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Carney announces creation of Canada's first sovereign wealth fund (www.cbc.ca)

submitted 4 days ago by RickyWars@lemmy.ca to c/canada@lemmy.ca

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Fund will be used to finance construction of major projects of national interest

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[-] wraekscadu@vargar.org 4 points 4 days ago

CPP serves a different and super narrow purpose. The idea is to maintain a very safe, stable portfolio that can reliably pay out pensions. We CANNOT make politically/ethically charged decisions here AT ALL.

From what I'm guessing, the SWF that's being proposed here is something of a middle ground. Independent, but with a "let's invest in Canada" approach. The idea doesn't seem to be just to maximise roi, but to rather do that along with "investing in Canada". Basically the government wanting to create/fund profit making, Canadian businesses that require large capital to get started (so mostly infrastructure projects).

Keeping it independent from parliament kinda insulates it from political nonsense. At the same time, cheaper debt for the Canadian economy as a whole.

I like it. However, I would like if the operations were cooperativezed. I'm afraid that future governments would raid the fund to promise temporary tax breaks or whatever. They can't do that with the CPP, as this would cause massive political backlash. I hope the public is well educated enough regarding this fund, where its protection is of paramount importance to them.

[-] NotMyOldRedditName@lemmy.world 6 points 4 days ago* (last edited 4 days ago)

What will probably happen is

The fund builds something like a new toll highway where tolls were supposed to pay back into the fund.
Conservatives take office, and sell the highway toll rights for pennies on the dollar.
Conservatives lose office, and then trash talk the liberals for the fund not working and what a waste the highway was.

[-] wraekscadu@vargar.org 1 points 3 days ago

A piece I think we're missing. They probably are opening the fund up to the public to invest in for exactly this reason.

If I'm putting in a thousand bucks in the fund through my TFSA, and if PP decides to sell off my highway for pennies on the dollar, my next thousand bucks would be invested in a sniper rifle.

If public involvement in the fund wasn't there, then what you said would be the likely outcome. I mean at least that's how I understand it (and if what I've understood is correct... Holy hell is the Carney admin smart lol)

[-] yogthos@lemmy.ml 4 points 4 days ago

The last bit is precisely the concern. There need to be guarantees that this fund can set long term goals without constant interference. Without that it risks simply becoming a slush fund that produces little tangible value.

[-] wraekscadu@vargar.org 1 points 3 days ago

I was thinking of this the entire evening. Maybe there's rebuttal to this point? So they're talking of opening the fund up to the public as a retail product. They've stated that the mandate would be to give market returns. This way, the average individual buys into the fund as well (I would for sure). THAT is how the public becomes interested in the fund's survival and growth as it is for the CPP.

Let's say the Tories get in next election. If the fund is giving good returns, then the toriest of Tory voter would get out on the streets if there is even a whiff of the government dissolving it. Now I am exaggerating here, but the point I'm trying to make is that opening it up to retail investors ensures public interest in the fund's continued existence and expansion.

[-] yogthos@lemmy.ml 1 points 3 days ago

I think the bigger question is what this fund ends up being used for, and how it will be decided which projects it invests in.

[-] wraekscadu@vargar.org 1 points 3 days ago

Here's my guess from my comprehension of the write-up:

Crown corp with an independent board of directors (like the CPP).
Mandate to invest only in Canadian projects.

So my guess is that the funds would most likely be used to fund highly capital intensive projects from the ground up (instead of just buying Shopify stocks for example). This would almost always be infra projects. Depends on how much risk the board would be willing to take for assessed potential reward.

Tbh I'm not really that worried about the competency of the board. The CPP and QPP have been incredibly successful till now ¯⁠\⁠_⁠(⁠ツ⁠)⁠_⁠/⁠¯.

[-] yogthos@lemmy.ml 2 points 3 days ago

yeah I think we'll have to wait and see how this develops

[-] NotMyOldRedditName@lemmy.world 1 points 3 days ago* (last edited 3 days ago)

The CPP and QPP have been incredibly successful till now

Hey, CPP, want to grow and handle this other thing?

[-] wraekscadu@vargar.org 1 points 3 days ago

Yeah, I hope they create structures to reuse the CPP's analysis and even staff for that matter.

My guess though is that it would be slightly the other way round, where the Canada strong fund creates investment products that the CPP could purchase. But yeah, I hope CPP's talent is used here. It's clearly working, and quite competent!