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Ontario’s have-not economics
Friday, July 22nd, 2011
Jul. 22, 2011
The day before Mr. Duncan tore into the “absolutely crazy” equalization formula that allows Ontario to qualify for transfer payments from other provinces, Premier McGuinty was in Vancouver ahead of the 2011 Council of Federation meetings with his provincial and federal counterparts. Speaking with reporters, he made clear that he would resist any attempt to dilute the payouts yielded to have-not provinces under the equalization system. Ontario would “assert itself,” he said, to oppose any change that would result in the province receiving any less than it already is.
Tags: budget, economy, ideology, standard of living
Posted in Governance Debates | No Comments »
Draft report calls for reduction of suicide stigma
Wednesday, July 20th, 2011
Jul 19, 2011
The goal, according to the Mental Health Commission of Canada, should be a “cultural shift toward recovery,” which favours real improvement over ideal cure, and is informed by “multiple sources of knowledge,” including the traditions of restorative justice and the hard-won wisdom of people in recovery… The strategy acknowledges the federal government’s arm’s-length role in health-care delivery, but argues that mental health is not purely a health issue, as it also involves criminal justice, housing, finance and child services.
Tags: ideology, mental Health, rights, standard of living
Posted in Health Policy Context | No Comments »
Doctors see fewer patients in move to end fees
Wednesday, July 20th, 2011
Jul 20, 2011
Many of the government officials interviewed for a 2009 study by a team at Dalhousie University worried about salaried doctors who spend longer with patients — but see fewer of them… Many experts, however, argue alternative payment and related reforms have been a clear success. In Ontario, two million people are now served by family-health teams, where doctors work with other professionals and receive a combination of “capitation” — set yearly payments per patient — fees and incentive payments to do preventive and other enhanced care.
Tags: budget, Health, mental Health, standard of living
Posted in Health Delivery System | No Comments »
Growing equalization payments to Ontario threaten country
Wednesday, July 20th, 2011
Jul 20, 2011
The resource boom… has had a double effect on Ontario, having sent the Canadian dollar soaring by roughly 40% since 2004. The higher dollar has in turn clobbered Ontario’s struggling manufacturing sector, which has hemorrhaged 290,000 full-time jobs over the past decade… Meanwhile, Ontario continues to struggle even after its equalization top up, with lower levels of public services than many other provinces… fewer public servants, nurses, doctors, teachers, day-care spots and long-term care beds than in most other provinces. That runs counter to the objectives of equalization…
Tags: budget, economy, standard of living
Posted in Governance Policy Context | No Comments »
Pension overkill
Friday, July 15th, 2011
Jul. 13, 2011
… the IRPP study suggests expanding mandatory savings by expanding the Canada Pension Plan (CPP). Similar to all the other proposals, this latest one is overkill for a policy issue that has seriously been overblown, and comes with a number of adverse consequences… those with low earning levels achieve higher rates of earnings replacement through government benefits. Hence the problem is not about senior citizens living in poverty. In fact, OECD rankings show that Canada has the second lowest poverty rate for senior citizens after the Netherlands.
Tags: ideology, pensions, standard of living
Posted in Debates | 1 Comment »
Deal tries to hush up disgrace of Caledonia
Tuesday, July 12th, 2011
Jul 11, 2011
There was a double standard — two-tiered or race-based policing, with natives allowed to break the law with impunity — at work in that town, in 2006 and until the present day. Anyone who imagines Caledonia is peaceful now is correct. It is. And that’s because non-native residents know not to even attempt to set foot on the old DCE, and so do the OPP. It is de facto Six Nations territory, won through weakness on the government side and intimidation on the other… this story remains Ontario’s greatest modern disgrace.
Tags: crime prevention, Indigenous, rights
Posted in Equality Delivery System | No Comments »
CPP benefits should be doubled: Study
Wednesday, July 6th, 2011
Jul. 6, 2011
If a new and mandatory national defined benefit [DB] pension plan proposed by retired Finance Department mandarin Keith Horner gets traction, CPP and QPP benefits would jump from 25% to 40% of earnings up to $48,300 and from zero to 25% on a bigger salary base of $96,600… The need is certainly there: Canadians haven’t saved enough to make up the difference… Unlike the current CPP, Mr. Horner’s plan would be fully funded, have tax-deductible contributions and reduce RRSP room for participants, as do registered pension plans…
Tags: pensions, poverty, standard of living
Posted in Social Security Debates | No Comments »
Canada ready to spar with UN over ‘visible minorities’
Wednesday, July 6th, 2011
Jul 5, 2011
Canada faces a new grilling before a United Nations anti-racism watchdog — but will defy the Geneva-based body over the question the government’s use of the term “visible minorities.” A delegation to be led by Citizenship and Immigration Canada will tell the Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination that Canada considers the term to be appropriate. The committee signalled when it grilled Canada four years ago that the government was being racist by using the term.
Tags: disabilities, Indigenous, multiculturalism, rights, women
Posted in Equality Debates | 2 Comments »
We’re failing our most vulnerable
Sunday, July 3rd, 2011
Jul 2, 2011
No one minimizes the difficulties faced by social workers. No one doubts theirs is an awful job, that they are overburdened. No one doubts their good intentions… But they and the agencies they work for are bad at the job… The deaths of all those kids I mentioned off the top span almost two decades. The people and agencies who failed the youngsters have learned bugger all. Why are they still charged with protecting children when the guy in the trailer or apartment next door is better at it?
Tags: child care, crime prevention, youth
Posted in Child & Family Delivery System | No Comments »
Intangible taxes
Wednesday, June 29th, 2011
Jun 28, 2011
Why does intangible capital spending, such as research and development, exploration and development, advertising and labour training, get better treatment under the tax system than other capital investments?… The R&D lobby is able to garner public support by pointing out Canada’s low R&D intensity — the heavy tax and grant support reflects this successful plea. Mining is typically favoured since it generates jobs in rural areas… it is time for us to have a close look at the current fiscal support given for intangible spending to make it more effective.
Tags: economy, globalization, standard of living, tax
Posted in Debates | 1 Comment »
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