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  • David Eby at a press conference standing in front of a podium labeled "More Homes for People"

    BC’s Housing Supply Act could help break housing gridlock

    As the housing crisis continues apace, the BC government is moving ahead with implementation of the Housing Supply Act, passed in November. This is good news because the housing shortage in this province is as severe as ever. Ultra-low vacancy rates have taken hold in the province’s most expensive regions…

  • The Bank of Canada’s obsession with interest rate hikes is hurting households: How did we get here and what are the alternatives?

    The Bank of Canada’s June decision to raise its overnight, or policy, interest rate to 4.75% is predicated on cooling an overly strong economy afflicted by stubbornly high inflation. Yet, it’s not at all clear that the Bank’s narrative makes sense and, in one major category, housing, higher interest rates…

  • Half of BC workers lack access to “standard jobs” and 37% are in precarious employment, groundbreaking survey finds

    CLICK HERE TO VIEW THE FULL REPORT VANCOUVER – A study released today by the Understanding Precarity in BC partnership reveals a polarized labour market in which precarious work is far more pervasive than many assume and includes much more than “gig work.”    The pilot BC Precarity Survey is the…

  • Angela Y. Davis – a primer

    On Saturday, May 6, 2017, Dr. Angela Y. Davis will deliver a talk in Winnipeg at Knox United Church titled Race, Resistance, and Revolution: Freedom is a Constant Struggle. She will be hosted by the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives Manitoba office, in partnership with Black Space Winnipeg and Queer…

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    BC budget does the right thing by prioritizing investment over austerity

    BC’s first budget under Premier David Eby includes substantial funding increases in housing, health care, income supports and cost of living tax credits, as well as allocating a record level of investment towards capital infrastructure. This not only represents much-needed progress towards meeting some of the big challenges facing our…

  • Will 2023 be the year BC farmworkers finally receive basic minimum wage protections?

    The majority of BC households are stressed because of debt and inflation. It’s even worse for one group of farmworkers who, legally, may earn less than minimum wage. While British Columbians rang in the New Year, the provincial government quietly increased the minimum piece rate wage for farmworkers by a…

  • What the new federal budget means for BC

    At first glance, BC appears somewhat isolated from the economic challenges the rest of Canada is facing but there are a number of worrying signs. Nearly half of British Columbians see the economic conditions in BC as “poor” or “very poor”. The economy may be growing but prosperity is not broadly shared.Despite decent economic growth, poverty…

  • Growing Gap

    One of the oldest tricks in the books: Canada’s rich dodge the stock option tax bullet

    Taking on the generous tax benefits available to the rich is a tough business. The rich are, well, rich. They have a lot of money to spend on fighting back. And because, as individuals, they have a lot at stake, it makes financial sense to spend a lot of their…

  • The Cost of Learning–How does Manitoba Rank?

    In the report titled Eduflation and the High Cost of Learning, CCPA researchers David Macdonald and Erika Shaker developed a Cost of Learning Index to examine the affordability of higher education across Canada. They do this by examining trends and comparing provincial priorities to show how economic and education finance…

  • Making the case for a $15 minimum wage in Ontario

    Ontario’s minimum wage is increasing by 25 cents this month — from $11 an hour to $11.25 — as part of the provincial government’s commitment to index the minimum wage to inflation every October. While raising the minimum wage to reflect the rising cost of living is a win for…

  • Undermining Canada’s Retirement Income System

    It’s simply untrue Old Age Security is no longer sustainable Old Age Security is the basic building block of Canada’s retirement income system. It is a flat-rate monthly benefit that goes to everyone at age 65, provided they meet certain residency requirements. Canadians build on that foundation, saving for their…

  • Work Life: Provinces, including Manitoba are richer than they think

    Across Canada, initial provincial budget projections early in the pandemic showed provinces would be struggling with large deficits for years to come. Since 2020-2021, these estimates have been adjusted, showing smaller deficits than expected. Improved provincial finances are a result of: Better than expected revenue Additional fiscal transfers from the…