Archive for the ‘Equality’ Category
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In Canada, unlike the U.S., the American dream lives on
Tuesday, January 17th, 2012
Jan. 16, 2012
… the U.S. is richer, but it’s also significantly more unequal, and a lot less mobile… For now, at least, the dream of upward mobility in Canada is still alive. Canadians can thank a legacy of sound public policy and a more progressive tax system… [But] Ottawa and most of the provinces are running large budget deficits, and education and health care are already targets as governments hunt for savings. [and] Rising income inequality is chipping away at the opportunities of future generations… wealthy Canadians may be forming exclusionary institutions in a drift toward Americanization.
Tags: economy, ideology, participation, standard of living, tax
Posted in Equality Delivery System | No Comments »
Can Liberals find sweet spot between prosperity and equality?
Sunday, January 15th, 2012
Jan. 15, 2012
Those who are most aggrieved about poverty and equality will be the least accessible voters on the left for the Liberal Party. A more rational strategy would carve out new ideas for advancing prosperity and improving equality. More job opportunities for all, and better income growth for those who have been struggling… In that most Canadian of ways, mainstream voters want a focus on strengthening the economy for everyone, not limiting the gains at the top to narrow the gap with the bottom… The other parties seem more drawn to the zero-sum-game framework.
Tags: economy, ideology, participation
Posted in Equality Debates | No Comments »
Same-sex marriage law to be changed to recognize gay tourists
Friday, January 13th, 2012
Jan 13, 2012
… we will change the Civil Marriage Act so that any marriages performed in Canada that aren’t recognized in the couple’s home jurisdiction will be recognized in Canada.” The legislative change will apply to all marriages performed in Canada regardless of the laws of the jurisdiction in which the couple live, the official said.
Tags: ideology, rights
Posted in Equality Policy Context | 2 Comments »
Same-sex marriages of non-resident couples not legal: federal justice department
Thursday, January 12th, 2012
Jan 12 2012
Thousands of same-sex marriages since 2004 involving couples from outside Canada are in limbo as result of a new position taken by the Conservative government. In a nutshell, government lawyers are arguing in court that if same-sex couples could not be legally married in their home country, then their Canadian wedding is not valid… the shift in federal policy is one of several recent changes “that highlight the Harper government’s paradoxical stance on gay rights in Canada.”
Tags: ideology, rights
Posted in Equality Debates | No Comments »
Equality. Who needs it?
Thursday, January 12th, 2012
Jan 11, 2012
Poverty, of course, is a bad thing. But is inequality? After all, if we doubled everyone’s income tomorrow, we would eliminate an enormous amount of economic hardship. Yet, inequality would actually increase… we need people who are ambitious, skilled risk-takers. We need people to be ever striving for more. That means that they must be rewarded for their efforts, their skills, their ambitions, and their risks. Such rewards inevitably lead to greater inequality.
Tags: economy, ideology, poverty, rights, standard of living, tax
Posted in Equality Debates | No Comments »
What would you give to be in the 1 per cent?
Tuesday, January 10th, 2012
Jan. 10, 2012
I can’t help notice an often ignored yet crucial aspect of the income-inequality debate: sheer sacrifice… Generally speaking, the person who works 9 or 10 hours a day lives an entirely different sort of life than someone who’s life is, essentially, work – and that’s ultimately a big reason why one is paid less, and often far less, than the other… That’s what they get paid for, unlike those who get to sleep while others handle the problem – others, more to the point, who are expected to handle the problem. Whether they handle it well or not is another story
Tags: ideology, standard of living, tax
Posted in Equality Debates | No Comments »
Poverty, not inequality, should be the target
Tuesday, January 10th, 2012
Jan. 10, 2012
… this urgent issue is poverty, not inequality per se. In other words, it doesn’t matter much how high the top end soars; what public policy ought to concern itself with is how low the bottom drops. This quibble isn’t just theoretical… there’s little doubt that a widening gap reflects bad news for people lower down on the income scale… [but] focusing on where to set the poverty bar and how to ensure everybody clears it is far more important than fretting about what portion we and our neighbours have of some other guy’s wealth.
Tags: economy, ideology, poverty, standard of living
Posted in Equality Debates | No Comments »
Top 10 reasons why Office of Religious Freedom is a bad idea
Sunday, January 8th, 2012
Jan. 7, 2012
“Freedom of religion is one of the first things in the Charter, it’s one of the first things in the Bill of Rights, it’s front and centre in the UN Declaration of Human Rights – it’s an essential human right,” Baird told The Canadian Press… I can’t recall Baird or his government being particularly enthusiastic about the Charter before – his boss, Stephen Harper, once called it “seriously flawed” because it promotes equality… this initiative – which the Opposition has largely been silent about — is a very bad idea. Here’s 10 reasons why:
Tags: ideology, multiculturalism, rights
Posted in Equality Debates, Inclusion Debates | No Comments »
Caledonia proves some criminals are more equal than others
Sunday, January 8th, 2012
Jan 7, 2012
If it was a worthy policy to treat the white citizens of Caledonia one way, and the aboriginal protestors and blockaders another, why would he or his Attorney General not take pride in explicitly justifying such two-tier criminal-justice policies to the world? … it is simply because the Ontario authorities, including the Premier himself, recognize that with Caledonia they were not applying any bold principle. They were making it up as they went along, motivated by pure political cravenness and a desperation to avoid another Ipperwash… No such system of law can own the respect of a citizenry.
Tags: crime prevention, Indigenous, participation, rights
Posted in Equality Debates | 1 Comment »
Trudeau’s words about aboriginals resonate
Wednesday, January 4th, 2012
Jan. 3, 2012
“We will recognize treaty rights,” continued Trudeau, those 42 years ago. “We will recognize forms of contract which have been made with the Indian people by the Crown and we will try to bring justice in that area and this will mean that perhaps the treaties shouldn’t go on forever”… After considerable opposition from Indian politicians, the Trudeau government backed away from this so-called red paper proposal. Who is to know if his proposals would have made a difference among our First Nations communities?
Tags: ideology, Indigenous, participation, rights, standard of living
Posted in Equality History | 9 Comments »
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