Archive for the ‘Governance’ Category
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We can see the way out of the coronavirus pandemic, but the steps to get there will be slow
Monday, April 20th, 2020
There is no easy option… We can tough it out at home, or we can tough it out at work. We can live a little less free, or a lot. We can lose thousands of lives, or tens of thousands; endure slow growth, or a depression. Those are the real choices before us. Either way, it will take months, at least, before we can declare victory.
Tags: economy, Health, jurisdiction, participation, standard of living
Posted in Governance Debates | No Comments »
Why Canada’s emergency response benefit rollout might be a mistake
Thursday, April 9th, 2020
As the Trudeau government scrambles to include one forgotten group after another in the wage-support program, the argument for shifting to a universal basic income grows more compelling… But [the Prime Minister sidestepped repeated questions… as to why the government hadn’t opted for a guaranteed basic income instead of a program that is constantly in need of fixes… the debate over a guaranteed basic income could become a major issue in the next election.
Tags: budget, economy, ideology, participation
Posted in Governance Debates | No Comments »
COVID-19 Emergency Benefits: Who’s included, who’s left out and the role of provinces
Tuesday, April 7th, 2020
We normally design income support policies to ensure that we encourage work rather than provide benefits that discourage labour market activity, but we need to be doing exactly the opposite right now. Policy makers accustomed to making sure the design of a program only reaches their intended group need to adjust their thinking caps and cast a broader net. Multiple patches on an already patchwork system will be slow, messy, and exclude too many people that need help…
Tags: budget, economy, featured, Health, ideology, participation
Posted in Governance Delivery System | 1 Comment »
Many fear COVID-19 will cause social breakdown. But something quite different is happening
Saturday, April 4th, 2020
We are witnessing an extraordinary surge of solidarity. Suddenly the notion that the economy exists to serve people and not the other way around seems blazingly obvious. Suddenly the notion that we can accomplish more collectively than we could ever accomplish alone is beyond debate… The pandemic is not bringing about a world of crumbled institutions and adversarial individualism; that’s the world we seemed to be heading toward before the virus started its terrible work… Just look how governments and experts and we together are mobilizing.
Tags: economy, featured, Health, ideology, participation
Posted in Governance Debates | No Comments »
We can’t just pick up the pieces after the pandemic subsides – we need to keep them together
Monday, March 30th, 2020
… All governments are being affected by dramatic losses in revenues, but, as with a virus, the impact is not universally the same. Some economies are more robust than others. These issues cannot be allowed to fester. They will need to be addressed. So too the continuing inequalities affecting Indigenous people and communities as well as the homeless and others deeply marginalized now stare us in the face…
Tags: economy, globalization, Health, homelessness, ideology, Indigenous, participation
Posted in Governance Debates | No Comments »
There’s less than meets the eye in Ontario’s COVID-19 plan
Wednesday, March 25th, 2020
Hospitals… are getting $935 million under this plan, which isn’t far off what they said they needed just to maintain the existing level of care before the coronavirus… there’s no plan for direct cash payments to help those who have lost work or been forced to isolate because of COVID-19…. plenty of other provinces are jumping in to enhance the Trudeau government’s stimulus package with their own measures, believing it is a necessary provincial role… The Ford government, by contrast, seems keen to leave the heavy lifting to Ottawa.
Tags: budget, economy, Health, ideology, jurisdiction, poverty, tax
Posted in Governance Policy Context | No Comments »
Ontario unleashes record spending for COVID-19 pandemic with $17B in emergency measures
Wednesday, March 25th, 2020
Finance Minister Rod Phillips on Wednesday injected $3.3 billion more into health plus $3.7 billion for other supports and promised an additional $10 billion in tax deferrals, doubling the deficit to $20.5 billion… “COVID-19 is an extraordinary threat to the health and economy of Ontario…” “We will spend whatever it takes,” Ford told reporters.
Tags: budget, economy, Health, ideology, jurisdiction, tax
Posted in Governance Policy Context | No Comments »
What the government is offering you in coronavirus-related benefits and how to get them
Friday, March 20th, 2020
Tax Payment And Filing Deadlines… Tax Instalments… Temporary Income Support For Workers And Parents… Special One-Time Payment… Increased Canada Child Benefit… Rrif Minimums… Student Loans
Tags: economy, tax
Posted in Governance Delivery System | No Comments »
Here’s how to apply for government help during the coronavirus pandemic
Friday, March 20th, 2020
Finance Minister Bill Morneau unveiled a bundle of measures on Wednesday designed to help Canadians and businesses through the downturn caused by the COVID-19 outbreak. Here’s how to find out if you qualify for help and how to apply if you do.
Tags: budget, economy, jurisdiction, poverty
Posted in Governance Delivery System | 1 Comment »
Our tax system is too costly for the poorest Canadians
Sunday, March 15th, 2020
… a lack of financial literacy – or even general literacy – has an impact. Insufficient computer skills and lack of access to accounting resources also play a role. Yet, the predominant cause remains the mind-boggling and growing complexity of our tax system… Even chartered professional accountants think that the current system of tax deductions and credits is too complex… tax credits and exemptions targeting middle and higher-income Canadians should be abolished and replaced by broad-based tax cuts.
Tags: featured, ideology, participation, poverty, tax
Posted in Governance Debates | No Comments »
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