Archive for the ‘Governance Debates’ Category
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Imagining the best-case scenario for the Ford years
The worst of the lot won. Doug Ford is premier-to-be. We said he is unfit for the job, and that remains true. From his bullying personality to his lying to his simplistic mind to his ignorance of government, Mr. Ford has all the makings of a poor political leader for the province… And yet… maybe it would not be too self-indulgent to allow ourselves a wishful glance ahead at the next four years in search of a prospect that isn’t all gloom.
Tags: budget, economy, ideology, standard of living
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For Ontario voters, leadership and vision are not on offer
This election has been a forlorn hunt for the needed mixture of integrity and smart policy. The electorate cannot vote for leadership where it does not exist, or for platforms that are wrong for the times. So if you are lucky enough to have a local candidate who embodies integrity and principle, we encourage you to support him or her. The representatives you choose will need to be strong to hold the next premier to account.
Tags: economy, globalization, ideology, standard of living, tax
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Young voters in Ontario should make sure their voice is heard this week
The main issues go well beyond health care and taxes, the perennial ones that drive older, more established voters. This time, affordable housing and daycare, cheaper university tuition, free dental care and prescription drug coverage and a higher minimum wage – all issues that directly affect a younger voting demographic — are in play… Overall, voter turnout in Ontario is among the lowest in Canada… Among voters in the 18-24 age bracket it’s believed to be closer to 30 per cent…
Tags: child care, economy, housing, ideology, participation, standard of living
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Ontario’s political centre may have collapsed, but progressive values remain
Ontarians still hew to centrist values when it comes to the big issues — the role of government, health care, immigration and so on… Ontarians are clearly fed up with the Liberals after 15 years and want a change at Queen’s Park. But they aren’t questioning the fundamental values that Ontarians (and indeed Canadians as a whole) have shared for decades, including a robust role for government in assuring the economic and social well-being of all citizens.
Tags: budget, economy, featured, globalization, Health, ideology, participation, poverty, standard of living
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Ontario has lost its political centre
The political centre is collapsing in Ontario, polarizing between social democrats and populist conservatives… The knowledge economy centred in the Toronto-to-Waterloo corridor creates many new jobs, but dispossesses people with less education and more hands-on skills. Artificial intelligence will widen the gulf between winners and losers. In such an environment, why wouldn’t the losers lash out? In such a society, where is the appeal in moderation of any kind?
Tags: economy, ideology, participation
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A voter’s guide to the 2018 Ontario election
The campaign of 2018 featured bold social policies for pharmacare, dental care and child care, though they may never come to pass. The bad news: The parties’ plans to pay for their promises don’t quite add up — and in the case of the Progressive Conservatives, were never made public as promised. The worst news: None of the above may matter, because this election is being fought mostly over personalities, not policies. For better or for worse, here’s how the major parties rank on five major issues facing the province in this election:
Tags: budget, child care, economy, featured, Health, housing, ideology, participation, pharmaceutical, poverty, tax
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Ontario voters should back NDP to stop Doug Ford
The NDP plan isn’t perfect; for example, we prefer the Liberals’ approach to child care. But overall it’s a program that would maintain Ontario’s progress toward a fairer and more prosperous society… The next government needs to pay greater attention to getting the province’s finances in order; we can’t assume the relatively good economic times will continue indefinitely… the majority of people in this province are fundamentally progressive. They want, and deserve, a government committed to openness, inclusivity and making sure our prosperity is more widely shared.
Tags: budget, child care, economy, ideology, participation, tax
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Choosing none of the above in the Ontario election is a cop-out
Ontario is far from a basket case. Its citizens enjoy as good a combination of health, wealth, safety and security, education and freedom as any place on earth. It isn’t as evenly distributed as it should be, and governments over the years have worked to lift up and support the most vulnerable… You can’t have it both ways, damning the leaders for what has gone wrong and not giving them credit for what has gone right.
Tags: economy, ideology, poverty, standard of living
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Two worlds collide [Ontario Election 2018]
… governments that are afraid to raise taxes have two choices—go into deficit or sell off public assets. Part of Wynne’s unpopularity rests on this fundamental dilemma. She decided to both go into deficit and sell off public assets, namely the province’s majority shares in Hydro One. Outrageously high hydro bills ensued and Wynne is having trouble living that down… The moral of the story is that activist premiers may be capable of moving the needle on key social policies, but unless they’re equally progressive on the revenue side of the equation, it’s hard to strike a true balance.
Tags: budget, child care, economy, featured, Health, ideology, pharmaceutical, privatization, tax
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Liberals’ voting bill needs sharper teeth
For more than a decade, political parties and candidates have been prohibited from accepting donations from organizations, but third parties can accept these donations in unlimited amounts – even from foreign contributors. Foreign money is not supposed to be used to fund election advertising, but if it is donated outside of the regulated period and simply placed into general revenue, it becomes indistinguishable from the rest of the organization’s funds.
Tags: ideology, jurisdiction, participation
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