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A Liberal platform that might impress Canadians
Thursday, March 10th, 2011
March 10, 2011
… they have to convince voters they will do things differently… That means a written, detailed, comprehensive and clear-cut outline of the policies they would introduce to open up government and entrench rights and practices that are long overdue. For instance: • The elimination of all barriers that block Canadians from gaining access to government information… • No more secrecy around MPs’ own budgets and spending… • …committees with real power and the ability to force witnesses to appear and answer questions… • A strict new code of behaviour for Question Period…
Tags: ideology, participation, rights
Posted in Governance Debates | No Comments »
Canada among world’s happiest countries
Wednesday, March 9th, 2011
Mar. 8, 2011
Researchers at the Gallup World Poll went about it by surveying thousands of respondents in 155 countries, between 2005 and 2009, in order to measure two types of well-being… overall satisfaction with their lives… The Gallup study showed that while income undoubtedly influenced happiness, it did so for a particular kind of well-being — the kind one feels when reflecting on his or her own successes and prospects for the future. Day-to-day happiness is more likely to be associated with how well one’s psychological and social needs are being met, and that’s harder to achieve with a paycheque.
Tags: economy, ideology, participation, standard of living
Posted in Inclusion Policy Context | No Comments »
18 countries where women have it way better than in North America
Wednesday, March 9th, 2011
Mar. 8, 2011
In celebration of International Women’s Day, we’re listing 18 countries that have a smaller gender gap than America. This data, published by the World Economic Forum, compares female-to-male professional achievement, educational attainment, health and political empowerment. America sinks in the rankings due to a terrible score on politics. Countries like Iceland elect an nearly equal number of women to office as men, while that’s far from true in the U.S [and Canada].
Tags: economy, participation, rights, standard of living, women
Posted in Equality Policy Context | No Comments »
Feminism’s second-wave hangover
Tuesday, March 8th, 2011
March 7, 2011
On the 100th anniversary of International Women’s Day, I find myself profoundly ambivalent about feminism. On the one hand, I owe it a huge debt of gratitude. Without feminists winning the right to vote, study, and work, I likely wouldn’t be writing this column… But, given the choice, a majority of women would prefer not to work full time when they have children.
Tags: child care, economy, participation, standard of living, women
Posted in Equality Debates | No Comments »
Grey wave to hit provinces’ bottom line by mid decade
Tuesday, March 8th, 2011
Mar. 8, 2011
“On the path to restoring fiscal balance, provinces will have to deal with the implications of demographic trends for both revenue and program spending,” said Paul–André Pinsonnault, senior fixed-income economist at NBF. “The provinces are approaching a critical point and credible policies needs to be put in place to address this issue head on.”
Tags: budget, disabilities, Health, mental Health, pensions, standard of living
Posted in Governance Policy Context | No Comments »
Ignatieff looks to education in election strategy
Monday, March 7th, 2011
Mar. 6, 2011
Mr. Ignatieff has painted only the broad strokes of his learning plan: ensuring post-secondary education is affordable and investing in early learning and child care, Aboriginal education, literacy programs, language training for immigrants and skills training. But he promises the plan will help create jobs, and he argues that the Conservative government should be investing more in education to boost Canada’s economic recovery instead of giving billions of dollars worth of tax breaks to businesses.
Tags: budget, economy, ideology, participation, standard of living
Posted in Education Debates | 1 Comment »
The wrong time to cut corporate taxes
Friday, February 25th, 2011
Feb. 25, 2011
It is also clear that corporate tax cuts are not always the most effective way to create jobs. The government’s own numbers show that when it comes to creating jobs and economic growth over the last two years, a dollar spent on public infrastructure has been eight times more effective than a dollar spent on corporate tax cuts… With record deficits, an aging population, increased demands on health care and education, and a shrinking tax base, this is no time for the Conservatives to gut Canada’s fiscal capacity with reckless corporate tax cuts on borrowed money.
Tags: budget, economy, ideology, standard of living, tax
Posted in Governance Debates | 1 Comment »
Boost the wage, help the worker
Wednesday, February 23rd, 2011
February 22, 2011
U.S. economists David Card and Alan Kruger found no reliable empirical evidence that higher minimum wages produce unemployment. But they found several benefits of minimum wages, including a “trickle-up” effect (whereby many non-minimum-wage workers also got raises); reduced turnover; and higher productivity… If demand for goods and services is chronically weak, increasing purchasing power (by boosting wages) can kickstart demand and thereby increase job creation… Minimum wages… should be increased gradually but steadily in the years to come.
Tags: economy, ideology, standard of living
Posted in Debates | 1 Comment »
TSX sells, Canada sold down the river
Monday, February 21st, 2011
February 19, 2011
The proposed takeover of the TSX Group is unacceptable and would injure Canada’s competitive advantages. The TSX Group Inc. is not just a public company with an equity and derivatives business that trades and raises capital for public companies. It is the linch pin to the nation’s mining industry and, therefore, to the country’s future… its sale would forego the fact that the TSX, with the right managers and strategy, will likely dwarf the London and most other exchanges in a handful of years. Finally, there is absolutely no business case behind this punt.
Tags: economy, globalization, standard of living
Posted in Debates | No Comments »
Paroles decline as Conservatives fill board positions
Monday, February 21st, 2011
Feb. 20, 2011
The percentage of offenders in Canadians prisons who are granted parole has dropped steadily as the Harper government fills up posts on the National Parole Board with like-minded conservatives. Two dozen members of the National Parole Board appointed since 2006 have donated to the Conservatives or have close political links to the party… the Tories had promised to make boards and tribunals more independent but since they were elected, have stacked them with loyalists.
Tags: corrections, ideology
Posted in Governance Delivery System | No Comments »
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