 5:52 PM