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Take it from a retired judge, Premier Ford — here’s what you don’t get about our judicial system
Wednesday, August 7th, 2024
Every case needs to be judged on its own facts and circumstances. Every accused person has a right (not a privilege) to be heard. I believe the key truth you are missing, Premier, is the cornerstone of our system — the presumption of innocence… They are innocent until the moment a judge or jury is satisfied that the state has proven their guilt. Would you change that?
Tags: corrections, crime prevention, ideology, jurisdiction, rights
Posted in Child & Family Delivery System | No Comments »
Many more dentists on board to provide care under dental-care program: Holland
Wednesday, August 7th, 2024
… the increase is probably thanks to a change last month that allowed providers to participate on a claim-by-claim basis rather than registering in advance… If the program is to succeed, the government doesn’t just need all current dental-care providers to be ready to sign up. More professionals will also be needed to serve the nine million or so patients Ottawa expects will be eligible for the program before the end of next year.
Tags: Health, poverty, Seniors, standard of living, youth
Posted in Health Delivery System | No Comments »
Canada has a hospital wait-time crisis. Other countries with universal health-care don’t. We should follow their lead
Tuesday, August 6th, 2024
In Canada, hospitals are primarily funded through what is called block funding… Under this system, any patient coming in is a cost to the hospital, which is then incentivized to ration care through long wait times… In European health-care systems, hospitals are primarily funded through an activity-based funding model… As every act of care is tied to a direct source of revenue, hospitals are encouraged to see and treat more patients
Tags: budget, Health, jurisdiction
Posted in Health Delivery System | No Comments »
Nearly half of dementia cases can be prevented or delayed, a major new study suggests. Here’s how
Friday, August 2nd, 2024
We need policymakers to take a “population health approach” to preventing dementia… That includes ensuring equitable access to community services, such as group exercise programs, and medical devices… hearing aids, for example… Livingston’s team outlined 13 population-level recommendations for policymakers, addressing each of dementia’s 14 modifiable risk factors.
Tags: disabilities, economy, Health, mental Health, Seniors, standard of living
Posted in Health Policy Context | No Comments »
As for-profit health care expands across Canada, doctors are fighting back
Friday, August 2nd, 2024
… the Canadian Medical Association is calling on governments across the country to ensure medically necessary care is based on need and not on the ability to pay. This includes enforcing a provision in the Canada Health Act that bans making patients pay fees as a condition of receiving publicly insured health services, a practice employed by some private medical clinics.
Tags: Health, ideology, participation, privatization
Posted in Health Delivery System | No Comments »
I’m an emergency physician. I’ve seen what a functioning health care system needs and it’s not more downloading to pharmacies
Friday, August 2nd, 2024
Rather than focus on episodic care in a way that further fragments the health-care system, a “bold and innovative” government would address the major source of health-care rot — the lack of primary-care providers. It would reorder incentives and invest in strategies to ensure that every Ontario resident has a primary care provider to manage their episodic and complex medical needs… not a pharmacist to manage their sore throats and warts.
Tags: Health, ideology, privatization, standard of living
Posted in Health Delivery System | No Comments »
It is time for Canadians to confront Poilievre’s assault on decency
Friday, August 2nd, 2024
… extremist narratives have “increasingly normalized” threats to politicians and “have the potential to negatively affect the fabric of Canadian society.” Exploiting people’s frustrations and fears will do nothing to make life more affordable, improve access to health care, address climate change or strengthen equality. Canada’s common decency — the enduring values of civility and caring, honesty and humility — are central to understanding our country.
Tags: ideology
Posted in Governance Debates | No Comments »
Ford’s zealous desire to privatize alcohol sales will be costly for Ontario taxpayers
Friday, July 12th, 2024
The Liquor Control Board of Ontario (LCBO)… annual profit — $2.5 billion in 2023 — goes into the public treasury, where it pays for things like health care and education… it’s doubtful that Ontarians would want to pay higher taxes so that more profits from alcohol sales could go to highly-profitable grocery store chains… Once all the LCBO’s lost revenue is factored in, the full cost to the public treasury of this privatization will likely be… close to a billion dollars.
Tags: budget, economy, ideology, privatization, tax
Posted in Delivery System | No Comments »
Four decades of tax cuts, deregulation and privatization equals a serious distribution of wealth problem
Saturday, July 6th, 2024
After slashing government funding to public services starving them into crisis just to pay for tax cuts to the wealthy and their corporations, they then present privatization as the solution to a problem they created. The only thing deregulation and privatization does is create more profit-making opportunities…
Small tax cuts to the general population have been used as a cover for massive tax cuts to the wealthy and their corporations. Reversing tax cuts is not raising taxes, it is restoring revenue to rebuild our once civil society.
Tags: budget, ideology, privatization, standard of living, tax
Posted in Governance Debates | No Comments »
The rich say boosting the capital gains tax will hurt productivity, but it’s just not true. Time to do a little myth-busting
Monday, June 17th, 2024
Most academic economists support a higher inclusion rate, partly because it levels the playing field between different types of capital income. But the best motivation is $20 billion in revenue it will raise over five years, to support modest new programs announced in this budget. This will help fund school lunches, affordable housing initiatives, dental care and disability benefits — while still respecting Freeland’s fiscal “guardrails.”
Tags: budget, economy, featured, ideology, standard of living, tax
Posted in Equality Policy Context | No Comments »
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