Archive for the ‘Governance Debates’ Category
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For Canada to truly recover economically, we need new thinking around access to justice
Wednesday, August 19th, 2020
… while legal aid organizations across the country play a crucial role in access to justice, there is so much more that can be done. The expansion of specialized courts such as drug courts, mental health courts, Indigenous courts and so on provide off-ramps for those for whom traditional justice measures are costly and wouldn’t be effective.
Tags: ideology, rights, standard of living
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Dare we broach the subject of higher taxes?
Thursday, July 30th, 2020
Current interest rates are so low that… with long-term bonds, debt-servicing costs will remain manageable for decades to come… When the economy is back on its feet, taxes are something Canadians are going to have to talk about. Canadians can have a future of stronger health care, better education, less poverty, less inequality and more opportunity. These are good things, but they’re not free. They’re going to have to be paid for.
Tags: budget, economy, Health, ideology, poverty, standard of living
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Solidarity after the Pandemic: Basic Income or Basic Services?
Monday, July 27th, 2020
A move towards meaningful universal basic services is no small task. Canadians are ready. Only 12 per cent of us think we will return to our pre-pandemic way of life. As Nik Nanos has put it, the old status quo of consumerism and individualism is dead… Instead of going “back to normal”, leaders can enable greater health and resilience for all by investing in national basic services to strengthen our social infrastructure.
Tags: child care, economy, featured, Health, housing, ideology, pharmaceutical, standard of living
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Canadians crave a reason to hope
Monday, July 20th, 2020
The problem is no one is really articulating a future-oriented vision these days… Such a vision ought to be bold, ambitious, and inclusive. It should aim to inspire… “for the future to have power over the present, it has to be different than the past.” It’s time for our political leaders to set out a better and different future. Canadians are ready to follow them there.
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Decriminalization of drugs in Canada demands bold leadership — now
Thursday, July 16th, 2020
… the most compelling case for ending the war on drugs, which is really a war on people, who are often the most marginalized and disproportionately Black and Indigenous. Add to this the overwhelming scientific evidence of the many harms arising from the criminalization of simple possession, the long-standing recommendations from many public health and harm reduction experts, the unanimous recommendation of UN agencies, and now the agreement of police chiefs across the country…
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It’s time for proper police oversight
Monday, June 22nd, 2020
In the area of police budgets and staffing levels, municipalities are supposed to call the shots, but that is not what happens. Defund the police? In Canada, it is more a case of trying to rein in salary increases… There will be no meaningful reform unless politicians and police boards fulfil their oversight responsibilities, including legislative changes at the provincial level.
Tags: budget, crime prevention, featured, ideology, jurisdiction
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When I was in cabinet I pushed for bold criminal justice reform. Nothing happened. Now Ottawa has another chance to do the right thing
Saturday, June 20th, 2020
It is up to the Prime Minister and his government to… show whether they are up to the task of real change or will they just take a knee. Make your voices even louder. Say that you expect our government to reflect the will, vision, and courage that thousands have shown across this country… We can make the changes that generations of Canadians have fought and sacrificed to see happen.
Tags: corrections, crime prevention, ideology, Indigenous, rights
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The U.S. and Canada have little differences, but today, they are adding up fast
Sunday, June 14th, 2020
American society is tilted slightly more towards freedom than order. Canadian society tilts slightly in the other direction… Americans are richer overall, but the median Canadian household now earns more than its American peer. Research in fact shows that Canadian households in the bottom 56 per cent of the income distribution are better off than the same American households.
Tags: economy, ideology, immigration, standard of living
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COVID-19 has changed us forever. Has it really changed Doug Ford?
Saturday, June 13th, 2020
All his core beliefs — disruption, deregulation and deficit reduction — have been upended by a more powerful disrupter in COVID-19… A good clue to Ford’s true thinking comes from his stubborn refusal — against all evidence and advice — to restore the paid sick days he eliminated before the pandemic… Never mind the serene rhetoric on the surface, it is Ford’s underlying actions that count.
Tags: budget, Health, ideology, rights, standard of living
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The conservative path to a fairer country
Wednesday, June 10th, 2020
Sound conservative values, such as fiscal responsibility, an economy that works for all, fairness, opportunity, self-reliance, respect for the rule of law and personal freedom are essential if we hope to level the socioeconomic playing field and allow communities and individuals to thrive… Through solid political and civic engagement with our democratic institutions, social and economic justice can be achieved… It is essential that marginalized communities are not just in the room, but are also in decision-making positions. This is not about quotas; it is about diversity.
Tags: economy, ideology, multiculturalism, participation
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