Archive for the ‘Policy Context’ Category
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Five Eyes allies urged to lessen dependence on China
Thursday, May 21st, 2020
Canada depends on China for 367 categories of goods, such as pharmaceuticals and food additives, of which 83 are used to supply critical national infrastructure, including rare-earth minerals, industrial products and electronics… as China has become more authoritarian under President Xi Jinping, it has increasingly shown a willingness to threaten and punish countries that question its actions… Canada must at a minimum diversify its supply chains.
Tags: economy, globalization, Health, ideology
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Ottawa to seek equity or cash from companies applying for new COVID-19 loan program
Wednesday, May 20th, 2020
Large companies that receive bridge financing through a new federal loan program will have to give the government the option to take an ownership stake, or provide a cash equivalent… “The idea behind the warrant is to make sure that if the firm does well that Canadians, and Canadian taxpayers, share in that upside” … companies can pay off the interest on the loan through in-kind contributions, usually goods or services, for the first two years of the loan.
Tags: budget, economy, ideology, participation, standard of living
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Neo-liberalism may be another COVID-19 victim
Friday, May 8th, 2020
Overall, neo-liberalism seemed to be working. The developed world got its foreign-made goods at bargain basement prices. The workers of the developing world were usually exploited. But at least they had jobs… Now we have a pandemic that strikes right at the heart of globalization… Global supply chains may work in neo-liberal theory. But in the real world of disease, fear and sharp practices, these supply chains are strikingly vulnerable.
Tags: budget, economy, globalization, Health, ideology, privatization, standard of living
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How to restore Canada’s Employment Insurance program
Tuesday, April 21st, 2020
If we hadn’t already spent most of it, the EI surplus could have been used to pay for the entire cost of the Canada Emergency Response Benefit (CERB) program, currently estimated to cost $24 billion, and much of the $71 billion to support the Federal Wage Subsidy Program. The fact is, a strong, comprehensive and robust EI system that provides for all workers could have avoided the need to develop any overlapping programs.
Tags: economy, ideology, participation, standard of living
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Millions of Canadians are now collecting a state-funded income. But what happens after the pandemic ends?
Saturday, April 18th, 2020
The advent of UBI in its pure form is unlikely. It has its champions today as never before, but UBI is likely to fade as the pandemic does. To start, the federal finance ministry, no fan of UBI, prefers to create targeted rather than universal programs. And never mind the streamlined efficiency of universal programs like Medicare… the issue isn’t affordability. It’s culture. People either embrace or reject paying the freight for ensuring that everyone has a decent, dignified way of life.
Tags: budget, economy, featured, ideology, standard of living, tax
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Shockproofing Canada: We can make masks and ventilators, but we can’t make drugs needed to treat COVID-19
Friday, April 17th, 2020
“That’s the problem with stockpiles… You end up sitting on millions of dollars in drugs and equipment. Then you have to keep replacing it. And which ones do you stockpile?” The alternative, then, would be to expand production capacities for pharmaceuticals and medical supplies at home, but that’s more complicated than it might seem… Countries such as Canada will have to each find their own balance between self-reliance and international cooperation…
Tags: economy, globalization, ideology, pharmaceutical
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Could the CERB program lead Canada toward offering a universal basic income?
Friday, April 10th, 2020
… it will be difficult for the government to phase out policy changes introduced with the CERB: a guaranteed minimum payment for all recipients, the inclusion of gig economy and other contract workers, and no regional variation in qualifying for payments… Right now, it’s clear that the millions of Canadians who have lost work are victims of circumstance and need help… [but] This is a suspension of the usual moral judgment that those not working have brought their fates on themselves… creating a political barrier to a universal basic income.
Tags: budget, economy, featured, ideology, participation, standard of living
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Universal livable basic income in times of crisis and beyond
Thursday, April 9th, 2020
Universal livable basic income could be distributed and taxed back where total incomes warrant, using the current tax system. This is one of the most simple and effective ways of distributing funds to those in need… It would allow us to build on already existing government infrastructure rather than creating additional programs to administer… Universal livable basic income can reduce financial inequality and help vulnerable people secure safe and healthy accommodation in their everyday lives and during times of crisis.
Tags: budget, economy, featured, Health, ideology, jurisdiction
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Hitting Home: Hours And Wages Lost To Covid-19 By Location, Age, Income And Education
Thursday, April 2nd, 2020
Across the country, about 44 percent of households have experienced lost hours or layoffs due to COVID-19, with only one-fifth of the affected workers in those households fully compensated by their employer, and two-thirds receiving no coverage or compensation… While the CERB will provide financial support for those who fully lost their income due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the wage subsidy will help reduce further lost hours and layoffs.
Tags: economy, jurisdiction, participation
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Trudeau says businesses, non-profits, charities all eligible for wage subsidy
Monday, March 30th, 2020
The federal government has vastly expanded the 75-per-cent wage subsidy for small businesses to include large companies as well as charities and non-profits to encourage them to keep workers on the payroll during the COVID-19 pandemic. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau told his daily news conference Monday that the generous subsidy will be open to any business or organization that has suffered a 30-per-cent drop in revenue as a result of the coronavirus.
Tags: budget, economy, ideology, jurisdiction, participation, standard of living
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