Archive for the ‘Governance’ Category
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We should face up to history and make sure Canada Day is for all
By the time we celebrate our 150th Canada Day in 2017, we need to take concrete steps towards fixing the relationship with aboriginal peoples. There’s no contradiction between keeping that in mind and taking special pride today in our country on its official birthday. Ultimately, Canada Day must be for everyone, and only facing up to the truths of the past will make that possible.
Tags: ideology, Indigenous, participation, standard of living
Posted in Governance Debates | No Comments »
Mellower NDP sets its course, free of the drag of socialism
… socialist terminology is no longer on the party books. Mr. Mulcair’s policies, such as an increased minimum wage, child care, corporate tax increases, cap-and-trade, are sufficient… The policies give the New Democrats left-side girth, but they’re a far cry from the “smash capitalism” days, from knee-jerk, anti-U.S. sentiment, from being in the lock of labour, of high taxes and state planners… the mellowing out is finally paying off… polling numbers show them within reach of the top rung.
Tags: budget, economy, featured, ideology, participation, privatization, standard of living, tax
Posted in Governance Debates | No Comments »
In praise of Proportional Representation
Refusing to accept that we need electoral reform is another way of discouraging turnout and contributing to growing citizen alienation… First-past-the-post is an antique system from a time when local ridings actually mattered. But in an age where party policy is determined by leaders, and individual MPs are too frequently told how and when to vote, its main function is to make thousands of votes across Canada meaningless. It’s time for a change
Tags: ideology, participation
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Stephen Harper has altered the face of Canada
Who would have foreseen the Law Reform Commission of Canada, the International Centre for Human Rights and Democratic Development (Rights and Democracy), the Health Council of Canada, the National Anti- Poverty Organization and the National Roundtable on the Environment and the Economy would all be scrapped? These agencies brought Canadians together to tackle common problems, focused on areas of public concern and produced well-researched non-partisan policy reports.
Tags: budget, featured, ideology, immigration, multiculturalism, participation, rights, standard of living
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‘Government by photo op’
Harper tended to put himself in fewer and fewer situations where he had to deal with open-ended questioning by any reporters. One often-used alternative was to engage in question and answer sessions with business types. By 2014, as far as television was concerned, Harper sometimes gave interviews only on the condition that the questions were restricted to one topic, such as the historic importance of D-Day.
Tags: budget, economy, ideology, participation, rights, standard of living
Posted in Governance History | No Comments »
Dismantling Democracy: Stifling debate and dissent in Canada
… we document the abuse of parliamentary rules, the intimidation of public servants, and the defunding and intimidation of organizations that hold views at odds with the government. The report documents where the federal government has gutted the capacity of its own departments and independent agencies to offer information and analysis needed to make sound policy choices… the government has pursued a deliberate strategy to repress alternative views.
Tags: featured, ideology, participation, rights, standard of living
Posted in Governance Debates | No Comments »
Canada needs a Senate and our Senate needs to be fixed. Here’s how
Ottawa should bypass the bad old approach to constitutional negotiations by tabling a specific reform proposal and appealing directly to the electorate for a referendum mandate to enact its proposals… The provinces, faced with a federal proposal endorsed in a national referendum, would find it very hard to resist… the chances of getting the reforms through the formal amendment process increase dramatically. Put the people first and the provinces will follow.
Tags: featured, ideology, jurisdiction, rights, Senate
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Third-party spending caps in Ontario elections are overdue
Ontario is increasingly isolated in allowing the uncontrolled practice. The federal government and six provinces — Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, Quebec, Manitoba, Alberta and British Columbia — have strict controls on how much third-party groups can spend during elections. Ottawa, for example, caps it at $188,000, while it’s $30,000 in Alberta and just $5,000 in Manitoba. It’s high time Ontario got on the bandwagon.
Tags: ideology, jurisdiction, participation, rights, standard of living
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Ontario’s political-donation rules badly need an update
in Ottawa and many of the provinces… corporations and unions don’t get to make donations to political parties, or use loopholes that allow them to turn a maximum contribution of $9,975 into something 10 times that large via subsidiaries and local chapters… Ms. Wynne needs to get on board… where individual donors – actual voters – are the only donors, and they don’t have to compete with the massive cash resources of powerful vested interest for the governing party’s attention.
Tags: ideology, participation, rights, standard of living
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It’s not too late to fight back against Tory anti-terror bill
We must not allow the legitimate concerns about security to dictate reductions in the protection of the fundamental rights for which security itself is pursued. Any solution must respect the necessary balance between security and freedom that will continue to allow us to shape the kind of society we want… Engaged citizens and civil society have proven that, with determination, we can prevail. We must stand up for our rights and for the society we want. We must fight to repeal C-51.
Tags: crime prevention, featured, ideology, participation, rights, standard of living
Posted in Governance Debates | No Comments »
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