Archive for the ‘Governance’ Category
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Making sense of Canada’s joyless democracy
Saturday, March 7th, 2020
Winning both a majority of votes and a majority of seats is a high benchmark for any politician to achieve. The past 50 years of federal elections in Canada have produced this double majority on only one occasion – under Progressive Conservative Leader Brian Mulroney in 1984. Also, minority governments have been and can be productive. One should not confuse the disappointment of a majority of Canadians after a particular campaign outcome with Canada’s democracy being dysfunctional.
Tags: ideology, participation
Posted in Governance Debates | No Comments »
AFB meet GND: What role might the Alternative Federal Budget play in fleshing out the details of a Green New Deal for Canada?
Friday, March 6th, 2020
Advocates need a clear and practical agenda to make the most of this opportunity without sacrificing either environmental or social prerogatives. The AFB can help in this respect. Adopting all the AFB 2020 actions would mark an important shift in government policy-making and put the Canadian economy on more inclusive and sustainable foundations. It would do so without significantly adding to Canada’s debt at a time when public debt is truly the least of our problems.
Tags: budget, economy, ideology, standard of living, tax
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Cabinet approves $240M Mohawk settlement for 132-year-old land claim
Friday, March 6th, 2020
In 2015, the federal government offered a global settlement of just under $240 million in compensation and offered to give the community the right to have up to 18,282 acres of land added to the Akwesasne reserve, if the First Nation buys parcels on the open market. A referendum was held in December 2018… and 80 per cent of those who participated voted in favour… once they receive the money, the Mohawks of Akwesasne effectively renounce their claim to disputed land and confirm that the 1888 surrender was valid.
Tags: budget, Indigenous, jurisdiction, rights
Posted in Governance Policy Context | No Comments »
Why the Canada Revenue Agency should do our taxes for us
Friday, March 6th, 2020
The CRA automatically receives information about the employment and investment income for most Canadians, so let its computers fill out the forms and do the math on our behalf for free… where effectively you get a prepopulated digital return, which has all your income and deductions that it [the CRA] knows about there. And you either sign off on it, ‘yes’ or ‘no,’ or add any additional lines that are relevant and then submit it… Already 36 countries, including Britain, Germany, Japan and the Netherlands, allow return-free tax filing for some taxpayers
Tags: economy, featured, tax
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Ontarians deserve proper oversight of their government
Wednesday, January 29th, 2020
You need at least two ingredients for oversight offices to operate effectively. First, you need to have the right person in the job, who is not afraid to speak truth to power and be models of transparency. The person needs to fearlessly flash the spotlight on problems… The second ingredient to the Ombudsman’s success is having a properly constituted infrastructure and the resources to fulfil its mandate.
Tags: ideology, jurisdiction, rights
Posted in Governance Delivery System | No Comments »
Liberal tax cut will cost $1.2-billion more annually than promised: PBO
Tuesday, January 28th, 2020
Canadians with incomes between $103,018 and $159,694 will receive the largest benefit, with a $347 tax cut. Canadians earning $159,695 to $227,504 are next with a $257 tax cut. Individuals with incomes between $51,510 and $103,017 will receive $337. Those with incomes between $15,001 and $51,509 will receive $211 and individuals with income below $15,000 will save one dollar, on average, compared to the status quo.
Tags: budget, ideology, tax
Posted in Governance Policy Context | No Comments »
Do Canadian Conservatives even know what conservativism means any more?
Thursday, December 26th, 2019
Somewhere along the way, conservatives went off track. Tax cuts, deregulation and free trade became ends unto themselves without any consideration for their consequences for working-class citizens. Inevitably, the latter revolted. The result was Donald Trump’s election to the White House in 2016 and Britain’s vote to leave the European Union… Canadian conservatism needs to be more than a carbon copy of whatever becomes of its U.S. counterpart.
Tags: economy, ideology, privatization, tax
Posted in Governance Debates | No Comments »
It’s all about tax cuts
Wednesday, December 18th, 2019
The government is slamming the brakes on spending, yet the fiscal situation is not quickly improving. That leads us to ask, “Where is the money going?” The answer is tax cuts… Lower tax revenue includes the approved $3.4 to $4.2 billion annually as well as “unannounced tax cuts” still to come… Low- and middle-income families benefit very little, if at all, from these measures. The “more money in your pocket” jingle is simply a rhetorical trick that preys on people’s economic vulnerability.
Tags: budget, child care, economy, featured, ideology, jurisdiction, standard of living, tax
Posted in Governance Policy Context | No Comments »
Setting the stage for the 2020 Ontario budget
Wednesday, December 18th, 2019
Ontarians can expect the government’s talking points to feature prominently in the 2020 Ontario budget. Claims of high spending and unsustainable debt and deficit are being used to excuse cuts to public services. But how many of these claims are true? Watch our new video to find out more.
Tags: budget, economy, featured, ideology, standard of living, tax
Posted in Governance Policy Context | No Comments »
Raising taxes to build Toronto is not just good — it’s necessary
Tuesday, December 10th, 2019
In recent years, our leaders have tried every trick in the book… to avoid collecting the revenues needed to build the country. They’ve sold off profit-making public assets, giving up long-term revenue streams for one-time capital gains. They’ve embraced public-private partnerships (P3s), paying extra to build infrastructure but hiding the cost off the public books. They’ve taken on more debt.
Tags: budget, ideology, jurisdiction, tax
Posted in Governance Debates | No Comments »
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