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Ottawa convoy protest points to a failure of civic education in Canada
Wednesday, February 23rd, 2022
… Canadians will get an education in civics one way or another… Will it come from a robust and informed curriculum that teaches citizens about basic institutions like parliamentary democracy, charter rights and the differences between federal and provincial jurisdiction? Or will we simply leave it to YouTube, Facebook and other social media platforms to fill in the void?
Tags: ideology, jurisdiction, participation, rights
Posted in Education Debates | No Comments »
Solutions exist for Canada’s alt-right radicalization
Sunday, February 20th, 2022
Canadians promote respect for the rule of law, but the protests have documented the truth: the law treats Canadians differently based on their skin colour. RCMP are quickly militarized to push Indigenous people off their land when they blockaded pipelines, but police have not removed white protesters with the same vigour. The hypocrisy of the last three weeks erodes trust in all our institutions.
Tags: ideology, jurisdiction, participation, rights
Posted in Governance Debates | No Comments »
Statephobia on display at the ‘freedom convoy
Sunday, February 20th, 2022
Rather than resisting orders simply because they come from the government, Canadians should reflect on the multiple forms of power that influence them and to what extent. The scepticism that is applied to mandates simply because they come from the government might be wrongfully placed.
Posted in Governance Debates | No Comments »
Ontario’s ‘affordable housing’ task force report does not address the real problems
Friday, February 11th, 2022
… the report reads like a blueprint for how to build more market-rate housing. Unfortunately, there is little empirical evidence to indicate that on its own, market-driven upzoning, laneway housing or mixed-use zoning produces the kind of housing that is accessible to households on low and moderate incomes… We talk a lot about housing today… because it has now become a middle-class problem.
Tags: economy, featured, homelessness, housing, ideology, participation, poverty, standard of living
Posted in Inclusion Debates | 1 Comment »
Ontario’s ‘affordable housing’ task force report does not address the real problems
Friday, February 11th, 2022
The tasks force’s recommendations are squarely aimed at this middle-class interpretation of the housing crisis… these measures will do very little for those on low and moderate incomes… Instead, a range of policies are needed to curb speculation, increase the supply of non-market, genuinely affordable housing and ensure tenants have adequate protections through strong rent-control policies.
Tags: economy, featured, homelessness, housing, ideology, jurisdiction, poverty, standard of living
Posted in Debates | No Comments »
Lower drug prices are a priority for Canadians, but not for the federal government
Tuesday, January 25th, 2022
While the federal government has been bowing to the pharmaceutical industry, the amount that Canadians spend on medicines has continued to rise. In 2020, Canadians spent an estimated $32.7 billion, 4.3 per cent more than the previous year. Meanwhile, more than two-in-five Canadians are concerned about their ability to afford prescription drugs in 10 years.
Tags: Health, pharmaceutical, privatization, standard of living
Posted in Health Policy Context | No Comments »
Warehousing disabled people in long-termcare homes needs to stop. Instead, nationalize home care.
Thursday, January 13th, 2022
It is clear that regardless of ownership — by private corporations or public agencies — the warehousing, caging and incarcerating of older and younger disabled people is an act of violence… We must support disabled people’s call to abolish LTC and develop a national home care, palliative care and pharmacare system that robustly funds and prioritizes disabled older and younger people’s desire to live in community.
Tags: featured
Posted in Inclusion Policy Context | No Comments »
… here’s what you need to know about the $40B child welfare agreements
Thursday, January 6th, 2022
After the graves of children who died in Indian Residential Schools were found, countless Canadians stood in solidarity with Indigenous communities and demanded the government not repeat mistakes of the past… public support will be needed more than ever to ensure that the spirit of the agreement is respected and translated into meaningful change for First Nations children.
Tags: budget, child care, featured, Health, housing, Indigenous, jurisdiction, participation, rights, standard of living, youth
Posted in Equality Policy Context | No Comments »
How the COVID-19 pandemic has affected abortion care in Canada
Thursday, January 6th, 2022
Pandemic-related travel restrictions and facility closures initially jeopardized access to abortion care. However, the pandemic has also become a catalyst for more accessible ways to deliver abortion care, such as providing medical abortions, which are drug-induced rather than surgical, via telemedicine… Research shows that telemedicine abortion care is safe, and enabled people to seek care despite pandemic-related restrictions and personal concerns.
Tags: Health, ideology, participation, rights, women
Posted in Health Delivery System | No Comments »
The cost of inaction for youth ‘aging out’ of Ontario foster care is estimated at $2 billion
Tuesday, January 4th, 2022
One key recommendation is to rethink the norm of independence at 18. From interviews with youth, all describe profound isolation, loneliness and few caring relationships underpinning the challenges they face. We must shift to a model of interdependence — fostering non-professional caring relationships for youth under state guardianship that extend long after 18.
Tags: budget, crime prevention, homelessness, ideology, Indigenous, mental Health, participation, poverty, standard of living, youth
Posted in Child & Family Policy Context | No Comments »