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Doug Ford doesn’t believe in government — and that explains a lot
Thursday, January 14th, 2021
… the premier has been trying to bargain with the COVID-19 virus from day one. Do we really need more staff in long-term care? Do we really need to legislate paid sick days so contagious workers can stay home? Do we really need smaller class sizes so students and educators are safer? The answer to these questions is yes, but Ford hasn’t used the full legislative and financial powers of government to fight the virus. At every turn, he’s held back, seemingly always hoping for a better, cheaper deal… In other areas, the government has acted without hesitation…
Tags: budget, Health, ideology, standard of living
Posted in Governance Debates | No Comments »
CERB controversy should spur basic income development
Tuesday, January 12th, 2021
Political leaders have the opportunity of a lifetime in 2021, and Canada has the brains, capacity, and experience it takes, to create a legacy of income security for all that is comparable to universal health care. Basic income will get us a faster, more inclusive recovery and lasting progress toward a healthier, happier society for everyone.
Tags: budget, featured, Health, housing, ideology, participation, poverty, standard of living
Posted in Social Security Debates | No Comments »
Let’s make 2021 the year we eliminate online hate in Canada
Tuesday, January 12th, 2021
the Canadian Coalition to End Online Hate, a broad-based alliance of close to 40 (and growing) organizations representing a diverse array of communities, are calling for the following concrete actions… Increasing resources for law enforcement, Crown attorneys, and judges to ensure they receive sufficient training on how to apply existing laws to deal with online hate… Creating a civil remedy to address online hate and… Establishing strong and clear regulations for online platforms and Internet service providers
Tags: crime prevention, ideology, immigration, multiculturalism
Posted in Inclusion Policy Context | No Comments »
It’s time to rethink long-term care for seniors
Monday, January 11th, 2021
To change the status quo requires a reimagined vision transforming “long-term care” into “networks of caring” that support seniors in living meaningful lives… the following ingredients are essential… Maximize each person’s capacities and compensate for deficits, fostering a sense of success and self-respect… emphasize flexible resources tailored for the person… help individuals and small groups develop supports for their LTC needs where they already live… if congregate LTC-type housing is needed, small and dispersed is good.
Tags: disabilities, Health, housing, ideology, mental Health, participation, standard of living
Posted in Child & Family Policy Context | No Comments »
A blueprint for action on long-term care
Monday, January 11th, 2021
… commit to vaccinating all long-term-care residents, staff and caregivers by Feb. 15… Ontario and Ottawa each to provide $100 million in emergency funds to hire additional long-term care staff and increase their wages… mandatory weekly inspections of long-term-care facilities and a rapid response task force of specialized health-care workers to respond to emergencies in homes… [and] dedicated provincial and federal ombuds to review all complaints from residents, their families and staff and to oversee strict new long-term-care standards that will ensure humane care for residents.
Tags: budget, Health, housing, ideology, standard of living
Posted in Child & Family Policy Context | No Comments »
2020 brought ugly truths about inequity to the forefront — like how Ontario’s Medical Association still upholds structural racism
Saturday, January 9th, 2021
… patients who must engage in such unequal bargaining with their physicians… are disproportionately BIPOC [Black, Indigenous and other People of Colour] including immigrants and refugees, who are massively overrepresented in the lower income classes. The OMA’s billing guide is a classic example of structural racism precisely because its effects are felt most by BIPOC communities.
Tags: Health, ideology, immigration, Indigenous, multiculturalism
Posted in Equality Delivery System | No Comments »
Shining a light on the future of seniors’ care
Thursday, January 7th, 2021
… we propose a proactive, co-ordinated, and holistic model that considers the health-care needs of Canada’s rapidly aging population in tandem with seniors’ housing, lifestyle, and social needs… The predominant policy of meeting the needs of seniors continues to be to “warehouse” them in long-term care (LTC) homes… Not only are LTC-homes expensive for the health-care system, many seniors do not want to live there; they want to “age in place” by continuing to exercise their independence by living in the community they love.
Tags: disabilities, featured, Health, housing, ideology, mental Health, participation, standard of living
Posted in Child & Family Delivery System | No Comments »
Focus on real problem with federal sick-leave benefit: not enough workers are using it
Tuesday, January 5th, 2021
In Canada, less than half of all workers have access to paid sick leave through their employers. The vast majority of them tend to be low-paid front-line workers who can’t do their jobs from home and can’t afford to miss even a single paycheque. The last thing any of us should want is for them to go to work sick, putting their coworkers and the broader community at risk.
Tags: economy, Health, participation, standard of living
Posted in Policy Context | No Comments »
Indigenous rights bill weak, but necessary
Monday, January 4th, 2021
Bill C-15 does not have any tools to help operationalize consent or create new ways for Indigenous title to be implemented. Its slow, incrementalist approach is frustrating. Nevertheless, it has merit. Despite shortcomings, the bill will provide new avenues and contestation sites for Indigenous rights movements to advance. Most importantly, it binds any future government, no matter its political stripe, to the high standard of consent and the inevitability of Indigenous self-determination.
Tags: Indigenous, participation, rights
Posted in Equality Policy Context | No Comments »
Reducing income inequality a top priority for 2021
Monday, January 4th, 2021
When leaders are earning hundreds of times more than their workers, especially during a global crisis, and confidently lining their pockets with government subsidies as they do it, something is profoundly wrong. We should be pushing for bold policy that promotes equity and well-being for any company’s lowest-paid workers, and most importantly, that can’t be exploited by CEOs.
Tags: economy, Health, housing, ideology, standard of living
Posted in Equality Debates | No Comments »
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