Archive for the ‘Policy Context’ Category
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Globalization should be fixed, not junked in age of Trump
“if globalization is to benefit the majority, strong social protection programs must be put in place.” … They include changes in labour laws and employment insurance to better protect those in “precarious” work, as well as strengthening health protection with such badly needed measures as pharmacare. Social programs built in an era of long-term employment and work-related benefits must be refashioned to meet the realities of the new economy.
Tags: economy, featured, globalization, ideology, participation, rights, standard of living, tax
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Justin Trudeau needs to keep his EI promise to sick mothers — soon
Thousands of mothers who have been waiting for the Liberals to keep their campaign promise to pay them the Employment Insurance sickness benefits they were entitled to under the law… four years of fighting… has left the government with a hefty and climbing legal bill. You and other taxpayers have spent $2.2 million so far, to prevent women from collecting the EI sickness benefits that they paid for and were legally entitled to.
Tags: disabilities, ideology, rights, standard of living, women
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Canada should strengthen the safety net for precarious jobs
… temporary work has seen the most growth since 1997, particularly in services sectors such as health and education. Part-time employment has grown in line with total employment and seen an increase of 30 per cent between 1997 and 2015… Governments looking to reduce the incidence of non-standard work should be wary of heavy-handed legislative interventions and focus instead on bolstering social policy frameworks.
Tags: economy, featured, Health, ideology, participation, pharmaceutical, women
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CETA Failure Reflects Public Rejection of Sweeping Trade Deals
Given that Europe and Canada both offer reliable, respected court systems, there is little reason to insist on investor-state dispute settlement rules at all… expanded trade should not require Canada to face increased health care costs (as would result from CETA’s extension of patent protections) or Europe to confront changes to various food and safety regulations.
Tags: economy, globalization, ideology, privatization, rights, standard of living
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It’s time trade tycoons address the dark reality of globalization
Acknowledging that modern free trade produces losers as well as winners allows us to start developing and implementing policies to moderate those downsides – and purposely share the upsides. This means actively managing trade flows, limiting beggar-thy-neighbour trade surpluses, supporting incomes for all workers, ensuring sensible and fair exchange rates, and actively fostering domestic investment in desirable, trade-intensive industries.
Tags: economy, featured, globalization, ideology, participation, pensions, poverty, standard of living
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Disability Supports and Employment Policy
The objective of this study… was to explore access to disability supports and links to paid employment… The first stream involves technical aids and equipment… required for the performance of a job or paid employment. The second component comprises personal services, such as attendant care and home care. The many problems… can be grouped into three categories related to the availability, affordability and responsiveness of disability supports.
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More Wealth, More Jobs, but Not for Everyone
In China, farmers whose land has been turned into factories are making more steel than the world needs. In America, idled steelworkers are contemplating how to live off the land… Trade deals, immigrant labor, automation: As Mr. Arkenbout sees it, these are all just instruments wielded in pursuit of the same goal — paying him less so corporations can keep more. “When they don’t need me anymore,” he said, “I’m nothing.”
Tags: economy, featured, globalization, ideology, immigration, participation, pensions, poverty, privatization, standard of living
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Keep the tax on online imports and stop favouring U.S. interests
… there has been a one-sided push by online U.S. retailers, shipping companies like UPS, FedEx and DHL, as well as the Washington-based Canadian American Business Council, to pressure Ottawa to boost Canada’s $20 exemption limit on products entering Canada to $200. It is an attempt to alter our tax system to benefit online retail companies located abroad. It would also steamroll small and medium-sized Canadian retailers in communities across Canada.
Tags: budget, economy, globalization, jurisdiction, standard of living, tax
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Innovation and talent acquisition can solve our growth dilemma
Canada needs a robust national access-to-talent strategy. We should increase immigration. By 2025, 30 per cent of our population will be 60 and older – to mitigate this imbalance, Canada would need to increase immigration for each of the next five years to one million people. If we focus this intake on skilled newcomers between the ages of 20 and 39, it would shift our overall proportion of that band from 25 per cent to 32 per cent of the population.
Tags: economy, globalization, immigration, participation, standard of living, youth
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The evolution of the labour market is leaving government regulation in the dust
We could broaden the definition of “employee” to capture a greater range of workers. Labour ministries could also do more to prevent employers from misclassifying workers as independent contractors when they bear the markers of employees. The law could also ensure that part-time employees receive proportionally equal wages and benefits as full-time employees when they perform the same work. Currently… only two provinces prohibit wage and benefit discrimination between full- and part-time workers. This creates an incentive for employers to hire part-time workers over full-time ones
Tags: economy, featured, globalization, ideology, participation, rights, standard of living
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