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Common sense on aboriginal law
Saturday, November 20th, 2010
Nov. 19, 2010
By a unanimous decision, the Supreme Court of Canada (SCC) has set a new standard for interpreting First Nations’ land claims arising from so-called “modern treaties” — those signed after 1975. From now on, disputes between governments and First Nations will be handled by the courts much more like land-use disputes arising between governments and non-aboriginal Canadians… Governments that otherwise respect the provisions contained in modern treaties are under no obligation to engage in open-ended “consultations” with native bands that go beyond the administrative procedures…
Tags: Indigenous, participation, rights
Posted in Equality Debates | No Comments »
With a little experimentation, medicare can be made to work
Monday, November 15th, 2010
Nov. 11, 2010
… two-tier care and privately delivered care are not the same thing. A good deal of the system is private already. And where it generates savings, if we maintain the same standards we expect from providers in the public system, more of it should be. Opponents of privatization need a dose of reality on this point. After all, the Canada Health Act does not have the word “private” in it at all.
Tags: budget, Health, ideology
Posted in Health Debates | No Comments »
Pension reform: Governments need to move
Sunday, November 14th, 2010
Nov 14 2010
One reason the CPP is on such a solid financial footing is that its payouts are among the lowest in the world, averaging a mere $6,000 a year and capped at $11,000 annually, which is not good enough… What worked for many in the past — robust private pensions and rising markets — can’t be counted on in future… Public consultations have dragged on for years. Ontario is the latest to release a discussion paper, which calls for a “modest expansion of benefits.”… the finance ministers… need to start answering the multi-billion-dollar question of what they mean by “modest.”
Tags: pensions, standard of living
Posted in Social Security Debates | No Comments »
Fair wage policy: Think before scrapping
Tuesday, November 9th, 2010
Nov 09 2010
The policy has been in place since 1893, when it was installed to keep taxpayers’ money out of the hands of construction contractors bent on exploiting new immigrants by paying pitifully low wages. Critics of the policy argue it has morphed into a way to protect union work from non-union competition and that restricting cheaper alternatives in this way only drives up the cost of city projects… it might be simply to write into the rules the current six- or seven-year lag in paying a union rate. It would be a mistake to keep an ill-advised campaign promise without the evidence to support it.
Tags: ideology, standard of living
Posted in Debates | No Comments »
UN’s development index proves it takes a village
Monday, November 8th, 2010
Nov. 08, 2010
The index, though far from perfect, has revolutionized the way policy makers and economists measure success, going beyond income to include such factors as political freedom in an understanding of how to achieve human progress. This year, Norway placed first, while Canada fell to eighth place. For the first time, the index also measured gender equality, inequality within a country, as well as what it calls multi-dimensional poverty, taking into account other deprivations such as lack of access to clean water.
Tags: featured, Health, ideology, participation, standard of living
Posted in Inclusion Debates | No Comments »
Foreign scholarships: Not a zero sum game
Monday, November 8th, 2010
Nov 08 2010
… Canadian universities are a growth industry and a key driver of the knowledge economy. There are 38,000 foreigners now paying their own way for a post-secondary education in Ontario — providing a $1 billion economic boost — and the province wants to increase that figure by 50 per cent in five years. The key is to raise the province’s profile abroad, where Canada has been lagging badly… The $30 million scholarship plan… will also serve as an overseas marketing tool and an investment in future tuition revenues and economic growth that will pay dividends for Ontario.
Tags: economy, globalization, multiculturalism, standard of living
Posted in Education Debates | No Comments »
Bill C-53: Justice needs to be swifter
Monday, November 8th, 2010
Nov 08 2010
“The short, simple and efficient criminal trial of the 1970s has been replaced by the long, complex and often inefficient criminal trial of the 21st century,” stated former Superior Court chief justice Patrick LeSage and Justice Michael Code in their 2008 report. Added to the new legal complexities are the multiple accused, dozens of lawyers and hundreds of witnesses involved in trials involving gangs, white-collar crime or terrorism-related charges. It is little wonder, then, that the wheels of justice grind so slowly that “mega-trials” can take years to complete and cost millions of dollars.
Tags: crime prevention, rights, standard of living
Posted in Child & Family Debates | No Comments »
Finding ways to health-care innovation
Saturday, November 6th, 2010
November 6, 2010
Defenders of the status quo in Canadian health care reacted with the usual outrage when they discovered Ontario hospitals had ascertained a legal way to expand the use of MRIs and CT scans so that they served more people and spent less time sitting unused… Medicare rules allow “third parties” to seek care outside the public system… hospitals are increasingly embracing the opportunity this provides to make greater use of equipment and reduce waits, while earning extra revenue.
Tags: budget, Health, ideology
Posted in Health Debates | No Comments »
Ignatieff ‘s odd plan to raise productivity
Thursday, November 4th, 2010
Nov. 3, 2010
Instead of dissembling about “investing” in the country’s future by repairing roads, building community centres and funding daycare, our elected officials should call it like it is. They are spending the public’s money to provide them with goods and services — some needed, some not, but also redistributing wealth to raise certain groups’ standard of living, and padding pet projects for electoral gain.
Tags: budget, economy, ideology, tax
Posted in Debates | No Comments »
We can’t tolerate failing boys
Saturday, October 23rd, 2010
Oct. 22, 2010
In 1970, women made up just 38 per cent of Canada’s university undergraduates. Today, men make up roughly the same proportion. For men, it is 1970 in reverse… If women were still just 38 per cent of undergraduates, we wouldn’t tolerate it. If women were 64 per cent of high-school dropouts, we would be up in arms. Such poor achievement levels would damage society – all that lost productivity. And it would harm individuals – all that lost potential… Five key principles stand out in trying to reach the boys…
Tags: standard of living, youth
Posted in Education Debates | 2 Comments »
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