Oliver Parker
@oliverparker.bsky.social
Part-time Economics PhD student @ Queen's University Belfast | Economic History and Trade
Economist @ Government of Canada | EI and Unemployment
Economist @ Government of Canada | EI and Unemployment
As someone working in policy evaluation I think it can really hard and requires a very different way of thinking than what I learned in grad school economics. Governments are often using different measures of success than non-gov researchers (both in bad and good ways).
Not to be an elitist jerk but why would I pay to read non-evaluation experts argue about the meaning of policy evaluation? I guess I am going to have to dig out that thread I wrote on GICP about sustainable impacts and threshold crossing events.
August 22, 2025 at 4:09 PM
As someone working in policy evaluation I think it can really hard and requires a very different way of thinking than what I learned in grad school economics. Governments are often using different measures of success than non-gov researchers (both in bad and good ways).
Something that always enters my mind with UBI debates is the Canada Child Benefit which reduced child poverty significantly while replacing three different benefits (reduced admin costs) and had near universal take up (95%). It doesn't eliminate poverty but it does reduce the equilibrium a lot!
"We have 50 years (!) of experimental research on explicitly self-sufficiency oriented programs including carrots and sticks, work-requirements, and teaching people to behave like proper upper middle class white people and all that....and all of them have failed."
Ok I threw up quick thoughts on a hastily constructed substack:
stephennunez1.substack.com/p/some-quick...
stephennunez1.substack.com/p/some-quick...
August 22, 2025 at 3:58 PM
Something that always enters my mind with UBI debates is the Canada Child Benefit which reduced child poverty significantly while replacing three different benefits (reduced admin costs) and had near universal take up (95%). It doesn't eliminate poverty but it does reduce the equilibrium a lot!
Housing completions may be down in Ontario but the financing reforms for rentals gives me hope we may see some good changes. This is what good and technocratic reform can achieve without spending a dollar.
holey moley, I knew that Canada's rental construction was moving quick but didn't realize it looked like this www.cmhc-schl.gc.ca/observer/202...
August 13, 2025 at 6:49 PM
Housing completions may be down in Ontario but the financing reforms for rentals gives me hope we may see some good changes. This is what good and technocratic reform can achieve without spending a dollar.
There needs to be a complete overhaul of Metrolinx leadership. We're set back another decade because of a failure to accept new ideas and change.
As of yesterday contract with OOI (ONxpress) and CAD Rail terminated. Alstom seeking a 4-10 year extension now.
May 17, 2025 at 2:27 PM
There needs to be a complete overhaul of Metrolinx leadership. We're set back another decade because of a failure to accept new ideas and change.
Reposted by Oliver Parker
Yesterday, @trevortombe.bsky.social and I changed some thoughts on whether and how to retaliate.
Last night I saw this from Olivier Blanchard.
Both Trevor and I could claim alignment with Blanchard, depending on which highlighted section you think is right.
Last night I saw this from Olivier Blanchard.
Both Trevor and I could claim alignment with Blanchard, depending on which highlighted section you think is right.
April 4, 2025 at 3:09 PM
Yesterday, @trevortombe.bsky.social and I changed some thoughts on whether and how to retaliate.
Last night I saw this from Olivier Blanchard.
Both Trevor and I could claim alignment with Blanchard, depending on which highlighted section you think is right.
Last night I saw this from Olivier Blanchard.
Both Trevor and I could claim alignment with Blanchard, depending on which highlighted section you think is right.
We are in an ideal political climate that divorcing Canadian build codes from simply being copy/pasted from the US to instead stealing the better ideas of the rest of the world can be a winning policy.
Elevator sizes, single-stairs, and vehicle safety reqs are good areas to start.
Elevator sizes, single-stairs, and vehicle safety reqs are good areas to start.
We must liberate Canada from the tyranny of American building standards
By the way, the name of the union is confusing given that they’re opposing an international standard. The “International” in their name only refers to the U.S. and Canada.
March 20, 2025 at 7:57 PM
We are in an ideal political climate that divorcing Canadian build codes from simply being copy/pasted from the US to instead stealing the better ideas of the rest of the world can be a winning policy.
Elevator sizes, single-stairs, and vehicle safety reqs are good areas to start.
Elevator sizes, single-stairs, and vehicle safety reqs are good areas to start.
Incredible housing both design and layout-wise is here in Canada. I'm hoping Ontario cities catch onto Edmonton's ideas quickly.
Especially allowing mid-rise on non-arterial roads!
Especially allowing mid-rise on non-arterial roads!
they've even got a sweet little 6 story project. note it isn't located on a busy arterial. family sized homes!
one of the things that floored me when i visited edmonton, was the number of mid-rise homes allowed on quiet streets. it makes a massive difference for livability and walkability.
one of the things that floored me when i visited edmonton, was the number of mid-rise homes allowed on quiet streets. it makes a massive difference for livability and walkability.
March 12, 2025 at 8:19 PM
Incredible housing both design and layout-wise is here in Canada. I'm hoping Ontario cities catch onto Edmonton's ideas quickly.
Especially allowing mid-rise on non-arterial roads!
Especially allowing mid-rise on non-arterial roads!
Reposted by Oliver Parker
Wall Street coming around to Trump’s tariff and deregulation spree be like
November 20, 2024 at 4:47 AM
Wall Street coming around to Trump’s tariff and deregulation spree be like
Reposted by Oliver Parker
We went through this with zoning, and now we're going through it with building code: trillion dollar industries depend on these things, yet a bunch of precocious bloggers can swoop in and expose these institutions as full of pseudoscience. Does nobody do their job? @aarmlovi.bsky.social
March 3, 2025 at 4:36 AM
We went through this with zoning, and now we're going through it with building code: trillion dollar industries depend on these things, yet a bunch of precocious bloggers can swoop in and expose these institutions as full of pseudoscience. Does nobody do their job? @aarmlovi.bsky.social
If there is no political appetite to repeal sports betting in Ontario then at the very least can we make betting ads illegal as we did with tobacco?
From ads featuring Wayne Gretzky to gambling logos at youth games, online casinos have become a multi-billion dollar business in Ontario. The social costs, however, won’t be understood for years to come. thelocal.to/igaming-onta...
Doug Ford’s Big Wager on Online Gambling | The Local
The province’s three-year-old online casino market, iGaming Ontario, is already bringing in billions of dollars. The Tories are betting the revenues outweigh the human costs.
thelocal.to
February 20, 2025 at 4:16 PM
If there is no political appetite to repeal sports betting in Ontario then at the very least can we make betting ads illegal as we did with tobacco?
Egg politics really isn't just a meme in America.
February 9, 2025 at 6:30 PM
Egg politics really isn't just a meme in America.
It is 1897, Canada is seeking closer trade ties with the UK, Australia, and New Zealand to counter American economic encirclement.
It is 1929, Canada tries again.
It is 1932, and again.
It is 2025...
It is 1929, Canada tries again.
It is 1932, and again.
It is 2025...
“The push to make Canada part of the U.S. reached a fever pitch following passage of the highly protectionist McKinley Tariff in 1890.”
For @time.com I discuss the last time the GOP tried to use tariffs to annex Canada.
*spoiler: it didn’t go well
time.com/7212675/tari...
For @time.com I discuss the last time the GOP tried to use tariffs to annex Canada.
*spoiler: it didn’t go well
time.com/7212675/tari...
Using Tariffs to Try to Annex Canada Backfired in the 1890s
Instead of compelling Canada to become an American state, the 1890 McKinley Tariff drove Canada into British hands.
time.com
February 7, 2025 at 3:16 PM
It is 1897, Canada is seeking closer trade ties with the UK, Australia, and New Zealand to counter American economic encirclement.
It is 1929, Canada tries again.
It is 1932, and again.
It is 2025...
It is 1929, Canada tries again.
It is 1932, and again.
It is 2025...
Reposted by Oliver Parker
Linked individual data using WWII Army and administrative tax records show mixed impacts of service on long-run economic outcomes for different racial and ethnic groups, from Sergio E. Barrera, Andreas Ferrara, Price V. Fishback, and Misty L. Heggeness https://www.nber.org/papers/w33382
January 28, 2025 at 6:00 PM
Linked individual data using WWII Army and administrative tax records show mixed impacts of service on long-run economic outcomes for different racial and ethnic groups, from Sergio E. Barrera, Andreas Ferrara, Price V. Fishback, and Misty L. Heggeness https://www.nber.org/papers/w33382
City leaders in this province need to start taking agency and doo things without the province handling it for them. Another reason why we're in a housing crisis!
City staff report that they’ve determined a Toronto commercial parking levy — now estimated to bring in between $100 million and $108 million per year — needs the support of MPAC — and provincial gov. Can’t move forward without them, so parking levy is on hold. secure.toronto.ca/council/agen...
Agenda Item History 2025.EX20.7
Agenda Item History 2025.EX20.7
secure.toronto.ca
January 21, 2025 at 3:44 PM
City leaders in this province need to start taking agency and doo things without the province handling it for them. Another reason why we're in a housing crisis!
Along these lines I find that grocery store options from base ingredients to frozen dinners have expanded greatly even in the suburb stores around me. The fact that I can buy a frozen curry dinner that is store-branded when 10 years ago my city required you to head to one of three Indian restaurants
Although it seems undeniable to me that the typical American of today has far greater access to a much larger range of cuisine than the typical American of 20 years ago, I'd be interested to know if there is any data attesting to this. (1/4)
January 6, 2025 at 6:08 PM
Along these lines I find that grocery store options from base ingredients to frozen dinners have expanded greatly even in the suburb stores around me. The fact that I can buy a frozen curry dinner that is store-branded when 10 years ago my city required you to head to one of three Indian restaurants