Doug Ford applauds Mark Carney's new 'mega' deduction despite $2-billion hit to Ontario tax revenues

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Ferguson, R. (2026, September 17). Doug Ford applauds Mark Carney's new 'mega' deduction despite $2-billion hit to Ontario tax revenues. Toronto Star. https://www.thestar.com/politics/provincial/doug-ford-applauds-mark-carney-s-new-mega-deduction-despite-2-billion-hit-to-ontario-tax-revenues/article_078e06bb-aacd-48b5-9947-00d3e319a9c7.html

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Ontario Premier Doug Ford endorsed Prime Minister Trudeau's new "mega" tax deduction aimed at spurring $1 trillion in investment over five years. The initiative allows businesses to fully expense the cost of an investment in its first year, potentially offsetting Ontario’s anticipated $2 billion revenue loss due to matching federal changes. While economists like Walid Hejazi and Adam Fremeth see this as a necessary step to enhance Canada's economic productivity and attract investments amid U.S.-Canada trade tensions, they caution that tax reductions alone may not guarantee the desired impact on investment decisions.

Written by AI on 2026-09-17, from this article's own text only (the story summary below draws on all the coverage).

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Ontario Premier Doug Ford endorsed Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's decision to introduce a new "productivity mega deduction" aimed at boosting business investment in Canada. The measure allows companies to fully write off the cost of an investment in its first year, potentially attracting $1 trillion in new investments over five years across the country. However, this will result in a loss of $2 billion for Ontario’s treasury annually due to the province's integrated corporate tax system with Canada’s federal government. Ford believes that the deduction will attract enough economic activity to offset these losses and spur growth despite the financial hit. Western University’s Ivey Business School associate professor Adam Fremeth highlighted the importance of such investments in closing productivity gaps between Canada, the United States, and other major economies.

Written for “Ontario Tax Deduction Controversy” on 2026-11-01, grounded in this article and the 0 other(s) covering the same event.

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📰 Ontario Tax Deduction Controversy

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Rob Ferguson

8 article(s) here · 1 carrying a prediction

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🔮 It’s a big haircut, but Premier Doug Ford is betting a flowing mane will grow from Mark Carney’s new “mega” tax deductions aimed at spurring new investment amid the Trump trade war.

2026-09-17 · assertive framing · Doug Ford applauds Mark Carney's new 'mega' deduction despite $2-billion hit to Ontario tax revenues

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Nothing else under this byline is closely related to this article, so these are simply their most recent.

All 8 articles by Rob Ferguson →

Claims (15 extracted, 0 hedged)

It’s a big haircut, but Premier Doug Ford is betting a flowing mane will grow from Mark Carney’s new “mega” tax deductions aimed at spurring new investment amid the Trump trade war. asserted

mane → ’ → war

“I welcomed the prime minister’s decision to follow the lead on cutting taxes,” an enthusiastic Ford said Wednesday, a day after the “productivity mega deduction” was announced. asserted

deduction → welcome → taxes

“It’s going to cost our treasury $2 billion, but we’re going to see multiple billions of dollars being invested because of that.” asserted

billions → go → that

The new measure aimed at attracting $1 trillion in new investment to Canada over the next five years expands the range of capital assets that can be expensed immediately, allowing businesses to fully write off the cost of an investment in its first year. asserted

businesses → aim → year

Carney said the country’s effective tax rate will be “the lowest of any major economy in the world, less than one-half the rate in the United States. asserted

rate → say → States

” Ford’s calculation is that the deduction will attract enough new investment to the province to offset the $2 billion that will be lost because Ontario’s corporate tax system is integrated with the federal one, meaning any changes made by Ottawa must be matched by the province. asserted

changes → attract → province

“The question is how much more investment we need to break even,” said Walid Hejazi, a professor of economic analysis and policy at the University of Toronto’s Rotman School of Management. asserted

Hejazi → need → Management

While he applauds the new deduction as necessary to lure a dramatic increase in new investment and boost Canada’s economic productivity, Hejazi noted “tax reductions don’t always result in the big impact you want.” asserted

you → applaud → impact

That’s because taxes are only one component in investment decisions that typically consider political, policy and regulatory factors and uncertainty. asserted

that → ’ → factors

Carney and provincial premiers like Ford have been hitting on those points, emphasizing Canada is more dependable than the United States under President Donald Trump and telegraphing speedier approvals for projects. asserted

Canada → hit → projects

Improving worker productivity in Canada and boosting the economy through new investments in machinery, equipment and more is crucial because the country has long lagged behind the United States and most nations in the Organization for Economic Co-Operation and Development, said Adam Fremeth, associate professor of business, economics and public policy at Western University’s Ivey Business School in London. asserted

Fremeth → improve → London

“We can’t continue down this path,” he told the Star. asserted

he → continue → Star

“This deduction will really get firms to re-evaluate their investments. asserted

firms → get → investments

It’ll have a meaningful impact.” asserted

It → have → impact

One key is that the change is not billed as a temporary measure, which means companies can plan on longer horizons and will likely also consider boosting their research and development spending in Canada, Fremeth said. asserted

Fremeth → bill → Canada

Doug Ford applauds Mark Carney's new 'mega' deduction despite $2-billion hit to Ontario tax revenues

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Claims (15 extracted, 0 hedged)