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The Monitor
A lot of AI discourse masks the fact that it is the result of a series of policy choices. Despite the government evoking Margaret Thatcher’s infamous “there is no alternative,” we do have a choice. And we should be serious about what that choice is.
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Our Schools/Our Selves
A guide to standing up to book bans and beyond, and how to protect and strengthen public education in Canada
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Resource Economics Project (BC)
Investing causes of social and environmental insecurity in resource-dependent communities
The B.C. Office’s Resource Economics Project is a special research desk staffed by award-winning journalist and researcher Ben Parfitt. This environmental justice initiative looks into the causes of economic and social insecurity in B.C.’s resource-dependent communities. It offers policy solutions aimed at meeting the joint challenges of environmental sustainability, jobs and social justice.
In February 2025, the CCPA closed its BC Office. However, most of the people formerly associated with the BC Office are continuing their work at a new organization—BC Policy Solutions. An amicable separation agreement has been reached between the two organizations, and we encourage people to continue to support the good work of both the CCPA and BC Policy Solutions. The CCPA continues to ensure the voices and concerns of British Columbians are included in its national independent research, analysis and expertise and BC Policy Solutions continues to support the CCPA’s important research work on issues affecting all Canadians.
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Technology and the future of public health care
A couple years ago I put out a report for the CCPA that crunched the numbers on health care sustainability (BC version here). The main…
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How high should the minimum wage be?
At the BC NDP convention over the weekend, Carole James reiterated calls for a $10 an hour minimum wage. While $10 an hour would certainly…
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And the Question is???
The recently announced Green Energy Task Force reminds me of a story that soft energy path guru Amory Lovins liked to tell. It was about…
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Flawed analysis props up BC public private partnerships
Many will have heard Premier Gordon Campbell and his cabinet colleagues talk in glowing terms about public private partnerships (P3s) for major projects like hospitals,…
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Food Bank use takes a distressing jump
On Tuesday, Food Banks Canada (the national association of food banks) released its annual Hunger Count report. While the report received some good national coverage…
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Public or private – how the choice for P3s gets made
Did you ever wonder how Partnerships BC justifies using 35 year contracts for public private partnerships rather than borrowing the money publicly and doing things…
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On minimum wages and talk radio
Today marks the third time in the past four months that I get booted off a pre-arranged radio interview on minimum wages in BC. What…
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2010 and all that
It is a basic principle in economics that estimates of employment and GDP impacts in themselves tell us nothing about the benefits and costs of…
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You Don’t Have to Sell BC Hydro to Give it Away
I recently told a right wing friend of mine that this is the worst government British Columbia has had in a very long time. I…
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Property taxes: are major industries suffering?
Businesses across Canada have been complaining about what they pay in property taxes, well, since there were property taxes. But the issue in BC came…
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Strengthening the CPP: Maybe the Americans are on to something
As we emerge from the financial crisis, a new and welcome debate is beginning about how we stabilize and strengthen our pension system. The financial…
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BC’s GHG emissions shell game
The BC government recently announced a new climate action of some consequence: the phasing out of the Burrard Thermal plant in Metro Vancouver. The unit…
Updates from the CCPA
Read the latest research, analysis and commentary on issues that matter to you.
CCPA Updates