Archive for the ‘Governance’ Category
There’s less than meets the eye in Ontario’s COVID-19 plan
Wednesday, March 25th, 2020
Hospitals… are getting $935 million under this plan, which isn’t far off what they said they needed just to maintain the existing level of care before the coronavirus… there’s no plan for direct cash payments to help those who have lost work or been forced to isolate because of COVID-19…. plenty of other provinces are jumping in to enhance the Trudeau government’s stimulus package with their own measures, believing it is a necessary provincial role… The Ford government, by contrast, seems keen to leave the heavy lifting to Ottawa.
Tags: budget, economy, Health, ideology, jurisdiction, poverty, tax
Posted in Governance Policy Context | No Comments »
Ontario unleashes record spending for COVID-19 pandemic with $17B in emergency measures
Wednesday, March 25th, 2020
Finance Minister Rod Phillips on Wednesday injected $3.3 billion more into health plus $3.7 billion for other supports and promised an additional $10 billion in tax deferrals, doubling the deficit to $20.5 billion… “COVID-19 is an extraordinary threat to the health and economy of Ontario…” “We will spend whatever it takes,” Ford told reporters.
Tags: budget, economy, Health, ideology, jurisdiction, tax
Posted in Governance Policy Context | No Comments »
What the government is offering you in coronavirus-related benefits and how to get them
Friday, March 20th, 2020
Tax Payment And Filing Deadlines… Tax Instalments… Temporary Income Support For Workers And Parents… Special One-Time Payment… Increased Canada Child Benefit… Rrif Minimums… Student Loans
Tags: economy, tax
Posted in Governance Delivery System | No Comments »
Here’s how to apply for government help during the coronavirus pandemic
Friday, March 20th, 2020
Finance Minister Bill Morneau unveiled a bundle of measures on Wednesday designed to help Canadians and businesses through the downturn caused by the COVID-19 outbreak. Here’s how to find out if you qualify for help and how to apply if you do.
Tags: budget, economy, jurisdiction, poverty
Posted in Governance Delivery System | 1 Comment »
Our tax system is too costly for the poorest Canadians
Sunday, March 15th, 2020
… a lack of financial literacy – or even general literacy – has an impact. Insufficient computer skills and lack of access to accounting resources also play a role. Yet, the predominant cause remains the mind-boggling and growing complexity of our tax system… Even chartered professional accountants think that the current system of tax deductions and credits is too complex… tax credits and exemptions targeting middle and higher-income Canadians should be abolished and replaced by broad-based tax cuts.
Tags: featured, ideology, participation, poverty, tax
Posted in Governance Debates | No Comments »
Making sense of Canada’s joyless democracy
Saturday, March 7th, 2020
Winning both a majority of votes and a majority of seats is a high benchmark for any politician to achieve. The past 50 years of federal elections in Canada have produced this double majority on only one occasion – under Progressive Conservative Leader Brian Mulroney in 1984. Also, minority governments have been and can be productive. One should not confuse the disappointment of a majority of Canadians after a particular campaign outcome with Canada’s democracy being dysfunctional.
Tags: ideology, participation
Posted in Governance Debates | No Comments »
AFB meet GND: What role might the Alternative Federal Budget play in fleshing out the details of a Green New Deal for Canada?
Friday, March 6th, 2020
Advocates need a clear and practical agenda to make the most of this opportunity without sacrificing either environmental or social prerogatives. The AFB can help in this respect. Adopting all the AFB 2020 actions would mark an important shift in government policy-making and put the Canadian economy on more inclusive and sustainable foundations. It would do so without significantly adding to Canada’s debt at a time when public debt is truly the least of our problems.
Tags: budget, economy, ideology, standard of living, tax
Posted in Governance Debates | No Comments »
Cabinet approves $240M Mohawk settlement for 132-year-old land claim
Friday, March 6th, 2020
In 2015, the federal government offered a global settlement of just under $240 million in compensation and offered to give the community the right to have up to 18,282 acres of land added to the Akwesasne reserve, if the First Nation buys parcels on the open market. A referendum was held in December 2018… and 80 per cent of those who participated voted in favour… once they receive the money, the Mohawks of Akwesasne effectively renounce their claim to disputed land and confirm that the 1888 surrender was valid.
Tags: budget, Indigenous, jurisdiction, rights
Posted in Governance Policy Context | No Comments »
Why the Canada Revenue Agency should do our taxes for us
Friday, March 6th, 2020
The CRA automatically receives information about the employment and investment income for most Canadians, so let its computers fill out the forms and do the math on our behalf for free… where effectively you get a prepopulated digital return, which has all your income and deductions that it [the CRA] knows about there. And you either sign off on it, ‘yes’ or ‘no,’ or add any additional lines that are relevant and then submit it… Already 36 countries, including Britain, Germany, Japan and the Netherlands, allow return-free tax filing for some taxpayers
Tags: economy, featured, tax
Posted in Governance Debates | No Comments »
Ontarians deserve proper oversight of their government
Wednesday, January 29th, 2020
You need at least two ingredients for oversight offices to operate effectively. First, you need to have the right person in the job, who is not afraid to speak truth to power and be models of transparency. The person needs to fearlessly flash the spotlight on problems… The second ingredient to the Ombudsman’s success is having a properly constituted infrastructure and the resources to fulfil its mandate.
Tags: ideology, jurisdiction, rights
Posted in Governance Delivery System | No Comments »
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