An opinion piece argues that Canada's Crown corporations, intended to be quasi-autonomous agencies, have become 'runaway' entities lacking accountability, failing to deliver services efficiently, stay within budget, or meet performance expectations. Examples include the Canada Pension Plan Investment Board, Canada Post, Via Rail, and CBC, all cited for significant financial losses, poor performance, and lack of consequences for management. The author calls for a 'housecleaning' including mandate reconsideration, stricter performance requirements, and potential winding down.
Opinion: It’s time to rein in Canada’s runaway Crown corporations
Opinion
AI Summary
TL;DR: Key points with love ❤️An opinion piece argues that Canada's Crown corporations, intended to be quasi-autonomous agencies, have become 'runaway' entities lacking accountability, failing to deliver services efficiently, stay within budget, or meet performance expectations. Examples include the Canada Pension Plan Investment Board, Canada Post, Via Rail, and CBC, all cited for significant financial losses, poor performance, and lack of consequences for management. The author calls for a 'housecleaning' including mandate reconsideration, stricter performance requirements, and potential winding down.
Trending- 1 1980s: New Zealand 'corporatized' government departments.
- 2 1981: Price of a stamp has risen by three times the rate of inflation since this year.
- 3 1989: Air Canada privatized.
- 4 Last 20 years: Canada Post letter-mail volume fallen by nearly two-thirds.
- 5 2007: CPPIB's 'annualized value added' since this year is negative 0.2%.
- 6 Fiscal 2023: Via Rail lost $382-million on operations, on-time performance fell to 59%. BDC's lending programs cost about $2.3-billion more than returned. Farm Credit Canada cost $1.9-billion in implicit subsidy.
- 7 Present: Crown corporations continue to face issues; calls for reform.
- Financial losses for taxpayers
- Poor public services
- Lack of accountability for management
- Distortion of business investment decisions
What: Criticism of Canadian Crown corporations for lack of accountability and poor performance, with a call for reform.
When: Published June 6, 2025. Examples span decades, with recent figures from Fiscal 2023 and 2024.
Where: Canada, specifically mentioning the Windsor-to-Quebec City corridor.
Why: Crown corporations are failing to meet their mandates, are financially unsustainable, and lack accountability, leading to wasted public funds and poor service delivery.
How: The author presents examples of failures and proposes a 'housecleaning' involving mandate review, stricter performance requirements, and potential dissolution.