« Older Entries | Newer Entries »
The Ford government is bad at budgeting — or it isn’t being straight with Ontarians
Thursday, June 15th, 2023
… it misled everyone and projected a deficit and smaller future surpluses so it could starve programs, limit new spending, and divert that future money elsewhere to big tax cuts, corporate giveaways (hello, Stellantis), pre-election voter inducements, or paying down the debt… it boils down to this: the government is either incompetent or dishonest. We don’t have enough information to draw a firm conclusion either way.
Tags: budget, economy, ideology, jurisdiction
Posted in Governance Debates | No Comments »
Why this court ruling is a human-rights victory for international students
Tuesday, June 13th, 2023
By determining that unfair treatment based on permanent residency is a form of discrimination on the basis of citizenship, the Court of Appeal established human-rights protection for international students under the Code… international students should know that they are not alone in their fight against discrimination — and that “citizenship” may not be the insurmountable job-qualification criterion it used to be.
Tags: economy, globalization, immigration, participation, rights
Posted in Equality Policy Context | No Comments »
It’s time to abolish the Catholic school system in Ontario
Thursday, June 1st, 2023
The demographic and political imperatives that required a separate system no longer exist. The system continues to exist because of a powerful lobby, entrenched interests, and inertia… it would take only Ontario and the federal government to do so. The legal path to ending public denominational funding is much easier than you think. There would be court challenges and protests, but the separate-system backers would lose.
Tags: budget, featured, ideology, jurisdiction, multiculturalism
Posted in Education Debates | No Comments »
‘The greatest Machiavellian fraud’: Ontario’s bitter fight over what became OHIP
Wednesday, May 10th, 2023
… the provincial government kept sending signals that it wanted no part of the federal medicare plan scheduled to begin in mid-1968. In November 1967, provincial treasurer Charles MacNaughton mused about opting out and using federal medicare contributions to tackle issues the Robarts government felt were more pressing, such as education and housing. A combination of OMSIP and existing private plans, many believed, was good enough for Ontarians.
Tags: Health, ideology, jurisdiction, participation, privatization
Posted in Health History | No Comments »
Education isn’t about job training — no matter what Doug Ford wants you to believe
Thursday, April 20th, 2023
… they’ve decided to reshape the province’s education plan, gearing it toward ideas that are more reminiscent of plans for an early 20th-century Fordist or Taylorist factory than a contemporary society… Ontario has one of the best systems in the world, outperforming all other G7 countries on reading and beating all G7 countries except Japan in math and science… If the government wishes to improve education, it can spend more on teachers and reduce class sizes.
Tags: economy, ideology, standard of living
Posted in Education Debates | No Comments »
What the new Ontario budget means for those on social assistance
Friday, March 24th, 2023
In this budget, as in all its previous changes to social assistance, the government did not introduce any new funding for the province’s nearly 400,000 Ontario Works beneficiaries. Ontario Works is social assistance for those who are not disabled but cannot work. The program provides a maximum of $733 per month for a single adult, an amount that has not changed since 2018, when the current government halved planned increases .
Tags: budget, disabilities, featured, ideology, jurisdiction, poverty, standard of living
Posted in Social Security Debates | No Comments »
Could free birth control be on the horizon in Ontario?
Saturday, March 18th, 2023
“The most reliable birth-control choices are the most expensive options, costing $380 upfront,”… “We know that, in this climate, when people are living paycheque to paycheque, they don’t have $380.” … In funding contraception, governments can spend money to save money, says Boulous: “We know that, for every dollar you spend, you get $90 in savings in indirect and direct costs.”
Tags: budget, Health, ideology, jurisdiction, participation, women
Posted in Child & Family Debates | No Comments »
Federal health minister dings Ontario for private billing
Saturday, March 11th, 2023
Federal health minister Jean-Yves Duclos announced Friday that he will be reducing the Canada Health Transfer to eight provinces, including Ontario, for breaches of federal policy regarding billing patients for medically necessary costs… Further, Duclos signalled that Friday’s announcement will not be the end of the measures the federal government is considering to reinforce the public aspect of Canada’s health-care system.
Tags: budget, Health, ideology, jurisdiction
Posted in Health Debates, Health Delivery System | No Comments »
‘The rich and everybody else’: Financial inequality in Canada keeps growing
Thursday, January 26th, 2023
Fifty per cent of households are earning less than $16,000 to $17,000. That’s even after taxes and transfers and benefits. That gap between the 50 per cent of the population, roughly 8 million people or more, and that top 1 per cent of earners, a very small slice of the working population, is huge. And it’s growing bigger… Capitalism and democracy have always been in contestation. People want votes. People want rights. And they see that, usually, they can’t get them, because there’s a whole bunch of rich people who aren’t willing to do it.
Tags: economy, featured, globalization, ideology, standard of living, tax
Posted in Equality Debates | No Comments »
By the numbers: Here’s the living wage in 10 Ontario regions
Thursday, November 17th, 2022
In Ontario, the minimum wage is now $15.50 per hour, having risen from $15 in October. According to the OLWN, in 2021, the highest living wage was $22.08 for residents in Toronto… “It doesn’t account for debt repayment or saving for education… “we’re talking about the barest living wage for workers to thrive, to have a family, to participate in our society”
Tags: economy, ideology, jurisdiction, poverty, standard of living
Posted in Policy Context | No Comments »
Recent Comments