Inequality and poverty

On the surface, Enterprise Saskatchewan’s call for a 10 percent flat tax seems straightforward. Saskatchewan must engage in a “race-to-the-bottom” in order to compete with Alberta. However, a cursory glance at other countries that have instituted their own flat tax proposals should be cause for concern.

OTTAWA—Employment Insurance benefits in Canada are well below the OECD average, says a new study released today by the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives (CCPA). The study, by economist Lars Osberg, finds that in terms of access, benefit duration, and income replacement levels, EI in Canada falls far below most other OECD countries and below the levels of Canadian unemployment insurance in past recessions.

Unconventional Wisdom reproduces three lectures about the state of economics in the 21st century, inspired by the life and work of the late John Kenneth Galbraith, a great Canadian and one of the most influential economists of all time. The lectures form the first works related to a new biennial prize in economics, established by the Progressive Economics Forum, in Galbraith’s honour.

Long-term care in Canada fails to treat either residents or care providers with dignity and respect. The single most important factor in this failure is the inadequate staffing levels. There are simply not enough people to provide quality care. The official data on staffing levels indicate that Canada does not meet the standards for the number of direct care providers established by experts as necessary for adequate care. Moreover, the official numbers often hide the fact that workers are not replaced when they are ill or on vacation, or when a vacancy occurs.