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The Liberals seem to think they have abolished scarcity. Let’s hope they’re right
Saturday, September 5th, 2020
There was widespread public consent earlier this year to the proposal that the economy should be put into a coma, to prevent the spread of a deadly disease… Spending hundreds of billions of dollars in borrowed money to keep the lights on in the midst of a once-a-century pandemic made sense. Borrowing billions more to fulfill every Liberal dream, political or ideological, does not.
Tags: budget, economy, ideology, tax
Posted in Debates | No Comments »
National class action to be certified on funding levels for First Nations child welfare services
Thursday, September 3rd, 2020
… the national advocacy organization said that Canada’s funding was discriminatory because the federal system created a perverse incentive to remove First Nations children from their families and communities and place them in out-of-home care… The AFN class action is seeking compensation for all those harmed by the system…
Tags: Indigenous, mental Health, participation, standard of living, youth
Posted in Equality Delivery System | No Comments »
Tinkering with EI leaves the core problems unresolved
Wednesday, September 2nd, 2020
Like the Guaranteed Income Supplement for Canadian residents over the age of 65, which tops up anyone with a monthly income of less than $1,500, we have the capacity to protect those between ages 18 and 64 from living in or falling into poverty, working poor or otherwise. Tinkering at the edges or succumbing to the chimera of evasive incrementalism will solve none of the fundamental problems that were starkly revealed by the pandemic.
Tags: budget, Health, ideology, participation, poverty, standard of living
Posted in Social Security Delivery System | No Comments »
Canada needs to walk the talk on migrant rights
Thursday, August 27th, 2020
Migration, and specifically the impact of COVID-19 on migrant workers, is a global story as much as it is a national one… What we do at home affects how we are seen elsewhere… By truly improving migration standards at home and acting on the international commitments it has made to protect the most vulnerable, Canada will build healthier communities and stronger economies – at home and abroad.
Tags: economy, globalization, ideology, immigration, participation, rights
Posted in Inclusion Debates | No Comments »
Canadians risk becoming addicted to pandemic aid
Thursday, August 20th, 2020
We have remortgaged the house to get through the pandemic, as we should, but now we must pay for it, otherwise we are creating intergenerational inequity by effectively taxing future generations for today’s crisis. The way to address this particular moral hazard is a clear and credible economic and fiscal plan.
Tags: budget, economy, ideology, standard of living, youth
Posted in Policy Context | No Comments »
Liberals ease EI eligibility as part of $37-billion in new emergency income supports
Thursday, August 20th, 2020
The new Canada Recovery Benefit is for workers who are self-employed or are not eligible for EI and cannot resume work. The Canada Recovery Sickness Benefit is for workers who are ill or who must self-isolate for reasons related to COVID-19. The Canada Recovery Caregiving Benefit is for workers who are unable to work because they are caring for a child, dependent or family member because schools or daycares are closed due to COVID-19.
Tags: budget, economy, featured, ideology, jurisdiction
Posted in Social Security Policy Context | No Comments »
A long-term care home is no place for younger people with disabilities
Thursday, August 20th, 2020
“We don’t know how many young people are living in LTC homes. What we do know is there are far too many”… Self-directed or self-managed care programs exist all over Europe and in several Canadian provinces… The common assumption… is that institutional care is cost-effective and self-directed care is too expensive. But that’s not true.
Tags: budget, disabilities, Health, mental Health, participation, standard of living
Posted in Inclusion Delivery System | No Comments »
For Canada to truly recover economically, we need new thinking around access to justice
Wednesday, August 19th, 2020
… while legal aid organizations across the country play a crucial role in access to justice, there is so much more that can be done. The expansion of specialized courts such as drug courts, mental health courts, Indigenous courts and so on provide off-ramps for those for whom traditional justice measures are costly and wouldn’t be effective.
Tags: ideology, rights, standard of living
Posted in Governance Debates | No Comments »
Why our concept of retirement is outdated – and how artificial intelligence can help
Wednesday, August 19th, 2020
By 2030, the most dominant form of work is forecasted to be independent contracting – self-employed individuals who are contracted for specific projects or services – for both blue-collar and white-collar jobs… Rethinking retirement is… about empowering people with the choice to live life in a way that works for them.
Tags: economy, Health, ideology, mental Health, participation, pensions
Posted in Debates | No Comments »
How Canadians learned the art of sharing
Monday, August 17th, 2020
The often-fractious Canadian federation is certainly not without defects – and the now-convoluted equalization program is flawed. But since Ottawa sent out the first equalization cheques in April, 1957, that willingness to share has encouraged social unity and mutual trust. We save ourselves when we save each other.
Tags: budget, economy, ideology, standard of living, tax
Posted in Governance History | No Comments »
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