Archive for the ‘Policy Context’ Category
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How to fight a trade war
It’s time to disenthrall Trump from thinking his reckless behavior has no consequences… Our surest protection against epic maladministration at home, and that which is directed at us from abroad, is to deeply entrench best practices now, to enact sound policies with which even the most determined future buffoons in high places cannot tamper. The time to get moving on that is right now.
Tags: economy, globalization, standard of living
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Free trade within Canada gets a boost from new deal
Critics have long complained Canada has better free trade deals with other countries than within its own borders… The centerpiece… is a framework that will help provinces and territories agree on joint regulations and harmonization of standards. “That’s going to help make Canada one of the easiest places in the world in which to do business. It’s going to make us more competitive. It’s going to create jobs,”
Tags: economy, globalization, ideology, standard of living
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Trump’s ‘leaked’ NAFTA letter is a gift to Canada
Ironically, half the things the United States is demanding of Canada and Mexico (e.g. access to local government procurement, meeting international labour standards) would be on Canada’s list, too. “Transparency, efficiency and predictability,” “fair, equitable non-discriminatory access,” “eliminate artificial or trade-distorting barriers to investment.”… trade negotiations do not take place in a vacuum… Does the United States want a failed state on its southern border? Does the United States need Canada’s support here or there on the world stage for a secure and prosperous North America?
Tags: budget, economy, globalization, ideology
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Don’t blame foreign workers when the problem is locals who prefer EI over working
… between December 2015 and September 2016… 67,440 temporary foreign workers were granted access to Canada to work in areas where unemployed Canadians with relevant prior work experience lived close by. That isn’t how the system is supposed to work. The temporary foreign worker program is meant to be a last resort for employers; the EI program is intended to be a safety net, not a permanent crutch.
Tags: economy, featured, globalization, ideology, immigration, standard of living
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Canada’s approach to board diversity needs a rethink
Women made up 12 per cent of all board seats examined in the study, up 1 percentage point from 11 per cent in 2015… The dissatisfaction with the current regulatory regime highlights the need to consider mandatory quotas… the CSA found that only 9 per cent of companies have internal targets for women on their boards, with a mere 2 per cent having targets for women in executive positions.
Tags: economy, featured, ideology, participation, women
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Liberals pledge $5-billion for training, employment in 2017 federal budget
Under the federal budget, unemployed people who want to use government-funded training programs will not have to give up their EI benefits. New loans and grants for adult students are designed to help a wider range of people, such as parents who want to return to the workforce and those who are victims of shrinking industries… women will be able to claim EI maternity benefits earlier in their pregnancy, starting at 12 weeks before the due date.
Tags: budget, child care, economy, ideology, immigration, participation
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Open the doors
Economic-class immigrants, who gain entry into Canada primarily in recognition of their marketable skills, education, work experience and official-language fluency; family-reunification immigrants… and refugees. Statscan data show that skilled workers in the economic class earn very close to the national median after two years in the country, but family-class newcomers earn, on average, more than 40 per cent less… Government-sponsored refugees earn more than 60 per cent below the national median.
Tags: economy, globalization, immigration, multiculturalism, participation, standard of living
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Canada must not become a tax haven
Canada still lags behind other countries when it comes to stemming the flow of hidden money… last June [Britain] required corporate registrations to include the names of real company owners… rather than just front men or women. The records are listed in an online database that can be viewed by anyone, bringing much more transparency to the system… it’s high time for Canada to follow suit and make “snow washing” a lot more difficult.
Tags: crime prevention, economy, featured, globalization, ideology, jurisdiction, tax
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Legal loopholes cost workers millions in lost wages: Report
Employees lose $45 million in potential earnings each week because legal loopholes exclude them from basic workplace rights like overtime pay, holiday pay, vacation pay and even minimum wage, a government-commissioned study shows… That is because the province’s employment legislation… contains more than 85 special rules that exclude some jobs from minimum standards.
Tags: economy, featured, Health, ideology, rights, standard of living
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The non-transparent reality of Canadian corporate welfare
Arguments over the efficacy of subsidies to business aside, taxpayers at least deserve to know how much of their money is granted, loaned and repaid – including how the loans perform. The answers are increasingly difficult to obtain… The Access to Information Act needs revision. Its current version and its interpretation lead to this costly, non-transparent reality: Taxpayers must pay for corporate welfare. They are not permitted to know key details.
Tags: budget, economy, globalization, ideology, privatization, rights
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