Archive for the ‘Governance Debates’ Category
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Count your blessings, Canada
We have only begun to move down the path to true reconciliation with our indigenous peoples, we have too many pockets of generational poverty still… But. Compared to where we were a generation ago… even a year ago, and more importantly compared to where our closest neighbours, nations and partners are today, as we approach our 149th national day celebration, my grandmother’s declaration rings in my ears, “Count your blessings, Canada…”
Tags: economy, featured, globalization, immigration, multiculturalism, standard of living
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John Tory extends Rob Ford’s legacy of austerity
… the promise to keep taxes below inflation is just code for limiting tax increases on rich and middle class residents… The problem with making inflation the only factor in funding is that we already underfund many of our core services like transit and housing. Indexing the future funding of these services to inflation guarantees the permanent starvation of public infrastructure. And what for?
Tags: budget, ideology, jurisdiction, participation, standard of living, tax
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Proportional representation for Canada: A primer
Proportional representation (PR)… is the simple principle that parliaments should reflect how people vote are are designed so each voter can help elect an MP who shares his or her values. For example, if a party receives 30 per cent of the vote, it would receive roughly 30 per cent of the seats. The key to any PR system is multi-member districts or regions… proportional systems not only lead to fair results, but are correlated with stronger government performance
Tags: featured, ideology, participation
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What government is good at, and how it can improve
Over the years, we have added one program after another, one unit after another to the machinery, one officer of Parliament after another, while expanding central agencies and making them responsible for a wide variety of activities. Taken in isolation, one may be able to justify each new program, new unit, new officer of Parliament. However, when they are taken together, we have created a machinery that can no longer operate efficiently
Tags: budget, ideology, standard of living
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Canadians won’t accept Leap because it breaks these two rules
… the first “iron rule” of environmental advocacy should be to accept that people have legitimate economic fears and aspirations, and be credible in describing how your ideas will achieve their environmental and their economic goals… We are Modest Shift people. Thoughtful Shift people. Not Leap People. Or Big Shift People… The vast majority of Canadians… will respond well to constructive ideas, offered in a spirit of mutual respect. They’ll change… but trying to shame them won’t speed things up…
Tags: economy, ideology, standard of living
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A review is nice, but it’s time for Canada’s 30-year tax revamp
… the aim of tax reform should improve the tax structure, given that a certain amount of money is needed to “feed the beast.” A framework would enable governments to adjust taxes over time to achieve better results. Those countries that have had better growth rates are also those that rely on consumption-based taxes, rather than income and transfer taxes… The Canadian tax system is fraught with distortions and complexity built up over the years.
Tags: economy, featured, ideology, standard of living, tax
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The retreat, and rebirth, of socialism
The traditional center-left is in retreat in Europe, and to a somewhat lesser extent in the U.S. This could be seen as a failure of the centrist-socialist establishment, though it might make sense to see it from a different perspective: An attractive, modern alternative has presented itself… Voters who believe that the government should be more vigorous in curbing capitalism and redistributing wealth have been turning on traditional socialist parties.
Tags: featured, globalization, ideology, participation
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For the NDP, the only place now is at the far left of political spectrum
… delegates at the party’s convention in Edmonton last weekend embraced the Leap Manifesto, a document that would make the NDP unelectable if it becomes party policy… who would want to lead a party saddled with a radical faction that seems to have won the hearts of the most committed activists? But what if the future leader came from the Leapers? … This is what many New Democrats are hoping for.
Tags: economy, ideology, participation
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The campaign finance reforms Ontario needs now
Ban all corporate and union donations… Dramatically reduce contribution levels for individuals… Remove the egregious loophole that allows donors to give another roughly $10,000 for by-elections… Impose the same comprehensive limits for party leadership races… Reduce the total spending limit in elections… Set new limits on third-party groups during election campaigns… Expand public subsidies of election campaigns.
Tags: featured, ideology, jurisdiction, participation, rights, standard of living
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Keep doctors off Ontario’s Sunshine List
Billings and earning are very different things. Consider a family doctor who bills $300,000 a year. With that $300,000, she pays for a secretary, a nurse who comes in once a week, a modest office, which she shares with another doctor, insurance and all business expenses. A public-sector employee earning $300,000, though, has his office, business expenses, pensions and benefit contributions paid for with taxpayers’ money.
Tags: budget, Health, ideology, mental Health, tax
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