Posts Tagged ‘featured’

« Older Entries | Newer Entries »

The Liberals have a chance to make headway on pharmacare. They should seize the opportunity

Thursday, November 2nd, 2023

Hoskins had recommended that a universal program begin with essential medicines, which would initially cost the government $3.5 billion to $4.5 billion. The NDP insists on a single-payer universal system but acknowledges it can’t be done in one fell swoop. It has demanded that timelines for progress be enshrined in legislation. If all this leads to a “foundational” piece of legislation and a firm road map going forward, that will be welcome and significant progress in a time of economic uncertainty.

Tags: , , , , ,
Posted in Health Debates | No Comments »


Politicians come and go, but the clock is now ticking on long-promised pharmacare

Thursday, October 12th, 2023

Federal funding of essential medicines will, of course, cost the federal government, since it would foot the bill for all of those essential medicines instead of the provinces paying much of the costs. But the $7.6 billion price tag is a bargain. All told, a program of this kind could save provinces, employers and families $12 billion in reduced prescription drug costs. The $4 billion in direct savings for provinces alone is enough to entice even the most recalcitrant of provincial governments.

Tags: , , , , ,
Posted in Health Debates | No Comments »


Seeking common ground at the Thanksgiving table

Friday, October 6th, 2023

We need to understand that the anger that folks are feeling… is based on real issues – even if the target of that anger is, to put it charitably, misplaced. That misdirection is often fed by politicians, capitalists, and the well-funded propagandists whose job is to keep the working majority squabbling amongst ourselves… we also have a responsibility to try to move the needle a little bit towards justice.

Tags: , , , , ,
Posted in Governance Debates | No Comments »


Governments should see social assistance as a solution, not a problem

Thursday, October 5th, 2023

Shouldn’t social assistance prevent poverty? At minimum, it should be a net that prevents people from falling into abject poverty. But it should also provide a ladder, something that people can use to help them up. By failing to deliver social assistance that performs either of these functions, governments are squandering the opportunity to improve people’s lives, their health, and, where possible, their ability to get and maintain paid work.

Tags: , , , , , ,
Posted in Social Security Debates | No Comments »


How to Defeat Poilievre’s Politics of Abandonment

Thursday, September 14th, 2023

For Poilievre freedom itself is conceived in opposition to government… The profit motive is what drives efficiency, no matter what “good” is being considered. Privatization then — whether in health or seniors care, housing, child care or transit — is the solution to the rising costs of living. The individual trumps the collective, competition trumps co-operation, private interests are king. Never mind that unregulated capitalism traps many in lives robbed of freedoms from want and drudgery.

Tags: , , ,
Posted in Governance Debates | No Comments »


Time for Ford to act on Ontario’s reliance on international students for post-secondary funding 

Wednesday, August 30th, 2023

The government’s failure to properly fund post-secondary is the root cause of the burgeoning international student population and the strain it puts on housing… What it needs to do is reduce the system’s reliance on those students’ fees by reducing their numbers and making up the difference itself. That would help both the housing market and the stability of post-secondary education.

Tags: , , , , ,
Posted in Education Delivery System | No Comments »


Alternative Federal Budget 2024 – Building Momentum: A budget for now and the future

Monday, August 28th, 2023

The AFB will tax extreme wealth by introducing a progressive wealth tax… restore the corporate income tax rate… to 20 per cent… [and] implement a windfall profits tax… Canadians really can have nice things – if we make our tax system more progressive and make smart investments in public services, income supports, and social and physical infrastructure.

Tags: , , , , , , , ,
Posted in Equality Debates, Governance Debates | No Comments »


The answer is clear: we can’t afford privatized health care

Thursday, August 24th, 2023

… lots of other countries have a blended system. In fact, so does Canada. But when we look deeper, we see that we spend less on our public health system — and more out-of-pocket and privately than most of our peers. As a share of all health spending, Canada allocates 75 per cent as public investment. How does that compare? Canada is a standout Scrooge.

Tags: , , , , ,
Posted in Health Debates | No Comments »


Health Coalition wants $3.5 Billion in Budget for Pharmacare

Wednesday, August 16th, 2023

If accepted, the government would fulfill a key recommendation of the 2019 Final Report of the Advisory Council on the Implementation of National Pharmacare, led by Dr. Eric Hoskins, which estimated that it will cost an additional $3.5 billion to launch national pharmacare starting with universal coverage for essential medicines. Here are the coalition’s four recommendations…

Tags: , , , , , ,
Posted in Health Debates | No Comments »


Canadians deserve better than fake Pharmacare

Wednesday, August 2nd, 2023

A single-payer system can use its bargaining power to negotiate better prices and reduce costs… A fill-the-gaps approach is a short-sighted Band-Aid on a system that is bleeding out. It may appear to have lower upfront costs by only covering those who are uninsured, but it is less efficient when factoring in the administrative costs of verifying eligibility… A single-payer approach to Pharmacare is fair for all.

Tags: , , , , , ,
Posted in Health Policy Context | No Comments »


« Older Entries | Newer Entries »