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Canadians voted for big change, whether they knew it or not
Thursday, September 23rd, 2021
“With a majority it would be easier to take it – but at this juncture we needed to ask Canadians, do you want us to proceed or not?”… It may be that talking clearly about “these things” in the fourth wave of a global pandemic is just beyond us all. But that’s not to say we didn’t make a collective call. Until Sept. 20, the Liberal minority government didn’t really have the mandate to take the country on what might have been a hard-left turn just over a year ago. Now, with the shape of parliament barely changed at all, that mandate emerges.
Tags: child care, economy, featured, Health, housing, ideology, jurisdiction, participation, pharmaceutical
Posted in Governance Debates | No Comments »
‘Don’t mess with moms. Get it done’: 50 prominent Canadian women urge party leaders to prioritize child care
Wednesday, September 15th, 2021
… investing in early childhood education shows that serious investment in high-quality child care will boost economic growth while reducing poverty and drastically improving education levels among young kids. The signatories of the letter say affordability is key… A report from the CCPA recently found that a Toronto family paying full fees for a child in licensed daycare could save $10,000 more per year under the Liberal child-care plan than with the Conservatives’ tax credit… We’re waiting to see how these parties will act in office…
Tags: budget, child care, economy, featured, ideology, jurisdiction, participation, standard of living, women
Posted in Child & Family Debates | No Comments »
The key to Canada’s economic recovery is obvious. Why isn’t anyone talking about it?
Monday, September 13th, 2021
The federal budget estimates that a national child care program would add about 240,000 workers to the labour force. And since those workers are already here in Canada with Canadian credentials, integration into the labour force is seamless. An in-depth study of the economic impact of investing in early childhood education… shows that serious investment in high-quality child care boosts economic growth, reduces poverty, enhances equality, and sets the younger generation on a path to take on the world.
Tags: child care, economy, featured, ideology, jurisdiction, participation, standard of living, women
Posted in Debates | No Comments »
Affordable child care will help women re-enter workforce, stimulating the economy
Monday, September 13th, 2021
By subsidizing child care to women who intend to return to work, the government provides adequate social support to those who need the help the most. Such a policy will eventually help the economy to grow naturally, and will embolden consumers’ confidence to increase spending. As women return to the workforce, their increased income yields greater spending power, boosting demand for normal goods and further stimulating the economy.
Tags: budget, child care, economy, ideology, participation, poverty, standard of living, women
Posted in Child & Family Policy Context | No Comments »
Laurentian University’s collapse shows federal government must protect public institutions from private-sector restructuring
Monday, September 13th, 2021
… the interests of big banks, whose profits have soared during the pandemic, have been put squarely ahead of the university’s students, faculty and staff. Royal Bank, TD Canada Trust and the Bank of Montreal are extracting upwards of $100 million in debt repayments from Laurentian, leaving only scraps for the workers terminated without severance. The CCAA forces the most vulnerable to wait at the back of the line. This is a warning to anyone who values Canada’s public institutions.
Tags: budget, ideology, privatization
Posted in Education Debates | No Comments »
Once COVID is finally tamed, Canada will have to tackle the ‘other pandemic’
Monday, September 13th, 2021
Neither major party is prepared to go where an increasing number of medical and legal experts — from public health officers to those chiefs of police — say they should: taking possession of drugs for personal use out of the Criminal Code entirely. And neither party is particularly eager to talk about the opioid crisis during the election campaign… It should be getting more attention from both politicians and voters.
Tags: crime prevention, economy, Health, ideology, jurisdiction, mental Health, pharmaceutical
Posted in Health Debates | No Comments »
Stronger EI and paid sick days are vital for workers. Labour Day is a moment for voters to judge parties on that
Monday, September 6th, 2021
… Canada needs a modern Employment Insurance system that covers all workers, including gig workers, self-employed people and the many misclassified workers who have been abandoned on the sidelines of so-called economic progress… If the pandemic has shown anything, it’s that systemic change is needed in how we view and regulate employment, and that how we treat workers (especially those in low-wage jobs) affects us all.
Tags: economy, Health, ideology, poverty, standard of living
Posted in Debates | No Comments »
Would a wealth tax be effective?
Monday, September 6th, 2021
There is no more efficient way to reduce inequality and boost the economy than through funding public programs that people need. All within reach are things like affordable child care, ensuring high-quality and compassionate care for our seniors, funding a just transition to the zero carbon economy, or building enough affordable housing units to meet the need… A wealth tax will help us get there by making the tax system more progressive — and that will make it more fair. – vs – Canada already has a highly progressive income tax system where upper income earners pay a disproportionately large share of taxes.
Tags: budget, economy, featured, ideology, participation, poverty, standard of living, tax
Posted in Governance Debates | No Comments »
When it comes to election promises on housing, it’s the details that matter
Monday, August 30th, 2021
The pledges with a far greater chance of creating positive change are the ones that push municipalities to make better and faster planning decisions to increase housing supply, and target federal funding to create housing that’s affordable for lower earners — a niche the market will never fill… Ottawa usually works through the provinces, but it’s welcome to see federal leaders contemplating a more direct relationship with cities.
Tags: budget, housing, ideology, jurisdiction, standard of living
Posted in Debates | No Comments »
Mental health must be part of curriculum as students cope with COVID-19, say experts
Saturday, August 21st, 2021
Mental health literacy must be at the top of the agenda as students return to school, say experts, calling for emotional skills to be taught as a core part of curricula… Emerging research suggests rates of anxiety and depression among Canadian youth climbed during the pandemic, prompting some advocates to warn of a mounting mental health crisis… mental health literacy is inconsistent across the country, and programs that are didactic or siloed off from normal coursework can do more harm than good. The Mental Health Literacy Project is striving to fill in these gaps with an evidence-backed curriculum
Tags: disabilities, ideology, jurisdiction, mental Health, youth
Posted in Education Debates | No Comments »
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