Archive for the ‘Debates’ Category
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We are ignoring food security at our peril
The first issue is poverty. According to Food Banks Canada, which is the national umbrella for food banks, there has been a 25 per cent increase in food bank visits between 2008 and 2014. These charities are used by 841,000 Canadians every month (310,000 of whom are children); they received 14 million visits in 2014… One of the negative consequences of the large trading agreements that our federal government has embraced has been a loss in our food processing industry.
Tags: Health, ideology, poverty, standard of living
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Corporations are not people — and it’s people who pay taxes
Corporations cannot be wealthy; it’s better to think of them as a form of wealth… a large fraction of small businesses — or at least, small businesses that generate a large fraction of income in this sector — are in effect instruments used by high-earning professionals to minimize their tax burden… there’s little evidence to support the claim that governments should be giving special tax treatment for small businesses in the first place: they generally pay lower salaries, offer worse benefits and weaker employment security, and are less productive than large corporations.
Tags: economy, featured, ideology, tax
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Politicians can’t shake the myth of small business
The lower the “small-business rate,” the greater the incentive for individuals to incorporate their activities to take advantage of lower rates, which is completely at variance with the job-creation thesis of those who defend low small-business rates… In tax and economic policy, there is no justification for rates being different for “small” and “large” companies. In an increasingly global world, where Canada needs more international “champions” in industry, the difference makes little sense.
Tags: economy, ideology, participation, tax
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What the leaders need to understand about Canada’s shifting economy
… a weaker Canadian dollar will nurture economic growth in neglected parts of the economy. As activity shifts away from the oil-producing provinces and back towards manufacturing-based economies, Ontario in particular will see a renaissance. After watching its share of Canada’s GDP shrink to a three-decade low not long ago, the province is now poised to start leading the country in growth.
Tags: budget, economy, globalization
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Few will support Naomi Klein’s revolution, thankfully sparing us from national suicide
The Leap Manifesto’s 15 demands are a comprehensive assault on the whole concept of economic growth: a radical program for the abolition of carbon-based energy use… and the fragmentation of society into small units even as almost all economic activity was collectivized… I share her skepticism about much of the status quo and like her spirit and even a few of her ideas, but if she thinks this giant hot air balloon of fetid sophomorisms will fly, she has in her perceptions gone on to a gentler place. I have long advocated ways of making capitalism more benevolent; it could be done and is the only way forward.
Tags: economy, globalization, ideology, participation, standard of living
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Harper, the economic meddler. Who knew?
It’s debatable whether any of this largesse has made Canada’s economy more competitive or innovative. No amount of state support can compensate for a lack of vision or guts among businesses. It’s not for a lack of trying by Ottawa that innovation policies that seem to work elsewhere aren’t replicable here. The state can go only so far to substitute for the private sector’s listlessness. To wit, firms in the oil patch are reacting to tough times by cutting R&D, which is exactly the opposite of what they should be doing right now… only innovation can save them.
Tags: budget, economy, globalization, ideology, jurisdiction, standard of living, tax
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We need honest talk about the economy, not fear and ideology
As Mr. Harper pointed out himself during the last recession, there are times when investing in the future, and thus running a deficit, is in fact the better option. It is certainly better than making the recession worse… There are limits to what the country can borrow, spend, and tax… But we have other deficits to deal with – in transit, housing, and infrastructure, as well as social justice – and the country’s leaders ignore these, and how to pay for them over time, at their peril.
Tags: budget, economy, globalization, ideology, standard of living
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Labour should march to the new tune
… those whose jobs involve manual labour, are not thrilled by the prospect of having to wait two more years to collect OAS. But no one born before 1958 will be affected, while those born after that date will likely face a very different labour market by the time they turn 65. They’ll likely have countless more employment options than today’s seniors… elderly benefits are the largest single expense Ottawa faces, costing almost $46-billion this year and a projected $57-billion in 2019.
Tags: budget, pensions, standard of living, tax
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Harper’s aversion to government intervention in the economy is both political and personal
The Conservative government has reduced corporate taxes from 22 per cent to 15 per cent federally; has cut small business taxes; eliminated tariffs on manufacturing equipment; and, concluded a series of trade agreements. To Harper, that should be the role for government. It should not pick winners or partner with businesses to give them a leg up. He is, of course, willing to deviate from this course if political expediency demands…
Tags: economy, globalization, ideology, standard of living, tax
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Our economic problems run deeper than brief dips in GDP
Free markets and low taxes are supposed to automatically spur efficiency. But Canada’s measured productivity performance has been abysmal: growing less than 1 per cent per year, badly lagging previous governments and most of our trading partners. Upgrading, innovation and investment are the prerequisites for productivity – yet we’ve gone backward in every area… Let’s talk about the fundamental drivers of Canadian economic progress…
Tags: budget, economy, globalization, ideology, standard of living
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