While world leaders are increasingly saying out loud that the postwar liberal world order is dead, the ruling classes in the Global North have an answer for what will come to replace it: fascism. Will they be able to implement their vision?
A guide to standing up to book bans and beyond, and how to protect and strengthen public education in Canada
Thank you for the opportunity to present our views on the province’s fiscal situation and the upcoming provincial budget. Once again this year we are preparing an Alternative Provincial Budget, which will be finalized and released in the months ahead. Context In last year’s Alternative Provincial Budget we ran a…
A federal-provincial-territorial (FPT) framework agreement on housing was signed on April 10 in Toronto. It supports the Trudeau government’s National Housing Strategy, which was released last fall.Here are 10 things to know about the just-signed agreement: Though a National Housing Strategy (NHS) was released last fall, a federal-provincial-territorial (FPT) framework agreement still…
Image: Rogue Collective (Flickr Creative Commons) The build started with a single West Coast cedar tree. In the early hours of March 10, against the backdrop of forest-covered Burnaby Mountain on the shores of B.C.’s Burrard Inlet, volunteers carried in wood planks and cement corner stones and set to work.…
New, dirty gas drilling method threatens drinking water A technology used by the oil and gas industry to obtain natural gas is raising major concerns across the United States and is equally suspect for areas being drilled in Western Canada. Called hydraulic fracturing (or “fracking” in the trade), it allows…
Alberta’s 2018 budget was tabled on March 22, 2018. The official name of this year’s budget is Budget 2018: A Recovery Built to Last. Here are five things to know: This was largely a status quo budget. Total estimated provincial revenue for 2018-19 is $47.9 billion, compared with $46.9 billion in 2017-18.…
Ontario Students as a Means to the Government’s Ends In high-risk sites like Ontario, traditional forms of liberal education are being replaced by policies mandating teaching and learning activities that are aimed at serving the utilitarian needs of a corporate and globalised marketplace. In effect, educational policy making in the…
On March 8, I gave a guest presentation to students in Professor Naomi Lightman’s Sociology of Work class at the University of Calgary. I was joined by Alexander Kulakov and Amit Nade, employment coaches at the Mustard Seed. Here are 10 things to know about homelessness and employment in Calgary: There aren’t…
The recession won’t be over till people get back to work The next time someone says the “recession is over,” ask them exactly what they mean. Because it’s increasingly clear that it means different things to different people. And it’s equally clear it doesn’t usually mean that the unemployment crisis…
Fall 2001, Volume 4, Number 4 Download 138.78 KB4 pages Inside this issue: Restructuring Government in BC: Are we asking the right questions? Cutting Pharmacare won’t cut health costs Economic Impacts of Tax Cuts and Spending Cuts
Lessons from WestEnd Commons Stable and affordable housing is a central component in improving people’s quality of life. In light of a severe housing shortage facing low-income renters, it is clear that Manitoba has work to do to ensure that all citizens have access to a warm and secure place…
On the five or six days over the past 10 years that I have been free to participate in what passes for the democratic process in Canada–federal and provincial election days–I have voted for the Green Party candidate in my riding, if there was one, or, if there wasn’t, I…
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…