Archive for the ‘Debates’ Category
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Banks profit while cutting staff
Shareholder greed at least has a name — the Canadian Business Corporations Act. This piece of legislation requires companies operating in Canada to maximize shareholder earnings, regardless of how those earnings are generated. Morality and ethics are noteworthy only because of their entire absence. An irony in all of this is that in Canada, and elsewhere, private corporations have the legal status of persons. They enjoy the same legal protections as individuals, but clearly have none of the moral or ethical responsibilities of individuals living in a civil society.
Tags: economy, ideology, jurisdiction, standard of living
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How does your salary stack up to the rest of the country? A look at what Canadians make
Statistics Canada provide pretty good data on income, but this is based on the income that is reported to the Canada Revenue Agency. We should probably bump up the income table slightly to recognize unreported income whether that comes from doing odd jobs, tips in the service industry or any unreported cash income… According to StatsCan, the median income (plus our 10 per cent factor) in Canada in 2013 was $35,200… not everyone is working full time. These percentiles include all taxpayers.
Tags: economy, standard of living
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TPP would let foreign investors bypass the Canadian public interest
… the treaty partners assured the public that language “underscores that countries retain the right to regulate in the public interest, including on health, safety, the financial sector and the environment.” That provision, however, is subject to compliance with all of the other investor protections in the chapter, fully negating the preservation of policy space… If an investor’s “expectations,” which may be based on general statements of government officials or promotional materials used to attract investors, are then not met, they can sue for damages.
Tags: economy, featured, globalization, ideology, jurisdiction, privatization, rights, standard of living
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There are no ‘good’ or ‘bad’ jobs
Service-sector jobs are not only the future of the Canadian labour market, they’re its present: 80 per cent of workers are employed in the service sector, up from 50 per cent in 1961 and 30 per cent in 1911… many regret this trend: the “good” jobs are disappearing. But what does it mean to say that one job is better than another? … Being able to produce more goods with fewer workers should be an unalloyed benefit — and in the long run, it is — but the short-term costs can be non-trivial.
Tags: economy, globalization, ideology, participation, standard of living
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How much profit does Bell really need?
In 1969, a committee of the senate looking at media ownership concluded that, “This country should no longer tolerate a situation where the public interest in so vital a field as information is dependent on the greed or the goodwill of an extremely privileged group of businessmen.” Eleven years after that, a royal commission said that, “Conglomerates should be kept out of newsrooms.” … Unfortunately, no government listened to either the senate committee or the royal commission.
Tags: featured, ideology, participation, standard of living
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Amid oil slump, a surprising segment leads the economic charge
The services sector – things like wholesale and retail trade, transportation, tourism, financial services, education, health care and government services – accounts for 70 per cent of Canada’s economy. And this year, it’s accounting for all of the growth… With Canada looking increasingly at a global disadvantage on the manufacturing side, the expansion of services exports looks to be a natural and healthy transition for an increasingly knowledge-based economy.
Tags: economy, featured, globalization, participation, standard of living
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Mandated by the Liberal government: Conservative economics
a weak economy produces deficits and more debt, while a strong economy creates surpluses and reduced borrowing. In a stagnating economy like today, the vision for government should be more spending and investment to create employment for young people and the unemployed. With interest rates at rock-bottom lows, larger deficits to fund job creation are what is needed, not promises to pay down existing debt.
Tags: budget, economy, ideology, standard of living
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The age of unretirement
The notion of “retirement” is an entirely post-Second-World-War phenomenon, the product of rapidly increasing lifespans and the creation of the welfare state. It should be abolished. This doesn’t mean we’re interested in 60-hour workweeks and performance reviews from people 20 years our junior. Hell, no. We need flexibility, autonomy, and plenty of time to [insert passions here]. Fortunately, as the working-age population shrinks, the world is going to need us…
Tags: economy, ideology, participation, pensions, standard of living
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Finance Minister Bill Morneau could be just what Parliament needs
In the past, he has written that the welfare state is big enough already, and that Canadian taxes are as high as they can go… he seems motivated by a sense of duty, coupled with a businessman’s zeal for problem-solving… Today, he has softened his views on stopping the growth of the safety net. As standard-bearer for Liberal economic policy, he enthusiastically touts the party’s pledge to raise the Guaranteed Income Supplement for single, low-income seniors; bolster the Canada Pension Plan; and ease access to employment insurance.
Tags: economy, ideology, pensions, standard of living, tax, youth
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Ontario’s newest trend: living wage employers
The living wage has become the hottest conversation among employers who believe their mission is not just to make money, but to also reflect their corporate values… they’re a refreshing counterpoint to the perennial conversation stopper whenever any province in Canada decides it’s time to raise the minimum wage. Not every business wants to profit off of a low-wage economy. A growing number of employers are signing up to do the right thing.
Tags: economy, ideology, jurisdiction, participation, poverty, standard of living
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