The thing about chemical weapons is that an odor usually follows their use, what is odd about Syria is that it is the United States’ decision to arm the rebels that stinks. The US, despite its poor track record of linking weapons to nations, has recently announced that because it
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The Scott Ross: Why US Narrative On Syria’s Chemical Weapons Stinks
The thing about chemical weapons is that an odor usually follows their use, what is odd about Syria is that it is the United States’ decision to arm the rebels that stinks. The US, despite its poor track record of linking weapons to nations, has recently announced that because it
Continue readingThe Scott Ross: Conservatives: Only The Rich Can Benefit From Nonprofits
Conservatives believe Justin Trudeau was wrong to take money from nonprofit organizations because to this government that’s the job for rich investors on Bay Street. According to the Conservatives in power in Ottawa and their recent proposal for social impact bonds the only people who should be making money from
Continue readingThe Scott Ross: Conservatives: Only The Rich Can Benefit From Nonprofits
Conservatives believe Justin Trudeau is wrong to take money from nonprofit organizations because to them that’s the job of rich investors on Bay Street. According to this current government and its recent announcements on social impact bonds the only people who should be making money from nonprofit organizations are financiers,
Continue readingThe Scott Ross: Conservatives: Only The Rich Can Benefit From Nonprofits
Conservatives believe Justin Trudeau was wrong to take money from nonprofit organizations because to this government that’s the job for rich investors on Bay Street. According to the Conservatives in power in Ottawa and their recent proposal for social…
Continue readingThe Scott Ross: Trudeau Was Conservative With Nonprofit
In the free market prices reflect demand, instead of choosing a few events to speak at arbitrarily, Justin Trudeau set a price to attend those gatherings that wanted him the most. This method of relying on market prices to benefit charities and businesses is a rather conservative idea. So yes
Continue readingThe Scott Ross: Trudeau Was Conservative With Nonprofit
In the free market prices reflect demand, instead of choosing a few events to speak at arbitrarily, Justin Trudeau set a price to attend those gatherings that wanted him the most. This method of relying on market prices to benefit charities and busines…
Continue readingThe Scott Ross: Trudeau Was Conservative With Nonprofit
In the free market prices reflect demand, instead of choosing a few events to speak at arbitrarily, Justin Trudeau set a price to attend those gatherings that wanted him the most. This method of relying on market prices to benefit charities and businesses is a rather conservative idea. So yes
Continue readingThe Scott Ross: Why The Syrian Rebels Are Wrong
The Syrian civil war has been raging for so long that nobody remembers why the rebels are wrong. The rebels are wrong of course because this war started, not because the Syrian President Bashar al-Assad was overzealous in repressing protesters, but because Assad was overzealous in repressing terrorists. Today it
Continue readingThe Scott Ross: Why The Syrian Rebels Are Wrong
The Syrian Civil War has been raging for so long that nobody remembers why the rebels are wrong. The rebels are wrong of course because the Syrian Civil War started, not because Assad was overzealous in repressing protesters, but because Assad was overzealous in repressing terrorists. Today it is admitted
Continue readingThe Scott Ross: Why The Syrian Rebels Are Wrong
The Syrian civil war has been raging for so long that nobody remembers why the rebels are wrong.The rebels are wrong of course because this war started, not because the Syrian President Bashar al-Assad was overzealous in repressing protesters, but beca…
Continue readingThe Scott Ross: The Day John A. Macdonald Died
If there was no John A. Macdonald, there would be no Canada. Our most important founding father and first Prime Minister died 122 years ago today. Canadians of all political persuasions should take a moment and remember John A. Macdonald because they share so much in common with the man
Continue readingThe Scott Ross: The Day John A. Macdonald Died
If there was no John A. Macdonald, there would be no Canada.Our most important Father of Confederation and first Prime Minister died 122 years ago today. Canadians of all political persuasions should take a moment and remember John A. Macdonald, not on…
Continue readingThe Scott Ross: The Day John A. Macdonald Died
If there was no John A. Macdonald, there would be no Canada. Our most important Father of Confederation and first Prime Minister died 122 years ago today. Canadians of all political persuasions should take a moment and remember John A. Macdonald, not only because he was responsible for our nation,
Continue readingThe Scott Ross: Canada Originally Intended All Education To Be Free
Out of Canada’s 33 Fathers of Confederation, only one went to university.1
It’s not that Nova Scotia’s Charles Tupper was the only intelligent one among them, other founders were businessmen, doctors, and lawyers, it’s that none of those jobs, and many others, did not require any post-secondary education.
And the eduction jobs in the late 19th century did require was entirely made free shortly after confederation because provincial governments, though extremely small and limited, believed that their public schools should provide all the instruction necessary for citizens to obtain jobs in any sector, be it agriculture, engineering, manufacturing, commerce, medicine or law.
Today however provinces have lost sight of the importance they once placed on education. Where once provincial governments provided all the training necessary for a skilled workforce, they are increasingly providing less while at the same time businesses are only requiring more.
By 2020 the BC government predicts that 77.3% of all jobs will require a post-secondary education. That means in seven years provincial governments will not provide the education needed for three-quarters of all jobs whereas for decades those same governments believed it was important enough to provide the education for every job.
When Canada was founded, education was seen as the extremely important public good that it is. Even in that most conservative era of small government, where health care wasn’t paid for, roads were tolled, and government sanitation services were non-existent, education was such a priority that our provincial governments sought to make it entirely free to every citizen, to provide the training and skills for any and every job.
That is how education in Canada was originally viewed by government, and that is how all education necessary for all employment was publicly provided for decades. Of course over time that changed, and now Canada has a skilled labour shortage, productivity is declining, and our economy is stagnating.
And though today education remains perhaps the most beneficial public good, it is now a costly private expense, while health care, an almost entirely private good, along with roads and sanitation are completely paid for with public funds.
The great past of Canada was built on the importance of education and the complete public provision of it in order to train its citizens for every job. Over the last few decades that has changed, and with it so has Canada’s opportunity for a great future.
1. [Richard Gwyn. John A, The Man Who Made Us, p.321 ]↩
Continue readingThe Scott Ross: Canada Originally Intended All Education To Be Free
Out of Canada’s 33 Fathers of Confederation, only one went to university.1 It’s not that Nova Scotia’s Charles Tupper was the only intelligent one among them, other founders were businessmen, doctors, and lawyers, it’s that none of those jobs, and many others, did not require any post-secondary education. The eduction
Continue readingThe Scott Ross: Canada Originally Intended All Education To Be Free
Out of Canada’s 33 Fathers of Confederation, only one went to university.1 It’s not that Nova Scotia’s Charles Tupper was the only intelligent one among them, other founders were businessmen, doctors, and lawyers, it’s that none of those jobs, and many others, did not require any post-secondary education. And the
Continue readingThe Scott Ross: How Harper Made The Senate More Accountable, Even If Just A Little
If Justin Beiber was in the Canadian Senate it would be the most watched institution in all of government, and, undoubtedly, the most accountable. For if the Biebs walked down the Ottawan red carpet into that similarly coloured chamber, his every action would be televised, sensationalized, and scrutinized. There wouldn’t
Continue readingThe Scott Ross: How Harper Made The Senate More Accountable, Even If Just A Little
If Justin Beiber was in the Canadian Senate it would be the most watched institution in all of government, and, undoubtedly, the most accountable.For if the Biebs walked down the Ottawan red carpet into that similarly coloured chamber, his every action…
Continue readingThe Scott Ross: How Harper Made The Senate More Accountable, Even If Just A Little
If Justin Beiber was in the Canadian Senate it would be the most watched institution in all of government, and, undoubtedly, the most accountable. For if the Biebs walked down the Ottawan red carpet into that similarly coloured chamber, his every action would be televised, sensationalized, and scrutinized. There wouldn’t
Continue reading