Posts Tagged ‘standard of living’

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What do we get for our low taxes and supposed affordability measures? A less healthy, fractured country

Thursday, July 17th, 2025

If Canada were in the European Union… we would be in the bottom fifth for taxes… Recent polling shows Canadians are overwhelmingly supportive of a wealth tax… Now, a new group of Canadians called ”Patriotic Millionaires” are calling for higher taxes on the wealthy… While it may be true that the only certain things in life are death and taxes, it is also true taxes help us live better — and healthier — lives.

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Posted in Governance Debates | No Comments »


School lunches, the French way: It’s not just about nutrition, but togetherness and bon appetit

Tuesday, July 15th, 2025

…  we need to shift from thinking of school lunches as a safety net for kids living in poverty to thinking about them as benefiting the health and well-being of children and their families…  the cultural diversity of Canadian school communities is reflected in the food on offer… centralized kitchens can prepare thousands of servings of a main dish daily… to prepare food for daycares and for seniors who were home-bound — something to consider for Canadian cities…

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Don’t be fooled by big numbers—Ontario budget fails to address years-long funding shortfalls

Thursday, July 10th, 2025

Underfunding trends persist in total program spending, education, post-secondary education, and health. Public services provide the support Ontarians need and good jobs that support the economy—investing in them is the best way to shield the province. But that’s not happening. On the job protection front, we expect more—much more—given the alarming job losses we’re already witnessing. The 2025 budget fails to grasp the importance of protecting workers, not only for their families’ sake, but also as a mitigating strategy that prevents a deep recession.

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Focus on Funding

Monday, June 30th, 2025

Ontario universities receive the lowest funding per domestic full time equivalent student (FTE) by far… Had Ontario funded its universities at the national funding average over the five years between 2018-19 and 2022-23, it would have provided its universities with an additional $11.9 billion in total university funding.  Recent funding announcements… do not come close to addressing this funding gap. Ontario deserves better.

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Primary care in Canada is suffering and doctors want input on how to fix it

Monday, June 30th, 2025

 OurCare — the largest public conversation about primary care in Canadian history. Over 16 months, nearly 10,000 people across the country shared their experiences and hopes for the future through a national survey, citizen panels and community around tables. Despite differences in geography, age, and background, people largely agreed on what needs to change… six statements make up the OurCare Standard — a bold, people-powered vision for what primary care in Canada should look like.

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Six ways public health care makes our economy stronger

Thursday, June 26th, 2025

Prime Minister Carney has put attracting investment in Canada at the top of his agenda. The economists remind him that public health care is a major economic pillar, supporting employment, innovation, and fiscal efficiency, all of which contribute to Canada’s economic resilience amidst global uncertainties and trade pressures. Six ways Medicare makes our economy stronger:

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To solve Canada’s housing crisis, we need to change the way we think about wealth

Monday, June 23rd, 2025

… younger generations are uniquely burdened by Canada’s tax code and its outdated understanding of affluence, which is no longer primarily based on income but on assets. Canadian wealth today is about what you own, not what you make — and whether you own depends largely on when you were born…. younger workers are paying taxes at rates originally meant for the wealthiest Canadians, all while struggling to achieve the markers of even a historically lower-middle-class lifestyle.

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Carney’s new nation-building plan lacks a vision for our social, educational and health needs

Wednesday, June 11th, 2025

We all need good work, housing, education, health care, child care, clean water, safe food and environmental protection. These must be central to our idea of a transformed Canada. All require immediate government attention. They can’t be relegated to the background, in deference to corporate demands for a wide-open economy where regulations and taxes don’t hold things back.  Our economic rethinking must extend to developing new guardrails on business entry into the care economy.

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Posted in Child & Family Policy Context | No Comments »


‘Nation-building’ projects should also reflect Canadian values

Wednesday, June 11th, 2025

In his 2021 book, Value(s): Building A Better World For All, Mr. Carney reflects thoughtfully on the corrosive impact of inequality and unhealthiness, and how more equal societies are more resilient. He also writes about seven key values that are essential for building a better world: solidarity, fairness, responsibility, resilience, sustainability, dynamism, and humility, all laced with compassion. The way to embrace those values is to invest in programs that make people healthier and more equal…

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How governments can get back to building affordable housing

Wednesday, June 4th, 2025

… the financialization of housing is undermining our ability to build homes people can afford. We saw it clearly when the Ford government scrapped affordable housing rules in Toronto after pressure from corporate landlords… a new approach… means: Rapidly scale non-market and deeply affordable housing. Unlock and mobilize public land for housing construction. Ensure investments create good union jobs and build industrial capacity. Streamline timelines, remove barriers and build the infrastructure our communities need.

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Posted in Governance Policy Context | 1 Comment »


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