« Older Entries | Newer Entries »
A savvy but short-sighted political budget
Wednesday, March 23rd, 2011
Mar 22 2011
… it is a stark reminder of how much Canada has changed under Prime Minister Stephen Harper. The old “Canadian way” — sharing the risks and benefits of nationhood — has given way to a new imperative: warding off threats at home and abroad. This means pouring public money into crime suppression and national security, while cutting or freezing virtually all other programs… The only significant risk is that a majority of Canadians will decide their tax dollars have become so disconnected from their values that they can no longer tolerate the Harper government.
Tags: budget, economy, featured, ideology
Posted in Governance Debates | No Comments »
Luxury for the rich but ‘realism’ for the rest of us
Monday, March 21st, 2011
Mar 21 2011
As deficits pile up, we are soon to be inundated with the message that we are living beyond our means and must learn to do with less. Certainly, our small wealthy super-elite seems determined to ensure that nothing gets in the way of its right to fully indulge its greed, and that the burden of deficit-reduction is imposed on others. A conflict appears to be looming therefore between Canada’s elite, typified perhaps by Kevin O’Leary, and the aspirations of millions of Canadians who don’t want to see programs they value — health care, education, pensions — sacrificed to deficit reduction.
Tags: economy, ideology, privatization, standard of living, tax
Posted in Equality Debates | No Comments »
HST: That didn’t hurt much
Sunday, March 20th, 2011
Mar 20 2011
A cut to the HST would take Ontario in the wrong direction. For one thing, it would be expensive. Reducing the rate even one point would cost over $2.5 billion in revenues, at a time when Ontario is facing ongoing annual deficits of more than $15 billion. For another thing, cutting the HST is a solution in search of a problem. The HST reform was a change in the way we tax, but it wasn’t a tax grab and it did not change people’s overall tax bills very much… having a broad tax base is fairer to everyone and it helps keep the tax rate low.
Tags: budget, standard of living, tax
Posted in Governance Delivery System | No Comments »
Electorate tolerates poverty
Friday, March 18th, 2011
Mar 18 2011
Under current arrangements, the provinces — faced with growing deficits, reduced federal transfers and limited revenue options — do not have the resources to support health care, education, poverty reduction programs and housing strategies at an adequate and humane level. If we continue to ignore this situation, the future costs in continuing human misery and wasted lives will surely far surpass those of modest intervention now.
Tags: ideology, poverty
Posted in Inclusion Policy Context | No Comments »
In us we trust?
Friday, March 18th, 2011
Mar 17 2011
… the question isn’t: Do Canadians trust Harper? It’s: Does Harper trust Canadians? Trust is an essential component in a successful society and politics is the main way that societies attempt to act together. Those with high trust levels tend to create programs like public health care or education. Those lacking trust do less together; at most they build prisons or surveillance systems to keep watch on each other… If we trust our leaders to use our taxes to do things we can’t achieve on our own, then we pay — not happily but willingly. If we don’t trust them, then we’d rather not pay and we choose leaders who will do less.
Tags: ideology, participation, privatization, rights, standard of living
Posted in Governance Policy Context | No Comments »
Campbell’s cans hunger
Wednesday, March 16th, 2011
Mar 16 2011
Nourish… [is] a complete meal because each 425-gram can provides a full serving of three food groups, including vegetables, grains and protein. Packed with a Canadian supergrain called naked oats, Nourish comes in vegetarian and chicken flavours. It can be eaten straight from the can if there is no place to heat it and it tastes good. The first 100,000 cans will be donated to Food Banks Canada. Campbell’s hopes its Facebook and Twitter campaign will trigger another 100,000 donations by Hunger Awareness Day on May 31.
Tags: Health, mental Health, poverty
Posted in Inclusion Debates | No Comments »
McGuinty government slashes redundant agencies
Wednesday, March 16th, 2011
Mar 15 2011
The Liberals are scrapping more than a dozen redundant agencies in the wake of a sweeping report urging better governance of provincial organizations… referring to the 258 agencies, boards, commissions, councils, authorities, foundations and trusts overseen by Queen’s Park… Gone are the Toronto Area Transit Operating Agency, the Social Assistance Review Board… {Their] elimination… will save only $200,000 a year. The government will, however, reap $4.2 million from the stadium agency’s bank account for provincial coffers, and any additional assets will be sold off.
Tags: budget, participation, rights
Posted in Governance Delivery System | 3 Comments »
Need help? Don’t look to Ottawa
Wednesday, March 16th, 2011
Mar 15 2011
They call her Diane the Dinosaur. They remember every judgmental remark the human resources minister has made about the poor, the unemployed and parents desperate for child care. But community workers still harboured a slim hope that Diane Finley would show some humanity in her response to the poverty reduction plan produced by Parliament’s all-party committee on human resources. She quickly snuffed that out, rejecting all 58 of its recommendations… it was another setback in the increasingly forlorn battle against hunger, homelessness and deprivation.
Tags: homelessness, ideology, poverty
Posted in Child & Family Debates | No Comments »
Conservatives not in power to serve us
Tuesday, March 15th, 2011
Mar 15 2011
Giving corporations continued tax breaks at the expense of the public purse and social services is just another symptom of a government that serves the rich and powerful, and has nothing but contempt for the “inconvenience” of democracy, and the needs of ordinary Canadians… What is clear by the actions of this government on a daily basis is that they are not in power to serve the needs or interests of ordinary Canadians.
Tags: budget, economy, ideology, poverty, standard of living
Posted in Governance Debates | No Comments »
PM taking advantage of our cynicism
Monday, March 14th, 2011
Mar 14 2011
Facts and validation are no longer necessary in government decision-making. Consultation is prohibited. Truth and honesty no longer serve any purpose. Ministers are no longer called upon to be accountable. They don’t follow the rules of government but rather follow the dictates of the Conservative party. Information is not to be shared but rather censored and withheld. All Canadians are aware of the constant list of improprieties performed daily by our federal government, but no one cares. Why?… Wouldn’t it be nice if those who did care actually stood up?
Tags: ideology, participation, rights
Posted in Governance Debates | No Comments »
Recent Comments