Archive for the ‘Governance Debates’ Category
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Ontario ombudsman pledges new look at broken jails system
An ombudsman needs to be trusted and respected by the government agencies whose behaviour he hopes to improve, Dubé said. “I think it’s important that the entities that we oversee feel comfortable with us, that it’s not a witch hunt, that it’s not about naming, blaming and shaming.” … Many problems an ombudsman deals with arise innocently, Dubé said. The system breaks down but not because people are exploiting it or deliberately being cruel.
Tags: corrections, ideology, rights, standard of living
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Escalating fundraising demands part of ‘the system’ at Queen’s Park
Corporate and union contributions that Wynne persists in publicly defending create a demonstrable conflict of interest for cabinet ministers, which is why they were banned for federal parties in 2006, and are no longer legal in four other provinces… top cabinet ministers at Queen’s Park are given financial targets… never written down, conveyed instead by the Ontario Liberal Fund through confidential meetings and phone calls.
Tags: ideology, jurisdiction, participation, privatization, standard of living, tax
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How Canada can take the lead on open government
… if the benefits of open dialogue are clear, much of the work in the Open Government movement remains narrowly focused on making data available. That may be about to change and Canadian governments are at the forefront, helping to push Open Dialogue into the spotlight… The province of Ontario is using open dialogue in five projects with the goal of creating a new approach to public engagement that will be more open and transparent.
Tags: featured, globalization, ideology, jurisdiction, participation, standard of living
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Cut consultants, ads and travel even more
the government pays consultants and other private companies about $8 billion a year for professional services such as legal advice, engineering expertise, temporary office help and translation. In its first budget the Liberal government declared itself “committed to eliminate poorly targeted and inefficient programs, wasteful spending, and ineffective and obsolete government initiatives.” … discussions are continuing with federal bureaucrats to trim the use of consultants even further… the government described its modest $221-million budget initiative as “a first step.”
Tags: budget, economy, ideology, tax
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Alternative Federal Budget 2016: Time To Move On
Time To Move On proves that we can fight climate change and create jobs at the same time, that we can reduce poverty and grow the economy responsibly, and that there is more than enough fiscal room to ensure that everyone can have a better future… This year’s AFB delivers a plan that would lift 1.1 million Canadians out of poverty, reduce income inequality, boost economic growth, and, at its peak, result in 520,000 new jobs, bringing Canada’s unemployment rate to 6.0%.
Tags: budget, economy, featured, ideology, poverty, standard of living, tax
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Ban corporate and union political donations in Ontario
… selling political access to a few movers and shakers who can afford it isn’t a hallmark of democracy. Ontario should take a lesson from other jurisdictions and end corporate and union contributions… It’s vital for public decisions to be made “in the public interest, not in the interests of a few well-financed political supporters.” That quote is from an Ontario Liberal campaign document dating from 2003, when the party pledged to take steps to limit the pull of money in politics.
Tags: ideology, participation, privatization, standard of living
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Taxes: the third rail of Canadian politics
… three ways the Liberal government could start: Close tax loopholes. Canada’s 3,200-page income tax is riddled with deductions, exemptions, credits targeted at specific sectors of the population… Make the tax system more progressive. Brian Mulroney reduced Canada’s 10 tax brackets – which ranged from 6 per cent at the bottom to 34 per at the top – to three brackets… Extend this year’s middle-class tax cut to those with incomes below $45,000.
Tags: budget, economy, featured, ideology, standard of living, tax
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Compassionate conservatism for the 21st century
Reform conservatism seeks to address the challenges posed by the transformation — or, more dramatically, the disappearance — of the blue collar economy, in which high wages were widely available for low-skilled labour. Coupled with a decline in the social architecture available at lower socio-economic levels — where the non-formation of families is most acute — it has created major instability for a constituency that responds to the demagoguery of The Donald.
Tags: economy, ideology, standard of living
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At some point, there is such a thing as too much transparency
… the federal, provincial, territorial, and municipal governments of Canada could publish detailed information on how individuals, businesses, and organizations interact with their programs and services. To improve health-care spending and reduce wait times, provincial governments could publish how often individuals or households visit a medical facility each year… [or] the names and/or street addresses of people on social assistance and the amount of support they receive each year from the government.
Tags: budget, ideology, rights
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Ontario budget 2016: Everything you need to know in graphics
The Liberal government says it’s on track to eliminate a $5.7-billion deficit in the next budget largely thanks to managing program spending and fighting the underground economy, but it is hesitant to acknowledge that the partial privatization of Hydro One and a new carbon pricing system are major factors contributing to that goal. Here’s everything you need to know about the budget, in graphics
Tags: budget, economy, featured
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