Posts Tagged ‘featured’

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… Canada’s 2023 federal budget moves on climate and dental – but avoids almost everything else

Wednesday, March 29th, 2023

… the budget drops the ball on support for underfunded public transit systems, affordable housing, pharmacare and high inflation. [but] “When it comes to health care, the piece of this budget with the most teeth is dental care… It seems like the federal government decided that it had to choose between dental care or pharmacare, but not both—and dental care came out the winner. 

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Posted in Policy Context | 1 Comment »


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 . 

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Posted in Social Security Debates | No Comments »


Biden breaks taboo on taxing wealthy, showing Trudeau how to do it

Thursday, March 23rd, 2023

… their wealth is largely held in corporate stock and, unless they sell stock and trigger a capital gain, no income tax applies. The wealthy are a formidable interest group who play an enormous — although largely hidden — role in shaping the political agenda. Still, they’d have more trouble keeping a wealth tax off the agenda if our progressive politicians embraced the idea with the same gusto as the broad Canadian public.

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Posted in Governance Debates | No Comments »


How much progress have women made in the workplace? 46 facts to mark 46 years of International Women’s Day

Wednesday, March 8th, 2023

Average annual employment income of Canadian women: $39,900; Average annual employment income of Canadian men: $54,300; … Percentage of women in the House of Commons: 30; … Percentage of women in federal cabinet: 46; … Percentage of women in the Ontario cabinet: 26; … Number of economists Forbes magazine says are redefining everything: Five; Percentage of those economists who are women: 100

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Canada needs a minimum tax on corporate book profits

Thursday, March 2nd, 2023

In 2021, tax avoidance by 123 of Canada’s largest corporations cost the public $30 billion… Corporate tax avoidance nearly doubled in 2021, compared to the pre-pandemic average. More robust policies are needed… A minimum tax on book profits is the major revenue generator within the Biden administration’s Inflation Reduction Act… If Canada had a 15-per-cent minimum tax on book profits in 2021, it would have reduced the tax gap by $11 billion.

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Affordability — not inflation — is the biggest crisis Canada’s economy faces today

Wednesday, March 1st, 2023

Five fiscal approaches… could lower costs, tackle long-term affordability and create more economic resilience… Reform Employment Insurance… Build more affordable rental housing… Fund school food programs… Focus on low-income households for energy-efficiency retrofits… [and] Avoid wasting money in health care… All governments need to prevent the galloping profitization of care…

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Ontario, federal government reach agreement in principle on health care

Thursday, February 23rd, 2023

… the province accepted the 10-year deal on Wednesday after the two sides agreed to add reviews into the deal to ensure long-term sustainability… The priority areas outlined in the deal include mental health, primary care and increasing the number of health-care workers… Duclos said the province’s bilateral agreement would include working toward certain health indicators, agreeing to provide “equity of access’’ for underserved groups and upholding the Canada Health Act…

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The truth (and the costs) behind public payment for private surgeries

Tuesday, February 21st, 2023

While the provinces should be applauded for funding more surgical procedures, why restrict new funding solely to private enterprises, when many public hospitals have capacity to provide more surgery with additional funding? There is no compelling business reason, especially if both private and public facilities will be paid at the same rate.

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Health care transformation is needed next

Monday, February 13th, 2023

… while [the provinces] have their hands extended to Ottawa. A majority of them are in surplus, or can see a surplus just over the horizon, but the provincial share of health funding has barely kept up with pandemic-era inflation… [Ford’s] Progressive Conservative government will have $12.5 billion in “excess funds” available over the next three years and is shortchanging health care by $5 billion.

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Posted in Health Delivery System | No Comments »


Queen’s Park must pull its weight on health care spending

Wednesday, February 8th, 2023

… the FAO says. Under current plans, funding for health care over the next three years will be $5 billion less than what is needed just to maintain existing programs… it now appears that any bilateral deal between Ontario and Canada will require that the province at least maintain current spending levels (presumably adjusted for inflation). That’s not a high bar. Ottawa could do more, especially when it comes to blocking provincial plans to siphon public dollars into private profits.

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Posted in Health Debates | No Comments »


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