Archive for the ‘Governance Debates’ Category
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The real carbon tax is the money provinces are spending on lawyers
Wednesday, July 3rd, 2019
… the Ontario court also said carbon pricing is not a tax because the money collected by Ottawa will be sent back to the provinces, with nearly all of it going to individual taxpayers, and the remainder to schools, hospitals, municipalities and small and medium-sized businesses in the five provinces on which it is or will be imposed… The Ontario ruling also makes the case for why a federal regime is necessary.
Tags: budget, economy, globalization, ideology, standard of living, tax
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Andrew Scheer’s Real Bad Climate Plan
Saturday, June 29th, 2019
‘Sixty pages! 11,000 words!’ And designed to show voters he really doesn’t care. Conservative Leader Andrew Scheer’s climate policy sets a new benchmark for dishonest political posturing. Scheer’s “A Real Plan to Protect Our Environment” was served up to counter criticism that the party had no climate plan.
Instead, it proved the critics right… only eight per cent of Conservative voters identified it as an important issue; it ranked ninth among their concerns. (Only income inequality was rated a lesser concern.) So doing anything real on climate change would irk the Conservatives’ base.
Tags: economy, globalization, ideology, standard of living
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Fiscal Accountability: The Path Forward
Thursday, June 20th, 2019
Public Accounts Should Reflect Public Sector Accounting Standards… Budgets Should Match Financial Statements… Budgets Should Precede the Start of the Fiscal Year… Estimates Should Be Timely and Reconcile with Budgets… Key Numbers Should Be Accessible and Recognizable… Year-End Results Should Be Timely
Tags: budget, economy, ideology, jurisdiction, rights, standard of living
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All Ontarians will pay the price for Doug Ford zapping public sector wages
Wednesday, June 5th, 2019
As much as some Conservatives might dislike debt, or disdain deficits, or begrudge public servants’ salaries, or resent teachers’ summers off, the laws of our land set a higher standard for the systematic suspension of collective bargaining rights. The courts have ruled that you must have good reason(s) — unless, of course, Ford once again intends to overrule any courts that dare to overrule his government by invoking the Charter’s notwithstanding clause.
Tags: budget, economy, ideology, rights, standard of living
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Ford government to cap pay raises for public servants in bid to control spending
Wednesday, June 5th, 2019
TheStar.com – Politics June 5, 2019. By Robert Benzie, Rob Ferguson, Kristin Rushowy, Queen’s Park Bureau In a bid to rein in spending, Premier Doug Ford is threatening to impose a cap on pay hikes for 1 million public servants. Ford’s Progressive Conservatives on Wednesday tabled legislation that would limit annual wage increases to 1 per cent when […]
Tags: budget, economy, ideology, rights, standard of living
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Censoring free speech breaks faith with Canadians. Don’t go there
Tuesday, June 4th, 2019
The argument against censorship, even when labelled a hate speech ban, is not that its targets are always noble sentiments that only upset idiots and the hypersensitive. It is that in the battle of ideas truth will prevail, and that preventing the airing of ideas undermines truth and decency… freely elected governments almost never try to silence popular opinions… It is a perilous thing to arrogate to yourself the power to silence ideas you find disagreeable.
Tags: crime prevention, ideology, participation, rights
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Canadians frustrated with federation, but still support equalization payments to poorer provinces
Tuesday, June 4th, 2019
Despite these concerns, the survey found that three-quarters of Canadians support the equalization program, while 16 per cent are opposed… A majority of Canadians – 55 per cent – said they would prefer that their provincial leaders try to find a balance between its own economic interest and other parts of Canada, even if it means compromising. Only 31 per cent said they would prefer that a province or territory put its economic interests first.
Tags: economy, ideology, jurisdiction, standard of living
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Doug Ford’s reversal on city cuts is just a brief ceasefire before the war resumes
Tuesday, May 28th, 2019
In public policy terms, it means needed services are preserved for now. In political terms it means everyone involved lives to fight another day. But make no mistake: they will fight another day. Less than a year from now. And that battle early next year could be even messier and harder than this one that just finished.
Tags: budget, economy, Health, ideology, participation
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The hidden fiscal hole in Doug Ford’s budget that will keep on hurting
Sunday, May 26th, 2019
Never before has an Ontario government spent so much more to deliver so much less. Instead of getting greater value for money, we are losing what we value most — in education, transit, health care and social services.
Tags: budget, economy, featured, ideology, standard of living
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The Senate should do its job – and respect Canadian voters
Wednesday, May 22nd, 2019
Killing a government bill that was part of an election platform that elected a majority government, and which was passed in the House with multiparty support, is simply not in the Senate’s job description – not as long as Canada is a parliamentary democracy, premised on the British model, as specified in our very Constitution.
Tags: ideology, jurisdiction, Senate
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