Archive for the ‘Governance Policy Context’ Category
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Time to rein in Canada’s tax code
Tax expenditures now amount to upwards of $100 billion annually; by some estimates, they comprise about one quarter of total government spending. Yet these measures have never been subjected to the kinds of accountability or evaluation that are applied to other government outlays… not even the finance department seems to know exactly how much money is foregone or whether these giveaways achieve their objectives.
Tags: budget, economy, featured, ideology, tax
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Ontario campaign finance bill fails to address cash-for-access fundraisers
The Ontario Liberals have introduced campaign finance legislation aimed at curbing the influence of big money on politics, but have decided not to put any restrictions on the private cash-for-access fundraisers that started the uproar over political donations in the first place. The new law will also allow donors to give more than $10,000 in some years and make it hard to track whether corporations are illegally paying employees to donate on their bosses’ behalf.
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Tread carefully before turning lofty UN principles into Law
What does “free, prior and informed consent” mean? Canadian courts have been clear that aboriginal groups do not have a veto, but that governments have a heavy responsibility to consult and, where possible, accommodate aboriginal concerns. Some aboriginal leaders and university activists insist that a veto exists in law. They point to the UN declaration to buttress their case, which is one of the reasons the previous government was so nervous about endorsing it.
Tags: featured, globalization, ideology, Indigenous, jurisdiction, participation, rights
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Justin Trudeau’s true tests are still to come [child care / pharmacare]
… no single initiative would make such a big difference in the lives of Canadian families as universal, quality, affordable child care… This issue is urgent. The OECD has ranked us dead last among peer nations for child care. / … not only would national pharmacare ensure that all Canadians have access to the drugs they need, it would also save billions of dollars… every other country with universal health care also covers the cost of prescription medicine… 90 per cent of Canadians support the idea
Tags: child care, crime prevention, economy, featured, Health, ideology, pharmaceutical, standard of living
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Wynne promises to end corporate, union donations this spring
Currently, corporations and unions can donate to political parties and politicians in Ontario. The province also has a relatively high donation cap of $9,975 annually, plus numerous loopholes that allow corporations and unions to give many times that amount, sometimes more than $100,000. The province also places almost no restrictions on third-party advertising, allowing corporations and unions to spend as much money as they want on their own advertising at election time.
Tags: featured, ideology, jurisdiction, participation, rights, standard of living
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There’s a simple way to stop politicians selling access for cash
Download a copy of the excellent rules governing donations at the federal level – whose cornerstone principle is that only citizens should be allowed to donate to political parties… Pass it into law in your province… And for even stronger medicine, copy Quebec’s fundraising rules. They’re the country’s strictest. Corporate and union money is forbidden, and the individual donation limit is just $100 per year.
Tags: featured, ideology, jurisdiction, participation, privatization, rights, standard of living
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Third parties — mostly unions — spent $6M to influence 2015 election; minister vows crackdown
Democratic Institutions Minister Maryam Monsef is vowing to reduce the impact of money on federal politics amid new evidence that advocacy groups are becoming much more active in trying to influence the outcome of elections… “We will ensure that spending rules — both during and between elections — are in keeping with our democratic commitment to make voters, not dollars, determine the outcome of elections.”
Tags: ideology, jurisdiction, participation, rights, standard of living
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Wynne promises new fundraising rules after Toronto Star probe
“The government will bring forward a plan in the fall and that will include new rules on third-party advertising . . . it will also include transitioning away from corporate and union donations, (and) lowering the annual donation limit,” she said, referring to the existing $9,975 contribution cap that is routinely exceeded due to loopholes. Corporations, unions and individuals can donate much more than their yearly limit by giving additional cash during byelections and by bankrolling candidates during party leadership campaigns.
Tags: ideology, jurisdiction, privatization, rights, tax
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The Social-Policy-Is-Back Budget
March 2016 marked a significant turning point in the country. Social policy is back! It comprises, once again, a vital component of Canada’s DNA. We are particularly pleased with the announcement of the Canada Child Benefit… We do have a concern, however, regarding… the distributional impact of the middle class tax cut is problematic.
Tags: budget, child care, economy, featured, housing, ideology, Indigenous, pensions, tax
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For Trudeau, it’s just a start, though it’s a good start
The big story of Tuesday’s milestone federal budget is Canada’s remarkably altered set of priorities. Variations on a theme of investing in people, they include cities, where more than 80 per cent of Canadians live. They include ending abysmal living conditions in aboriginal communities, which are an international disgrace. And the budget marks the return to a role for Ottawa as a major provider of social housing.
Tags: budget, economy, featured, housing, ideology, Indigenous, jurisdiction, standard of living, tax
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