Archive for the ‘Governance’ Category
Don’t be fooled by big numbers—Ontario budget fails to address years-long funding shortfalls
Thursday, July 10th, 2025
Underfunding trends persist in total program spending, education, post-secondary education, and health. Public services provide the support Ontarians need and good jobs that support the economy—investing in them is the best way to shield the province. But that’s not happening. On the job protection front, we expect more—much more—given the alarming job losses we’re already witnessing. The 2025 budget fails to grasp the importance of protecting workers, not only for their families’ sake, but also as a mitigating strategy that prevents a deep recession.
Tags: budget, economy, Education, Health, ideology, jurisdiction, standard of living
Posted in Governance Policy Context | No Comments »
It’s time to talk about what COVID did to Toronto, and to us
Thursday, June 26th, 2025
The isolation, loss, distrust and disruption that arose during the COVID-19 pandemic continue to make their mark on us today… neither the heroism, collective sacrifice or loss, nor the mistakes… We can’t move forward without finding a way to talk about — and process — what went right, what went wrong and what we all suffered during COVID-19… There is still so much misinformation out there about what actually happened during the pandemic. We desperately need a collective airing of the facts.
Tags: ideology, jurisdiction, mental Health, participation
Posted in Governance Debates | No Comments »
How governments can get back to building affordable housing
Wednesday, June 4th, 2025
… the financialization of housing is undermining our ability to build homes people can afford. We saw it clearly when the Ford government scrapped affordable housing rules in Toronto after pressure from corporate landlords… a new approach… means: Rapidly scale non-market and deeply affordable housing. Unlock and mobilize public land for housing construction. Ensure investments create good union jobs and build industrial capacity. Streamline timelines, remove barriers and build the infrastructure our communities need.
Tags: housing, ideology, jurisdiction, standard of living
Posted in Governance Policy Context | No Comments »
Ontario will uncrate a statue of Canada’s first prime minister. What took so long?
Tuesday, June 3rd, 2025
The statue can acknowledge our first prime minister’s singular contribution to the creation of one of the world’s most successful countries. But the plaque can also acknowledge that Macdonald was flawed, and while some of his views were quite progressive for the time (such as voting rights for women and Indigenous people), other views, such as the worthiness of residential schools, clearly don’t stand the test of time.
Tags: ideology, Indigenous, multiculturalism, rights
Posted in Governance History | No Comments »
Mark Carney unveils Liberal party’s election platform, promises $129 billion in new spending
Saturday, April 19th, 2025
The platform defines capital spending as “anything that builds an asset” owned by the federal government, another level of government, or a private company… not “spending” but “investing” that will prompt private sector investment to grow the economy… Carney also repeated his promise that his government would not cut health and social transfers to provinces, and would preserve programs like national child care, dental care, pharmacare and an emerging school food program.
Tags: budget, economy, featured, tax
Posted in Governance Debates | No Comments »
Canada can be the first choice for high-skill talent fleeing Trump’s America. But we have to act fast
Saturday, April 19th, 2025
We have the political stability, multicultural harmony and robust R&D activity in our world-class universities, teaching hospitals and networks of entrepreneurial tech startups to attract top talent from beyond our borders. But Canadian universities — epicentres of advanced research in a multitude of fields, and the intended destination for many potential U.S. immigrants — are coping with a funding crisis…
Tags: Education, Health, immigration, jurisdiction
Posted in Governance Debates | No Comments »
Platform Crunch: Tax cuts are alive and well in this federal election, but who benefits? (Hint: Look up, way up)
Friday, April 18th, 2025
The richest 40 per cent of Canadians would enjoy three-quarters of those promised savings (for either party), while the lowest-income earners in Canada would, on average, enjoy zero benefit. Not great preparation for a tariff war that would hit low-income families the hardest… The expenditures are so large and these parties are so concerned with having no deficits that they’ll require massive cuts elsewhere to balance the budget. We are yet to see a detailed list of those cuts…
Tags: economy, tax
Posted in Governance Debates | No Comments »
The ‘We Are Canadian’ Video Is Serving Nationalism with a Twist
Monday, March 17th, 2025
The new “We Are Canadian” slogan might resonate with many voters who still see Canada as a country built on collective effort — on socialized health care, multiculturalism and government intervention for the common good. But for the modern CPC, which leans heavily on the language of personal responsibility, rugged individualism and minimal government, this shift in national sentimentality could be a liability… if “We Are Canadian” is any indication, the broader electorate may be moving in a different direction — one that values community over the individual.
Tags: featured, ideology, Media
Posted in Governance Debates | No Comments »
In the Ontario election, we’re not talking about money—which the province urgently needs
Wednesday, February 26th, 2025
Ontario is a rich province. We have the resources, but the provincial government needs to act with resolve in collecting revenue and investing it… Ontario also raises less revenue than almost all provinces on a per capita basis. Every year, it raises $2,400 less in revenue per person than British Columbia and $4,100 less than Quebec… Ontario’s low revenues mean less funding for public services
Tags: budget, economy, featured, Health, housing, standard of living, tax
Posted in Governance Debates | No Comments »
‘Against The People’ and the truth about ‘populist’ Doug Ford
Friday, January 31st, 2025
In every public policy area, “the voices of the public, civil society organizations, local governments and the provincial public service Ford has aggressively marginalized as red tape”… Consistently, Ford is following the Conservative strategy of “creating a crisis” and then corporatizing and privatizing the solution, transferring wealth to the wealthy and keeping wages low.
Tags: economy, featured, Health, ideology, standard of living
Posted in Governance Debates | No Comments »
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