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.
A guide to standing up to book bans and beyond, and how to protect and strengthen public education in Canada
First published in the Winnipeg Free Press January 23, 2018 There was a time when a plan to bury highly radioactive materials 500m from a river that provides drinking water and flows into Lake Winnipeg, would have attracted a fair bit of attention in Manitoba. Maybe even a mild uproar.…
There is an urgency for our government to use fiscal policy to promote a different kind of economic growth that no longer sacrifices the environment, our natural resources, or quality of life for the many. But this is not what the Nova Scotia Budget 2018-19 has done. Ultimately, our fiscal health depends on…
An irrefutable evidence base demonstrates that socioeconomic conditions—in particular poverty and inequality—impact health. In health care we call these conditions ‘social determinants of health’ (SDOH)—a term that describes the downstream health impacts of multiple forms of systemic inequity. In the context of a society, culture and health system that focus…
I approached BC’s February budget full of hope. It was the first full budget by an NDP government in 17 years and had been hyped as a spending budget. As a disabled woman and disability advocate, I was encouraged to see an image including someone in a wheelchair on the…
While many workers of my parents’ generation expected to spend their entire careers in a permanent full-time job with one or two employers, young workers today increasingly face project-based or limited-term employment options. In fact, the very structure of what a job looks like is changing as technology unbundles traditional occupations…
Am I happy with the 2018 federal budget? Well, many of the items in it can be found in this year’s and past Alternative Federal Budgets (AFB), which of course is a good thing. But in general I’d say this is an ambition constrained budget. The government had the fiscal…
OTTAWA—Today’s federal budget takes positive steps forward on gender equality and science funding but the bold policy moves that will make a real difference for Canadians —child care, pharmacare, health care or closure of tax loopholes—will have to wait for another day, say experts from the Canadian Centre for Policy…
This year’s Alternative Federal Budget (AFB) has just been released. I was proud to be part of this year’s effort, coordinated by staff of the National Office of the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives (CCPA). Here are 10 measures proposed in this year’s AFB: Create 470,000 new (full-time equivalent) jobs.…
In a “bulletin” released yesterday, the Fraser Institute points out that public investment in BC has been extremely low since 2001, with real per capita program spending growth of only 0.9% annually—the lowest in the country. On this much, we agree. But the Fraser Institute’s odd conclusion is that, because…
VANCOUVER—BC’s Oil and Gas Commission withheld a report from the public for four years showing that 900 gas wells could be leaking methane—a finding that highlights why a public inquiry into oil and gas industry fracking operations is needed. The Commission published the December 2013 report on its website on…
Kenny McDonald / Flickr” style=”border-radius:0px;–objectFit:cover;–imagePosX:50%;–imagePosY:50%” />BC is a beautiful place to call home—and an extraordinarily wealthy one. Yet, despite this wealth, our province is facing crises of affordability, inequality, poverty and environmental degradation. Next month’s provincial Budget is an opportunity to face up to and truly tackle these crises—something that would require the new BC…
PhotoMavenStock //Shutterstock” style=”border-radius:0px;–objectFit:cover;–imagePosX:50%;–imagePosY:50%” />In the early days of the current BC election campaign child care took centre stage when NDP leader John Horgan recommitted his party to fully implement the $10aDay Plan1 if elected on October 24. Public discussion and commentary followed in the media and from other parties. Questions were raised about the…