Archive for the ‘Economy/Employment’ Category

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As med students, we’ve seen how Ontario’s lack of paid sick days has hurt low-income, racialized workers. More than 600 of us demand change

Thursday, April 15th, 2021

Without suitable paid sick leave, essential workers who are symptomatic or have been exposed are faced with an impossible decision: follow public health measures by staying home or go to work to put food on the table and bring the virus into their homes and communities… Ontario needs a robust and comprehensive provincial paid sick leave program that is universal to all workers in Ontario, proactive, and easily accessible.

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If you don’t have $20 million, relax. A wealth tax won’t touch you

Tuesday, April 13th, 2021

Canada’s wealthiest 87 families had wealth of $259 billion in 2016; our top 44 billionaires increased their wealth by more than $50 billion during the pandemic… 79 per cent of Canadians favour a wealth tax… In fact, a wealth tax would be the simplest, fairest and most effective way to collect billions of extra dollars of revenue a year, and to limit the power and political influence of the billionaire class… Here are some of the facile arguments being trotted out against a wealth tax.

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Measured progress: A new National Scorecard provides the framework for smart and inclusive long-term growth for Canada

Tuesday, March 30th, 2021

Century Initiative’s inaugural 2021 National Scorecard identified the following key issues as focus areas… productivity… spending on research and development… household debt… public spending on training… availability of childcare… child & youth well-being… public spending related to children & families… quality of broadband internet… environmental sustainability… By measuring our progress, we can manage it

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Childcare Reform Key to Post-Covid Economic Recovery

Tuesday, March 30th, 2021

“We need immediate attention and incremental but aggressive reforms to get this right, for women, for families and for Canada as we emerge from the pandemic.” … the authors recommend… a more generous, progressive and more frequently paid refundable tax credit… increasing operating and/or capital grants for licensed providers… new federal dollars for childcare be consolidated into a single, dedicated and permanent transfer to provinces.

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Ontario must spend more to drive prosperity and growth

Tuesday, March 23rd, 2021

Growth has to be inclusive, meaning recognizing that women, new Canadians and others will get the support they need to participate fully in the economy… The Ford government would be wise to demonstrate full support for a universal child care model that marries social and economic goals, and further increases women’s participation in the labour force. Distance education and telemedicine will also be vital…

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Will Canada’s Federal Budget meet the COVID-19 Challenge?

Friday, March 12th, 2021

Responding to an unprecedented crisis, the federal government mobilized billions in new support programs within weeks – an important “possibility proof” that rapid social policy change can happen. The fact that the sky did not fall when governments increased their deficits by billions of dollars also clearly demonstrated that the barriers to a better social safety net are political, not economic. The pandemic is the formative experience that will shape the lifetime political perspective of a generation.

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From Keynesian Consensus to Neo-Liberalism to the Green New Deal: 75 years of income inequality in Canada

Friday, March 12th, 2021

… slowing growth and the concentration of income gains at the top produced widening income gaps, increasing discontent and political instability—even before COVID-19 hit. In the post-COVID-19 era, the Green New Deal emphasizes social and environmental sustainability, and is reflective of the economic policy changes that likely lie ahead. 

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Canada will have a $1.6-trillion debt by the end of the year due to the pandemic. Here’s why some economists say we shouldn’t sweat it

Sunday, March 7th, 2021

Blessed with historically low interest rates, which show little sign of rising, and one of the healthiest debt-to-GDP ratios in the developed world, Canada cannot only service its pandemic bill, but thrive on the other side, many experts say… there’s little doubt that the country’s economy will bounce back to some extent in post-pandemic times and that the increased revenues produced by that rebound will help lessen the debt’s impact.

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Legislating paid sick days is the right thing to do

Thursday, February 4th, 2021

… one of Premier Doug Ford’s first acts of government was a sweeping repeal of labour law amendments that took away equal pay for equal work, paid sick days, and the $15 minimum wage… The legislation that Ford scrapped was the result of a multi-year, province-wide review of working conditions that included workers, unions, employers, researchers and more… What are we waiting for? Provinces must step up now, fill this gap, legislate paid sick days, and make them permanent.

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The glaring gap in the COVID-19 response

Sunday, January 31st, 2021

If workplaces are deemed to be essential businesses, then we need to ensure workers are properly protected… for many workers, COVID-19 has created an impossible dilemma. These people need to be supported, because they get up every day to produce the products and services we need to live and work through this pandemic. Paid sick days are long-overdue, urgent, and required to protect our community. Paid sick leave will help save lives.

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