Inside this issue:
BC Jobs Plan reality check: The first two years by Iglika Ivanova
Legal safeguards for tenants are meaningless without enforcement by Kendra Milne
Anti-poverty movement, meet the culture of medicine by Dr. Vanessa Brcic
You always learn something when accountants feud by Keith Reynolds
BC’s “big favour”: Will LNG exports reduce global greenhouse gas emissions? by Marc Lee
Inequality and poverty
TORONTO – The pay gap between men and women in Ontario is getting worse and will continue to do so without government involvement, says a Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives (CCPA) report released to recognize Ontario’s first officially declared Equal Pay Day April 16.
Last year, the Ontario Equal Pay Coalition, in partnership with the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives' Ontario office, began tracking two key trends in its 2013 report, 10 Ways to Close Ontario's Gender Pay Gap:
(1) the pay gap between men and women in Ontario and,
(2) the date in the calendar year that demarcates how much longer women have to work to earn the amount that men earn in a year. This year's report examines whether there has been any change in the pay gap and denotes a troubling development.
Manitoba has embarked on aggressive immigration strategies to attract newcomers to settle in a variety of communities in the province with the purpose of meeting local labour force demands. In response to these trends, it is necessary to have appropriate and effective support systems to assist in the long-term settlement and integration of the increasing number of newcomers. Prior to the federal government’s changes to the delivery model of settlement services in 2012, these services were a provincial responsibility in Manitoba, Quebec, and British Columbia.
Did you know that Canada’s 86 wealthiest residents hold the same amount of wealth as the poorest 11.4 million Canadians combined? Like and share our infographic if you think it’s time to narrow Canada’s wealth gap. (Click on image to view full size.)
For more information, click here to read our analysis on Canada's wealth gap.
OTTAWA—Une nouvelle analyse du groupe que constitue les 86 résidents les plus fortunés du Canada démontre qu'ils sont si riches qu'ils pourraient acheter la province du Nouveau-Brunswick, et ce, sans même épuiser leurs ressources financières. C'est ce que rapporte le Centre canadien des politiques alternatives (CCPA).
OTTAWA—A new analysis of the 86 wealthiest Canadian residents reveals they have so much money they could buy the province of New Brunswick and still have cash to spare, says the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives (CCPA).
Outrageous Fortune: Documenting Canada's Wealth Gap, by CCPA Senior Economist David Macdonald, finds Canada's Wealthy 86 increased their net worth from $118 billion in 1999 to $178 billion in 2012—a 51% increase (in 2012 dollars).
This report examines the details of Statistics Canada's wealth survey and finds that wealth inequality trends have quietly gone unnoticed—and in fact, Canada's wealth gap is bigger than its income gap. The report also provides an analysis of the 86 wealthiest Canadian residents, finding that they held the same amount of wealth in 2012 as the bottom 11.4 million Canadians combined. The paper concludes by examining a few options to help narrow Canada’s wealth gap, including reforms to capital gains tax and a higher inclusion rate/higher income taxes at the top of Canada’s income spectrum.
Another new government and another opportunity to consider what the next four years and beyond will bring for Nova Scotians. It is critical for Nova Scotians to hold our governments accountable for the choices that it makes or doesn’t make on our behalf.