Search results for “site/economics of childcare”

  • The unintended consequences of massive hydro rate increases

    The Province newspaper recently published an op-ed of mine that looked at one of the unintended consequences of our provincial government’s fixation on building the exceedingly expensive Site C hydroelectric dam. Even though actual construction of the dam has yet to begin, BC Hydro customers are already paying far more for electricity…

  • Resource Economics Project (BC)

    Rising hydro bills pushing mills to burn fossil fuel

    Premier Christy Clark’s vow to push work at the $9-billion Site C dam “past the point of no return” may be music to the ears of some construction contractors, but not to all pulp and paper firms. In a great irony, as the costs soar into the billions to build…

  • The Growth of Degrowth (Part 2)

    Vital degrowth movement boosted at Barcelona conference Whether the quest is for deeper democracy, protection of the planet, or enrichment of our way of living, the degrowth process starts with reducing the use of natural resources and energy. The moment is now, since we’re already in a period of degrowth and…

  • Study reveals highest and lowest child care fees in Canadian cities in 2018

    Impacts of new provincial affordability policies offer lessons for decision makers CLICK HERE TO VIEW THE FULL REPORT OTTAWA —A new study released today by the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives (CCPA) updates the ranking of most and least expensive cities for child care in Canada. Fees have risen faster…

  • Pandemic hits marginalized populations hardest

    First published in the Winnipeg Free Press March 9, 2021 Vulnerability to COVID-19 is not shared equally. The past year has shown that those who are most vulnerable to COVID-19 are those who live in poverty, in overcrowded housing, or in poorly regulated privately-owned and operated personal care homes. As…

  • Oliver Mudslide, Photo: Darren Kirby - Flickr

    Damming the information flow: BC government officials button lipped on potentially dangerous dams

    Early last spring, provincial civil servants cut off virtually all communication about what the government knew about a sprawling network of potentially dangerous and unregulated dams in northeast BC on the pretext they could not comment because of the impending election. The coordinated effort meant there was virtually no comment…

  • Swamp Donkey Dam, Photo: Vicky Husband

    Easy Water: Time bombs, fracking dams and the rush for H2O on private farmlands

    The number of unlicensed and potentially dangerous dams built in recent years in northeast British Columbia is nearly double what has been reported, according to one of the province’s top water officials. At least 92 unauthorized dams have been built in the region where natural gas industry fracking operations consume…

  • The sound of silence

    Weeks stretch to months, months to years as BC government clamps down on information  When debate on the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Amendment Act began last fall Stephanie Cadieux, then Liberal MLA for Surrey-Cloverdale, was among many to note how British Columbians are waiting longer and longer…

  • Comparing fiscal platforms in the Ontario election

    Heading into Ontario’s June 7 election, the three major political parties have made distinct expenditure promises and revenue announcements. Let’s look at these fiscal plans in historical and comparative context (see note 1).Ontario governments have traditionally supplied a comparatively low level of public services (e.g., health, education, etc.) and cash…

  • Taxes and Public Services

    Debate over taxes dangerously one-sided and misleading Politics is about choices. But we can’t make effective choices without clarity. And that means we have to have an adult conversation about taxes and public services. A conversation that starts at A and goes to B, and doesn’t assume something that doesn’t…

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    Opening the floodgates

    More than climate crisis behind last November’s rising waters, death and destruction; experts urge province to make course correction   First of Two Parts When Premier John Horgan declared a provincial state of emergency in the wake of last November’s horrific floods, landslides and deaths, he was quick to name the…

  • A calculator displaying the text "COVID 19."

    BC’s COVID-19 emergency spending leads all provinces, but we’re not out of the woods yet

    BC has invested far more in its COVID-19 emergency response than any other province in the country. The province also provided the highest per capita level of support to individuals at an average of $800 per person. These are among the findings in a new report from CCPA’s national office,…