Tyler Meredith

Summary

Former senior policy advisor to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau (federal Liberal government). Economist. Now runs an independent consulting firm (~10 months in as of June 2024). Does policy platform work with Bonnie Crombie (Ontario Liberal leadership). Works extensively with Mike Moffat on housing policy. Connected to Maytree Foundation.

Meeting with Floyd & Liam — June 27, 2024

• Meeting arranged by/through SES team; transcribed and summarized in Notion
• Notion page: https://www.notion.so/ubiworks/Tyler-Meredith-Transcribe-Summarize-Notes-347caf64cc1f488e8b14a9b72547444b

His Theory of Change for LVT/Housing

Tyler’s core argument: the policy window is opening but sequencing matters.

Step 1 (achieved): Public + political acceptance that taxes are a barrier to housing supply. Development charges, transfer taxes = bad. “Growth paying for growth” critique is landing.

Step 2 (underway): Getting the housing policy community (researchers, YIMBY activists, thought leaders) to bless LVT as a credible policy idea. Don’t go broad yet.

Step 3 (election window): Once blessed by grassroots housing activists + policy community, bring it to the public with messaging around benefits, not mechanism.

Key insight: “Sell the benefits — how we use the tax system to encourage more housing and change how cities are funded. Not the theory.”

Key Advice to SES

• Branding problem: “Land value tax” sounds like a new tax. Don’t lead with that name. Focus on the benefit: more housing, fairer system.
• Don’t call it a tax — or lead with tax relief / specific shift messaging
• MPAC reassessment = strategic opportunity. Ontario hasn’t reassessed since 2016. Whoever wins next provincial election will have to deal with it. This is a door-opener.
• BC already splits land vs. building in assessment — use as model/proof point
• Principal residence exemption = third rail. Avoid touching directly.
• Yimby groups (More Neighbors Toronto, Eric Lombardi) are key social proof allies — get them onside before going to political leaders
• Mike Moffat: sympathetic but focused on incremental change; his bread is buttered by institutional developers who may not have thought through LVT’s benefits for them

On Federal vs Provincial Jurisdiction

• Housing/property = clearly provincial jurisdiction
• Federal can experiment via Housing Accelerator Fund, pilot projects, research
• Constitutional risk if federal government tries to impose uniform property tax changes — Quebec would challenge
• Federal wealth tax could theoretically include housing/land, but principal residence exemption debate is explosive
• Capital gains inclusion rate debate showed how hard this is even at the margins

On Seniors / Equity Concerns

• The “aging in place” policy is actually a contributor to the housing crisis (not turning over supply)
• Standard Georgian answer: defer LVT to death, lien on property
• More creative: invest in quality seniors communities within neighbourhoods so they can move without leaving community

On Branding — Bank Dividend Example

• Federal “Canada Recovery Dividend” on banks: deliberately not called a tax
• Research showed people worried bank tax = higher fees
• Called it a “dividend” because it implied getting something back — funded First Home Savings Account
• Lesson: naming/framing determines political viability more than policy merit

On UBI / SES Connection

• Tyler was aware of UBI Works before the meeting
• Agreed that “middle class dividend” is politically necessary — you need to show homeowners up to the 80th percentile come out ahead
• Supportive of integrating rebates + income tax cuts as revenue recycling mechanism

Relationships & Networks

• Working with Bonnie Crombie on Ontario Liberal platform
• Works with Mike Moffat regularly
• Connected to Maytree Foundation (potential alignment)
• Knows Eric Lombardi (More Neighbors Toronto)
• Familiar with Adam Vaughan (via Liam’s brother — follow-up action item)

Action Items from Meeting (June 2024)

• Floyd to send Tyler latest research (he asked)
• Meet with Adam Vaughan via Liam’s brother
• Collaborate with MNTO + Tyler on 1-pager
• MNTO Partnered Event
• Tyler to look into MPAC reform — anyone already writing about it?
• Tyler to try to get Eric Lombardi to the Wednesday meetup
• Floyd to send Tyler research once ready (distributional analysis via StatCan)

Tags

policy-advisor, liberal, federal, housing, LVT, land-value-tax, ontario, theory-of-change, branding