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Search results for: “site/human rights”

  • Temporary Foreign Workers and the Election: A Major Issue Getting Scant Debate

    An election should be a time to discuss key policy directions. One of the biggest policy transformations in the Harper era has been the enormous growth in Temporary Foreign Workers (TFWs) – “guest” workers who come to Canada for short periods, generally tied to specific employers, without future prospects for…

  • The Charge of the Left Brigade

    Changing governments can bring change only in a democracy George Bernard Shaw used to tell the story of how he encountered “the man who lost his keys.” Walking home from the theatre one night, he came upon a man on his hands and knees under a lamp-post, obviously searching for…

  • Stark Choices

    During her ill-fated campaign as Prime Minister, Kim Campbell famously noted that elections are no time for serious policy debate. It comes as no surprise, then, that we are hearing more this spring about tiny tax credits for piano lessons than about Canada’s most durable and egregious social injustice. That…

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    7 recommendations to shape electoral reform in BC

    The CCPA-BC sent the following submission to the BC Government’s How We Vote consultation, which requests feedback on key elements of the upcoming referendum on electoral reform. Written submissions are being accepted from now until February 28, 2018. You can feel free to quote or cite any of the following if…

  • Study reveals highest and lowest child care fees in Canadian cities in 2017

    CLICK HERE TO VIEW THE FULL REPORT OTTAWA—A new study released today by the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives (CCPA) updates the most and least expensive cities for child care in Canada. Fees have risen faster than inflation in 71% of the cities since last year, and in 82% of…

  • Solidarity should be common sense

    A few months back, Jim Stanford – in a provocative article entitled “When in doubt, blame unions” – noticed a troubling trend. Stanford observed that the current recession seemed to unleash a wave of public resentment against labour unions – as people, fearful of their own economic security – turned…

  • Inclusive growth and the future of work: A recap of our 2017 Rosenbluth Lecture with Armine Yalnizyan

    This year, the CCPA-BC’s annual Gideon Rosenbluth Memorial lecture featured one of Canada’s leading progressive economists, Armine Yalnizyan, who shared some insights on the changing world of work and the importance of achieving inclusive growth. Making growth inclusive has become a global policy priority backed, at least on paper, by…

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    Where is BC headed on climate action?

    Canadian politicians have a long-standing tradition of proclaiming targets to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, then failing to meet them. After a wake-up call in the form of a record fire season this past summer, what are the prospects for climate leadership from BC’s new government? First, a look back November…

  • Long overdue: Taking a closer look at university library funding

    As we continue to dig into university and college finances in Ontario, what becomes apparent is not only the change in revenue sources these institutions are experiencing (which we discuss here). There are also shifts in how and where institutions choose to spend their money. The current strike by college…

  • BC government should heed its own report on childcare

    Do you remember the 2008 Throne Speech in which the provincial government launched a feasibility study on providing full day kindergarten for 5 year-olds and extending full day preschool options to younger children as well? Here’s a refresher: A new Early Childhood Learning Agency will be established. It will assess…

  • The Case Against STV

    More from our BC Commentary special on STV: The Case Against STV By David Schreck Will STV “make your vote count”? Actually, BC-STV can make your vote worth less and make your MLA less accountable. Our existing first-past-the-post (FPTP) system is not perfect, but it is better than BC-STV. Inequality…

  • Trade and Investment Research Project

    Trans-Pacific Partnership hides significant health costs, according to two new studies

    OTTAWA – As Canada prepares to sign the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) in New Zealand this week, two new studies from the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives (CCPA) reveal significant risks and high public costs to the Canadian health care system within the text of the agreement. The TPP would require…