Here, on why we shouldn’t limit the range of possible contenders in the Saskatchewan NDP’s leadership race – and the number of supporters an outside candidate might need to reach in order to find a place on a final ballot. Demographics from the column are found here (as to Saskatchewan’s
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The Progressive Economics Forum: Canada’s Self-Imposed Crisis in Post-Secondary Education
On June 7, I gave a keynote address to the Alberta Union of Provincial Employees Education Sector Conference. My PowerPoint presentation (with full references) can be found at this link. Points I raised in the address include the following: -Canada’s economy has been growing quite steadily over the past three
Continue readingPolitics and Entertainment: a tiny glimpse into the ways our government serves the corporate and financial world, not the people of Canada
Some Key Areas Where Neoliberal Policy Undermines both the Industrial Economy and Canadian Democracy Under the Harper Regime, the investor class is constantly being protected at the expense of the real industrial economy, for just about all policy decisions privilege both the financial sector, with its market-driven initiatives and debt-driven
Continue readingThe Progressive Economics Forum: While You Were Sleeping: Fed Policies Make It Easier to Hire a Cheaper You
A shorter version of this article appeared today in the Globe and Mail’s Economy Lab Have you noticed how common it has become to talk about replacing workers with even cheaper workers? If you’re looking over your shoulder, you’re not paranoid; you’re paying attention. There’s probably a cheaper you out
Continue readingThe Progressive Economics Forum: Quebec Students: “Faire Leur Juste Part”
Simon Tremblay-Pepin, an emerging social policy scholar, has recently blogged here (in French) about Quebec tuition fees. He points out that, when one adjusts for inflation, Quebec tuition fees are headed into uncharted territory. Indeed, contrary to some recent spin from the Charest government, Tremblay-Pepin makes two important observations: 1.
Continue readingThe Progressive Economics Forum: Stapleton on Harper’s Proposed OAS/GIS Changes
John Stapleton has an opinion piece out on Prime Minister Harper’s proposed changes to Old Age Security (OAS) and the Guaranteed Income Supplement (GIS). I find the following quote from Stapleton to be particularly troubling: By providing OAS and GIS at age 65, Canada has greatly reduced the incidence of poverty
Continue readingThe Progressive Economics Forum: Diane Finley’s Demographics
On CTV yesterday, human resources minister Diane Finley said (45 seconds into this interview): “As we go forward, we’re going to have three times the expense in Old Age Security as we do now, but we’re only going to have half the population to pay for it.” That sounds pretty
Continue readingTrashy's World: Yup, there are more than…
… few Grit and Dipper lips smacking at the prospect of running against Harper on the issue of raising the retirement age to 67. While some of Harper’s holy pronouncements in Davos are basically no-brainers (e.g., reforming the immigration system), bringing up the spectre of changing retirement rules mid-game is NOT going to be a
Continue readingPolitics and Entertainment: Smart Polling from EKOS: No Sign of Ontario Shifting to Tories
HIGHLIGHTS
Click to Enlarge 37.8% LPO
30.6% PC
22.7% NDP
7.3% Green
1.6% other
Direction of province (Ontario):59% right direction
41% wrong direction
Direction of provincial government (Ontario):53% right direction
47% wrong direction
Impact of m…
bastard.logic: Greatly Exaggerated Rumours, Jack Layton Edition
by matttbastard Michael Valpy addresses the current conventional wisdom that without Jack Layton, the NDP — and Canada’s left — is now doomed, doomed, DOOMED! Ahem. Sorry ’bout that. Now, where were we? Oh! Right. Valpy: When polls from the … Continue reading →
Continue readingThe Sir Robert Bond Papers: Labour crunch coming
Only the naive or the demented would portray the looming labour crunch in the province as a “tremendous opportunity”. A report released on Wednesday by the provincial human resources department forecasts that by 2020 – less than a decade fro…
Continue readingThe Sir Robert Bond Papers: Population drops in NL again
Recent population figures from Statistics Canada suggest the recession is over and things are getting back to normal. Population in Newfoundland and Labrador dropped in the last quarter primarily due to out-migration. Regular readers of these e-scrib…
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