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How the Indian Act’s ‘blackout period’ denied Indigenous Peoples their legal rights
Wednesday, October 12th, 2022
In 1927, the federal government introduced Section 141 into the Indian Act. It banned the solicitation or collection of funds to pursue a legal claim on behalf of an Indigenous person or group without the permission of the Department of Indian Affairs… Section 141 was introduced specifically to limit the ability of Indigenous peoples to act within the legal system… it applied to “every person” Indian and non-Indian alike.
Tags: ideology, Indigenous, jurisdiction, participation, rights
Posted in Equality History | No Comments »
Viral infections including COVID are among the important causes of dementia – one more reason to consider vaccination
Monday, October 3rd, 2022
More than 150,000 people with COVID and 11 million controls have been involved in a study of long-term consequences of acute COVID infection. A year after infection, there was an overall 40% higher risk (an additional 71 cases per 1000 people) of neurologic disorders, including memory problems (80% higher risk) and Alzheimer’s disease (two-fold higher risk). These risks were elevated even among those not hospitalised for acute COVID.
Tags: disabilities, Health, mental Health
Posted in Health Debates | No Comments »
Better income assistance programs are needed to help people with rising cost of living
Friday, September 30th, 2022
If the goal of temporary assistance is to help those in need, it must have broader coverage and better tapering. The only program that qualifies at present is the GST credit, but even these payments are modest and only delivered quarterly… A more generous income assistance program should also have more frequent regular payments… a guaranteed basic income for working-age Canadians, might provide better support for those in need.
Tags: ideology, jurisdiction, poverty, standard of living
Posted in Social Security Debates | No Comments »
With family doctors heading for the exits, addressing the crisis in primary care is key to easing pressure on emergency rooms
Friday, September 9th, 2022
Ontario has done better than most areas of Canada with the introduction of family health teams in 2005, with team-based primary care reporting better outcomes for both patients and providers. But no new family health teams have been funded since 2012, which is a problem… Political will is required to invest in the entire health-care system and not ignore the fact that primary care represents a very large part of this system.
Tags: featured, Health, jurisdiction
Posted in Health Delivery System | No Comments »
Indigenous people pay taxes: Demythologizing the Indian Act tax exemption
Wednesday, August 24th, 2022
… just eight per cent of Canada’s Indigenous population — who could potentially qualify for the Section 87 exemption. However, this number is likely lower because status Indians only qualify for the exemption if their income is connected to a reserve… Even though nearly all Indigenous people in Canada pay tax on their income, Canadian governments have not spent nearly as much on services for them.
Tags: ideology, Indigenous, jurisdiction, participation, tax
Posted in Equality Debates | No Comments »
Why doesn’t Canada let schools provide child care?
Wednesday, August 17th, 2022
Canada’s policy-makers could take lessons from other countries who have streamlined early learning and child care within their schools. Instead, they are putting up roadblocks, preventing provinces and territories from using federal child-care dollars to transform schools into one-stop centres for young children… Schools are publicly owned, eliminating the need for costly land and facility acquisition. Operating and oversight mechanisms are already in place.
Posted in Education Delivery System | No Comments »
Why doesn’t Canada let schools provide child care?
Tuesday, August 16th, 2022
Canada’s policy-makers could take lessons from other countries who have streamlined early learning and child care within their schools. Instead, they are putting up roadblocks, preventing provinces and territories from using federal child-care dollars to transform schools into one-stop centres for young children.
Tags: child care, ideology, jurisdiction, participation, privatization, standard of living
Posted in Child & Family Delivery System | No Comments »
Rebuilding from Canada’s Senior Care Disaster
Monday, August 1st, 2022
Elder-care policy must include a focus on wellness, education, adopting healthy lifestyles, literacy with new technologies that can support health and fostering a sense of community. To achieve this, it will be necessary to… engage organizations that have the ability to impact the social determinants of health, such as not-for-profit groups, seniors’ advocacy groups, community service organizations and other human services ministries within government.
Tags: disabilities, Health, housing, mental Health, participation, Seniors, standard of living
Posted in Inclusion Delivery System | No Comments »
Why a universal job guarantee beats the basic income pipe dream
Monday, August 1st, 2022
Job guarantee programs are crucial for a number of reasons. They keep people in the labour force, alleviate poverty, improve health and well-being, add meaning to people’s lives and help the most vulnerable… Like the Canada Emergency Response Benefit, universal basic income might take away the incentive to work for some, resulting in a labour market bereft of workers… a universal job guarantee would be more appealing to voters because it addresses labour shortages while guaranteeing minimum wage.
Tags: economy, featured, ideology, participation, standard of living
Posted in Debates | No Comments »
Canadians support accepting more newcomers but we need a more equitable, rights-based approach
Monday, July 4th, 2022
To ensure a more equitable, rights-based approach, the Canadian government should draw on lessons learned from decades of refugee policy, practice and programs… Canada has a history of being a welcoming country to newcomers… Despite this, we need a more equitable, rights-based approach so we can continue to lead with the head and the heart.
Tags: globalization, ideology, immigration, multiculturalism, participation, rights
Posted in Inclusion Delivery System | No Comments »