Archive for the ‘Equality Policy Context’ Category
Same-sex marriage law to be changed to recognize gay tourists
Jan 13, 2012
… we will change the Civil Marriage Act so that any marriages performed in Canada that aren’t recognized in the couple’s home jurisdiction will be recognized in Canada.” The legislative change will apply to all marriages performed in Canada regardless of the laws of the jurisdiction in which the couple live, the official said.
Tags: ideology, rights
Posted in Equality Policy Context | No Comments »
The case for tax reform
Jan 03 2012
… top-earning CEOs are sitting on $2 billion in stock options that are treated as dividend income, and taxed at half the value. That’s a tax break worth $475 million… It’s hard to make a compelling case that the affluent need tax breaks that ordinary workers will never see when Ottawa is short on cash. And when 3.5 million Canadians live in poverty… The Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives report… urges Ottawa to eliminate the tax break for executive stock options… the Conservatives do have options for dealing with the deficit beyond thinning out the public service and cutting transfers or services.
Tags: ideology, standard of living, tax
Posted in Equality Policy Context | No Comments »
Hate and the law: how to deal with bigots
Dec 19 2011
Eradicating racial hatred is a noble goal but it cannot be legislated out of existence. The Canadian Human Rights Act prohibits communication “likely to expose a person or persons to hatred or contempt.” This is impossibly vague and subjective… The legislation does not permit a defence of truth and ignores progress made by feminists, gays and civil rights activists, many of whom were contemptuous of, and hateful toward, their oppressors… Bigots are best defeated through open debate, rather than judicial or legislative fiat, precisely so their ideas can be exposed to both hatred and contempt.
Tags: multiculturalism, rights
Posted in Equality Policy Context | No Comments »
Is the Western world history?
Dec 16, 2011
Recurring global economic crises are highlighting the inherent conflicts between the values of the market economy and those of democracy. We are failing to keep these largely contradictory influences in balance. The dictates of the marketplace are overshadowing the values inherent in our Western democracies… In a market economy the individual is often treated as a commodity, whose value depends on their unit cost, education, age, and even gender and race. But in a democratic society, the promotion of the individual is supposed to be paramount.
Tags: economy, ideology
Posted in Equality Policy Context | No Comments »
How first nations can own their future
Dec. 17, 2011
Truly progressive governments recognize individual property rights and enforce the rule of law, thus allowing people to reap the rewards of their initiatives. Individual property, voluntary yet enforceable contracts, open markets – these have been the holy trinity of economic progress in the Western world since the Industrial Revolution, and they are transforming China, India, Brazil and many other previously impoverished countries. The formula for progress is no different for first nations…
Tags: economy, ideology, Native, participation, privatization, rights, standard of living
Posted in Equality Policy Context | No Comments »
Leaner government, less crime
Dec. 16, 2011
… the key is income inequality. The only three cities in the country with double-digit violent crime increases were all boom towns… where the influx of wealth drove up criminal opportunity… Every other city saw declines, because they suffered more economically over that period than they benefited. Less disposable income equals less vice, equals less gang crime, equals fewer homicides… The only two other cities with increases at all – both single digit – were… both economically devastated… (They) demonstrate that economic desperation — true poverty — drives people to crime.
Tags: crime prevention, ideology, poverty, standard of living
Posted in Equality Policy Context | No Comments »
A novel solution to inequality: Pay poor people more
Dec. 9, 2011
The OECD says that inequality is growing even in countries we think of as paragons of egalitarianism… This trend looks set to continue. The developed world’s cherished standards of living are under fierce assault. This is especially the case in Europe… Reversing it, however, should require a focus on alleviating poverty, not reducing the stock of wealth further… perhaps by setting a higher minimum wage (many countries do not have one). A concerted effort to pay poor people more would help to bring the minimum closer to the median wage in rich countries.
Tags: economy, ideology, poverty, standard of living
Posted in Equality Policy Context | No Comments »
Inequality Is Not Inevitable
Dec. 8, 2011
The paper… considers the many economic and social factors that contribute to high poverty and rising inequality… Poverty and inequality are complex problems that require a set of linked interventions related to affordable housing, early childhood development and child care, education and skills training, and decent employment opportunities that pay a living wage. This paper focuses, however, upon the crucial redistributive role of the federal government through income security programs and a progressive income tax system.
Tags: child care, economy, ideology, standard of living, tax
Posted in Equality Policy Context | No Comments »
OECD calls time on trickle down theory
Dec. 5, 2011
Trickle down theory is dead. The belief fostered by Ronald Reagan in the U.S. and Margaret Thatcher in the U.K. in the 1980s, that if the rich got richer, their income and wealth would trickle down the income scale so that a rising tide lifted all the boats, has had the last rites pronounced on it – by the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development. Its report “Divided We Stand” published on Monday highlights how income inequality is rising almost everywhere in the developed world.
Tags: economy, globalization, ideology, standard of living, tax
Posted in Equality Policy Context | No Comments »
Canada’s wage gap at record high: OECD
Dec. 05, 2011
“Income inequality increased during both recessionary and boom periods, and it has increased despite employment growth”… The richest 1 per cent of Canadians saw their share of total income rise to 13.3 per cent in 2007 from 8.1 per cent in 1980… Two factors explain Canada’s growing gap: a widening disparity in labour earnings between high- and low-paid workers, and less redistribution. “Taxes and benefits reduce inequality less in Canada than in most OECD countries”
Tags: economy, globalization, ideology, standard of living, tax
Posted in Equality Policy Context | No Comments »
Recent Posts