In times of growing uncertainty—when global political dynamics shift, economies crash, and anxieties worsen—the Alternative Federal Budget (AFB) is an endeavour into what is possible when the public good is at the heart of budgetary planning. It is a unique Canadian collaboration rooted in social justice values—like human dignity and freedom, fairness, equality, solidarity, environmental sustainability, and well-being—and a strong belief in the power of participatory democracy.
The AFB is made possible by the generous support of the Canadian Association of University Teachers (CAUT), National Union of Public and General Employees (NUPGE), Public Service Alliance of Canada (PSAC), Unifor, and United Steelworkers Union (USW). Thank you to these organizations for enabling the AFB to continue its fight to demonstrate that deep change can be achieved through bold public leadership that reflects the values of the majority of Canadians.
This collaboration would not be possible without the generous contributions of the following people, who come from a variety of sectors, populations and areas of expertise—including human rights, labour, environmental protection, anti-poverty, arts and culture, social development, early child development, international development, women, Indigenous peoples, the faith-based community, students, teachers, and health care workers.1The views and policies expressed in the Alternative Federal Budget do not necessarily reflect those of the authors or their organizations.
Stephanie Allen (Adinkra Strategies/ImmigrantsCAN), John Anderson (Professional Institute of the Public Service of Canada), Lynell Anderson (Child Care Now/Coalition of Child Care Advocates of BC), Natalie Appleyard (Citizens for Public Justice), Pat Armstrong (York University), Morna Ballantyne (Child Care Now), Melissa Bendig (Canadian Association of University Teachers), Michele Biss (The National Right to Housing Network), Karen Breeck (Women Veteran Research and Engagement Network), Bruce Campbell (York University/Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives), Ryan Campbell (Professional Institute of the Public Service of Canada), Amy Casipullai (Ontario Council of Agencies Serving Immigrants/Colour of Poverty—Colour of Change), Frederique Chabot (Action Canada for Sexual Health and Rights), Rebecca Cheff (National Collaborating Centre for Determinants of Health), Natasha Chhabra (Professional Institute of the Public Service of Canada), DT Cochrane (Canadian Labour Congress), Graham Cox (Unifor), Angelo DiCaro (Unifor), Omar Elsharkawy (MakeWay Foundation), John Eustace (Public Service Alliance of Canada), Sid Frankel (University of Manitoba), Martha Friendly (Childcare Resource and Research Unit), Kelsey Gallagher (Project Ploughshares), Kamaljeet Gill (United Steelworkers), Meg Gingrich (United Steelworkers), Rebecca Graff-McRae (Parkland Institute), Chloe Halpenny (Citizens for Public Justice), James Hannay (National Farmers Union), Cathy Holtslander (National Farmers Union), Robyn Hoogendam (Women’s Shelters Canada), Patrick Imbeau (National Association of Federal Retirees), Travis Kirkwood (Assembly of First Nations), Nyki Kish (Canadian Association of Elizabeth Fry Societies), Ted Klassen (Public Service Alliance of Canada), Shalini Konanur (South Asian Legal Clinic of Ontario/Colour of Poverty—Colour of Change), Elizabeth Kwan (Canadian Labour Congress), SM Leduc (Canadian Mental Health Association), Joel Lexchin (University of Toronto, York University), Keith Lowe (University of Manitoba/CCPA Manitoba), Troy Lundblad (United Steelworkers), Anna Miedema (Citizens for Public Justice), Shauna MacKinnon (University of Winnipeg), Karen Marchesky (Unifor), Branka Marijan (Project Ploughshares), Lesline McEwan (New Covenant Apostolic Church), Lindsay McLaren (University of Calgary), Amy McMahon (Public Service Alliance of Canada), Phil Mount (National Farmers Union), Anthony Musiwa (Community Food Centres Canada), Jackie Neapole (Canadian Research Institute for the Advancement of Women), Garry Neil (Cultural Policy Expert), Andrea Pierce (UNDPAD Push Coalition/ImmigrantsCAN Employment and Housing Development Corporation), Sheila Regehr (Basic Income Canada Network), Ernie Regehr (The Simons Foundation Canada/Co-Founder Project Ploughshares), Laurell Ritchie (Good Jobs for All Coalition), Chris Roberts (Canadian Labour Congress), Leila Sarangi (Campaign 2000: End Child and Family Poverty), Michael Savage (Ontario Confederation of University Faculty Associations), Jessica Searson (National Association of Federal Retirees), Darron Seller-Peritz (Cooperation Canada), Laura Shantz (Canadian Association of Professional Employees), Navjeet Sidhu (Unifor), Vicky Smallman (Canadian Labour Congress), Steve Staples (Canadian Health Coalition), Andrea Stuart (Canadian Association of University Teachers), Eric Swanson (Third Space Planning/Coalition of Child Care Advocates of BC), Sophie Thapa (ImmigrantsCAN Employment and Housing Development Corporation), Kaylie Tiessen (Unifor), Andrew Van Iterson (Green Budget Coalition), Aaron Vansintjan (Food Secure Canada), Maryo Wahba (Citizens for Public Justice), Ellen Webber (Professional Institute of the Public Service of Canada), Jessica West (Project Ploughshares), Silas Xuereb (Canadians for Tax Fairness), Mike Yam (Unifor)
The following staff, volunteers and research associates at the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives were essential to pulling this year’s AFB together: Gina Gill-Hartmann, Trish Hennessy, Amanda Klang, Marc Lee, David Macdonald, Jon Milton, Hadrian Mertins-Kirkwood, Tim Scarth, Katherine Scott, Erika Shaker, Ryan Romard, Stuart Trew, and Lucy Trew.
A special thanks this year to our Progressive Economics Fellow Erin McIntosh.
