Archive for the ‘Equality’ Category

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Canada’s federal leaders will defend your right to wear a poppy, Just don’t ask them to stick up for your freedom of religion

Thursday, November 12th, 2020

No one in politics wants to be associated with billion-dollar companies, tech giants or overpriced food these days, so it was simply a matter of hearing about the poppy ban and pressing “play” on the outrage tape. It’s a little harder, apparently, to work up the nerve to say that Bill 21 is a flagrant slap in the face of freedom of expression and, worse yet, that it is inflicting real, not symbolic damage on real citizens… No one wants to get on the wrong side of that majority opinion in Quebec…

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British Columbia Supreme Court Rules Against Expansion of Private Health Care

Tuesday, September 29th, 2020

“in the context of complex social programs such as healthcare where there is a need to balance conflicting interests and claims over limited resources, a high degree of deference is owed to the government… even if I had found a violation of ss. 7 or 15 of the Charter, I would nonetheless have concluded the impugned provisions are a reasonable limit on those rights and are demonstrably justified in a free and democratic society under s. 1”.

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Billionaires get richer while millions struggle. There’s a lot wrong with this picture

Tuesday, September 22nd, 2020

growing inequality — and public concern about it — is being exacerbated by the pandemic. That makes this a particularly good time to revisit the many policy tools Ottawa has to do something about it. Tax reform tops the list. Canada can do more to prevent and pursue companies that hide billions from the taxman in offshore tax havens and close the many loopholes that let the very wealthy lower their tax bill.

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Freeland prepares to take us down a self-defeating path

Sunday, September 20th, 2020

The problem with putting government-influenced distribution of wealth ahead of wealth creation as a public policy goal is that it tends to create a national economy that is a zero-sum game — i.e., stagnant — and pursues a socioeconomic goal in which wealth is taken from those who have earned it and given to those who have not, in the name of social justice and in implicit exchange for their votes. This ultimately leads to massive discontent, corruption and a failed economy.

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‘Billionaire wealth has bounced back’: Canada’s 20 richest people saw their fortunes grow by $37 billion during COVID-19, study says

Thursday, September 17th, 2020

The proceeds of a wealth tax could “create ongoing revenue streams” to fund important social policy initiatives… “That includes areas such as health care, building a universal child-care system, addressing the housing crisis that exists in so many parts of the country, and addressing the next looming crisis on the horizon in climate change.”

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National class action to be certified on funding levels for First Nations child welfare services

Thursday, September 3rd, 2020

… the national advocacy organization said that Canada’s funding was discriminatory because the federal system created a perverse incentive to remove First Nations children from their families and communities and place them in out-of-home care… The AFN class action is seeking compensation for all those harmed by the system…

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A just recovery

Wednesday, September 2nd, 2020

… a basic income standard for the unemployed and people receiving social and disability assistance… [would improve]… their standard of living, their hope and trust in the future would grow, and their ability to participate… would increase… we need a basic services guarantee that helps every Canadian secure affordable housing, nutritious food, pharmacare, dental care, mental health care, and specialized support for people with complex needs.

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Race does not determine health outcomes — racism does. As medical professionals we see this reflected in stark COVID-19 realities

Thursday, August 13th, 2020

… employment, income, wealth, education, housing and so on — are what ultimately determine who survives or how long we live. In many ways, the single most important protective factor in this pandemic was having the privilege to stay at home. But that’s if you had a home and a job that would allow you to work remotely and take paid leave if sick or unwell.

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Universal, permanent paid sick days needed now

Wednesday, August 12th, 2020

… from personal support workers staffing long-term-care homes, to meat processing workers, grocery store workers and migrant farmworkers… COVID-19 thrives where racialized workers are denied paid sick days… Restricting paid sick leave to a temporary measure for reasons “related to COVID-19” undermines its effectiveness… Paid sick days must be permanent and ensure workers can stay home at symptom onset, regardless of the ultimate diagnosis.

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It won’t be popular, but we should scrap the homeowner tax break

Friday, July 31st, 2020

Sell your principal residence for more than you paid for it, and in most cases you will pay no tax on the gain at all. Indeed, until 2016 you didn’t even have to report the transaction on your tax return. Neither is there any limit on the exemption – as there is, for example, in the United States. The bigger the gain, the bigger the tax benefit. You can guess which income groups benefit the most.

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