Debt by design: OSAP and the political economy of student aid in Canada
Tuesday, May 26th, 2026
… students in Ontario are being asked to shoulder a growing share of the cost of post-secondary education. While these changes may appear exceptional, they are not. Instead, they reflect a broader transformation in how post-secondary education is funded across Canada, where the costs have steadily shifted from the public to the individual… restoring OSAP alone will not make post-secondary education truly affordable. That requires a broader commitment to public investment, and in turn, that means raising the province’s revenue.
Tags: budget, Education, ideology, jurisdiction, participation, tax, youth
Posted in Education Policy Context | 109 Comments »
Canada’s quiet economic driver: Universities and colleges
Friday, May 1st, 2026
Universities and colleges lead the way on driving economic growth: Universities and colleges’ economic output was worth $61 billion in 2025, which was 2.1 per cent of Canada’s total GDP—just $5 billion behind residential building construction, much more than all oil sands extraction ($49 billion), and almost twice as much as mining or transportation manufacturing (at $33 billion each)… Despite only making up about two per cent of Canada’s economy, the post-secondary education sector represents over 34 per cent of all research and development, which was much higher than Canada’s peer countries.
Tags: economy, Education, standard of living
Posted in Debates | 14 Comments »
Do trade deals put public health care up for sale?
Wednesday, April 1st, 2026
… the introduction of a parallel, private-pay system in Alberta based on private health insurance and out-of-pocket payment represents a fundamental change to Canada’s public health care system. Alberta would have a difficult time restricting the newly created market to Canadian firms, even if the government wanted to, and once foreign investors become entrenched, they will benefit from the full force of Canada’s international trade obligations.
Tags: Health, ideology, jurisdiction, privatization
Posted in Health Policy Context | 9 Comments »
The 2026 Ontario budget neglects core provincial responsibilities
Monday, March 30th, 2026
The 2026 budget—much like previous budgets—fails to address the underfunding of health care, K-12 education, post-secondary education, community and social services, and rental and social housing—the core responsibilities of provincial governments. Despite reports showing that Ontario lags behind most provinces in most of these areas, this year’s budget makes no attempt to close those gaps.
Tags: budget, Education, featured, Health, housing, ideology, jurisdiction, tax
Posted in Governance Debates | 7 Comments »
Provinces need to own their responsibility for expanding low-fee child care
Wednesday, February 4th, 2026
The most recent data shows eight of ten provinces will miss the federal goal of having 5.9 child care spaces per 10 children. Only two provinces have that level of access: Quebec and P.E.I… The rest of the provinces weren’t even paying half the cost of their child care programs—they coasted on federal investments… In fact, many of the provinces who have been loudly complaining that the CWELCC program is “too expensive” are also the ones who are paying the least for it.
Tags: budget, child care, featured, jurisdiction, participation
Posted in Child & Family Delivery System | No Comments »
100 highest-paid CEOs now make 248 times more than average workers in record-breaking year
Sunday, January 4th, 2026
“CEO pay is mostly bonuses now, bonuses tied in some form to those corporate profits. When inflation drives profits, it also drives CEO pay through the stratosphere… CEO pay continues to soar without restraints… And tax rates on Canada’s richest are well below where they used to be. Meanwhile food bank demand has hit all-time highs. We need to take action on income and wealth inequality in Canada, and taxation can be the control we need.”
Tags: economy, standard of living, tax
Posted in Equality Debates | 3 Comments »
Elbows up: A practical program for Canadian sovereignty
Sunday, December 7th, 2025
A strong industrial strategy is needed so this frontal attack does not consign Canada to its previous role as supplier of primary staples products… Canada’s trade-oriented, goods-producing industries receive most attention, yet almost 80 per cent of our GDP is produced in non-traded sectors. This includes the care economy, like health care and education, which need more investment, too—not austerity.
Tags: economy, globalization, ideology, standard of living
Posted in Debates | No Comments »
Don’t be fooled by big numbers—Ontario budget fails to address years-long funding shortfalls
Thursday, July 10th, 2025
Underfunding trends persist in total program spending, education, post-secondary education, and health. Public services provide the support Ontarians need and good jobs that support the economy—investing in them is the best way to shield the province. But that’s not happening. On the job protection front, we expect more—much more—given the alarming job losses we’re already witnessing. The 2025 budget fails to grasp the importance of protecting workers, not only for their families’ sake, but also as a mitigating strategy that prevents a deep recession.
Tags: budget, economy, Education, Health, ideology, jurisdiction, standard of living
Posted in Governance Policy Context | No Comments »
Platform Crunch: Tax cuts are alive and well in this federal election, but who benefits? (Hint: Look up, way up)
Friday, April 18th, 2025
The richest 40 per cent of Canadians would enjoy three-quarters of those promised savings (for either party), while the lowest-income earners in Canada would, on average, enjoy zero benefit. Not great preparation for a tariff war that would hit low-income families the hardest… The expenditures are so large and these parties are so concerned with having no deficits that they’ll require massive cuts elsewhere to balance the budget. We are yet to see a detailed list of those cuts…
Tags: economy, tax
Posted in Governance Debates | 96 Comments »
In the Ontario election, we’re not talking about money—which the province urgently needs
Wednesday, February 26th, 2025
Ontario is a rich province. We have the resources, but the provincial government needs to act with resolve in collecting revenue and investing it… Ontario also raises less revenue than almost all provinces on a per capita basis. Every year, it raises $2,400 less in revenue per person than British Columbia and $4,100 less than Quebec… Ontario’s low revenues mean less funding for public services
Tags: budget, economy, featured, Health, housing, standard of living, tax
Posted in Governance Debates | No Comments »
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