Insights Speaker Series
Hear from decision-makers, influencers, policy experts and business leaders who are shaping the future of Canada and the world.
Speakers:
Andrew Coyne
Staff Columnist, The Globe and Mail
Andrew Coyne is a columnist for The Globe and Mail. Raised in Winnipeg, Mr. Coyne is a graduate of the University of Toronto and the London School of Economics. He has worked previously for The National Post, Maclean’s and Southam News, contributing as well to a wide range of other publications in Canada and abroad, including The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, National Review, and The Walrus. He is also a weekly panelist on CBC’s The National.
Cynthia Leach
Assistant Chief Economist, RBC
Cynthia is the Assistant Chief Economist, Thought Leadership at RBC. She helps shape the narratives and research agenda for the team’s structural economic and policy analysis, covering topics such as human capital, innovation, and trade. She joined the team in 2020.
Previously, Cynthia was an executive at Finance Canada, most recently heading a team responsible for housing finance policy. Cynthia holds an M.A. Economics degree from the University of Toronto.
Moderated by Matt Lundy, Economics Editor, The Globe and Mail
Matt Lundy is The Globe and Mail's economics editor. As a reporter, Matt covered some of the biggest economic news from 2019 to 2024: the fallout from the COVID-19 pandemic, four-decade-high inflation and breakneck population growth. Matt has written frequently about the Temporary Foreign Worker Program and its controversies; demographic and labour market trends, such as rising youth unemployment; and the absurdities of Canada's housing supply crisis, from Prince Edward Island to Red Deer, Alta.
Introduction by Carol Wilding, FCPA, FCA, ICD.D, President & CEO, CPA Ontario
May 28, 2026: CUSMA and the Future of Canada/U.S. Relations
The Canada-U.S. relationship is being tested like never before. With the Canada-United States-Mexico Agreement (CUSMA) under joint review and a July 1 review date looming, more than a trillion dollars in annual trade hangs in the balance.
The Honourable Bob Rae and Barry Appleton joined Vassy Kapelos in a discussion unpacking the CUSMA review, the forces reshaping North American trade and what the outcomes could mean for Canada’s economic future and its relationship with the United States.
March 24, 2026: Canada in a New Geopolitical Age
Professor Janice Gross Stein joined Rudyard Griffiths for a conversation that cut through the noise of today's rapidly shifting world order. Together, they explored how trade disruption, geopolitical tension, and military aggression are testing the assumptions that have underpinned global stability for decades, discussed how this new age of conflict is reshaping energy markets, supply chains, and the global economy, and shared their views on what it all means for Canada and its business leaders.
December 2, 2025: Tax Reform for Growth in Canada
CPA Ontario President & CEO Carol Wilding, FCPA, FCA, ICD.D was joined by John McKenzie, FCPA, FCMA, CEO of TMX Group, and John Ruffolo, FCPA, FCA, Founder and Managing Partner of Maverix Private Equity, for a conversation moderated by Chief Financial Correspondent for CTV News Amanda Lang. Together, they explored how Canada’s tax system has become a barrier to growth, discussed tax changes in the 2025 Federal Budget, and shared their views on how tax reform can drive innovation and investment in Canada.
May 22, 2025: A Fireside Chat with the Hon. Peter Bethlenfalvy, Ontario’s Minister of Finance
On May 22nd, CPA Ontario welcomed the Hon. Peter Bethlenfalvy, Ontario’s Minister of Finance and Vassy Kapelos, Chief Political Correspondent for CTV News to the Insights stage for a discussion on the 2025 Ontario Budget, interprovincial trade, and the long-term prospects for the province’s economy and fiscal position in an unpredictable economic environment.
Read CPA Ontario’s summary of the fireside chat with the Hon. Peter Bethlenfalvy.
November 26, 2025: How the U.S. Election Will Impact Canada’s Economy — and CPAs
On November 26th, 2024 David Frum, Canadian-American political commentator and staff writer at The Atlantic, and Rudyard Griffiths, Chair and moderator of the Munk Debates, joined the Insights program for a timely discussion unpacking what a second Trump administration will mean for Canada’s economy. The conversation was frank and wide-ranging, touching on tariffs, trade, taxes, and how Canada might respond.
