In Canada it is easy to see where elite consensus lies. Marijuana legislation is barrelling ahead (potheads rejoice!) and electoral reform is dead in the water and slowly sinking out of the public’s consciousness. This is how electoral reform died in Canada: “In response, Trudeau pointed to a difference of
Continue readingTag: Electoral Reform
Accidental Deliberations: Saturday Afternoon Links
Assorted content for your weekend reading. – Lana Payne discusses the divergence between an upper class with soaring incomes, and the bulk of the population facing stagnation and precarity: (W)hile the nation’s wealth or GDP looks good, less of it is getting shared around and more and more of it
Continue readingAccidental Deliberations: Sunday Morning Links
This and that for your Sunday reading. – Matt Bruenig writes that the concentration of wealth and power which is largely being attributed to crony capitalism is a natural byproduct of laissez-faire economics as well: An economy that distributes the national income based solely on the marginal productivity of each
Continue readingAccidental Deliberations: Wednesday Morning Links
Miscellaneous material for your mid-week reading. – Larry Elliott interviews Joseph Stiglitz about the rise of Donald Trump and other demagogues in the wake of public anger over inequality and economic unfairness. And Stiglitz also joins a group of economists calling for an end to austerity in the UK. –
Continue readingAccidental Deliberations: Sunday Morning Links
This and that for your Sunday reading. – Jonathan Ostry comments on the emerging recognition that inequality represents a barrier to economic development: I argue that greater attention should be paid to the consequences that economic policies have for income distribution (inequality). The reasons are four-fold. First, excessive levels of
Continue readingAccidental Deliberations: Tuesday Morning Links
This and that for your Tuesday reading. – Yves Engler discusses how Justin Trudeau is now the face of the exploitation of poor countries and workers by the Canadian mining industry. And Penny Collenette writes that governments and business should both bear responsibility for human rights – though it’s worth
Continue readingCuriosityCat: Good news coming on electoral reform says Andrew Coyne
In a thoughtful article Coyne ranges over the positive news springing up at levels below the federal level, regarding changes to our undemocratic first past the post electoral system (the one that PM Trudeau favours, given his decision to walk away from his campaign promise to end it). Ontario is
Continue readingAccidental Deliberations: Friday Evening Links
Assorted content to end your week. – Michael Paarlberg discusses how the ratchet effect is making American health care far more durable than Republicans may have realized – while recognizing that there’s a lesson to be drawn for the design of other social programs as to the value of a
Continue readingAccidental Deliberations: Tuesday Evening Links
This and that for your Tuesday reading. – Katie Allen reports on Kathleen O’Grady’s look at precarious work – and how a generation of young workers is being taught to expect nothing more. Gareth Hutchens discusses Sally McManus’ call for the labour movement to seek opportunities to disrupt an economic
Continue readingAccidental Deliberations: Saturday Afternoon Links
Assorted content for your weekend reading. – Larry Elliott is optimistic that the UK’s election result will lead to an end of destructive austerity. James Downie comments on the example Jeremy Corbyn’s campaign provides for progressives in the U.S. (and elsewhere). And Karl Nerenberg writes about the importance of youth
Continue readingAccidental Deliberations: Leadership 2017 Links
The latest from the federal NDP’s leadership campaign… – Charlie Angus has made his pitch for a national pharmacare program as one way of reducing health care inequality. – Guy Caron’s proposal for tax reform features plenty of progressive ideas to bring in more public revenue, including through inheritance and
Continue readingAccidental Deliberations: Sunday Morning Links
This and that for your Sunday reading. – Armine Yalnizyan writes that a $15 minimum wage is ultimately good for businesses as well as for people: When higher income households see wage gains, some of it goes to savings. Additional consumption also often flows to vacations and luxury goods, often
Continue readingAccidental Deliberations: Saturday Morning Links
Assorted content for your weekend reading. – Dalia Marin argues that in order to avoid corporate dominance over citizens and workers around the globe, we should be developing international competition policies and systems to combat the concentration of wealth: Two forces in today’s digital economy are driving the global decline
Continue readingAccidental Deliberations: Friday Morning Links
Assorted content to end your week. – Scott Sinclair writes that there’s no reason for any party to NAFTA to see itself as being stuck with the existing agreement (or worse), while also mentioning a few ways to substantially improve the rules governing North American trade: Canada should call Trump’s
Continue readingAccidental Deliberations: Sunday Morning Links
This and that for your Sunday reading. – Nick Bunker points out that the worst of the U.S.’ growing inequality since 2000 has come from the growing share of income going to capital concentrated in the .01%. And Lynn Parramore highlights Peter Temin’s case that the U.S. is regressing into
Continue readingAccidental Deliberations: New column day
Here, following up on this post as to the Libs’ cynical repudiation of the very concept of ideas and values in politics. For further reading…– Fair Vote Canada’s list of National Advisory Board members is here – and as noted, it hardly reflects the spin of being “anti-Liberal”. And FVC’s
Continue readingAccidental Deliberations: On anti-Liberalism
Last night, I responded on Twitter to David Akin’s Lib-fueled attack on citizen engagement in the Ottawa-Vanier by-election: Ummm, about that “anti-Liberal group” #lpc decided to whine about… https://t.co/P5EJiYTSfv #cdnpoli 1/ — Greg Fingas (@juristblog) April 2, 2017 Here’s how it viewed the #lpc when it promised electoral reform, as
Continue readingAccidental Deliberations: Saturday Morning Links
Assorted content for your weekend reading. – Nick Falvo, Janice Chan and Chidom Otogwu point out that housing is just one of the areas where federal action is needed to reduce poverty and its social harms in Canada. And Falvo also reviews Greg Suttor’s “Still Renovating” as a worthwhile look
Continue readingDemocracy Under Fire: Preferential Ballot Recommended for New Brunswick
An independent commission on electoral reform in New Brunswick isrecommending the province adopt a preferential ballot for choosing members of the legislature. The commission’s report, released Friday morning, says that would lead to a legislature that is more representative of what voters want. A preferential ballot “is a modest, pragmatic choice
Continue readingDemocracy Under Fire: Preferential Ballot Recommended for New Brunswick
An independent commission on electoral reform in New Brunswick isrecommending the province adopt a preferential ballot for choosing members of the legislature. The commission’s report, released Friday morning, says that would lead to a legislature that is more representative of what voters want. A preferential ballot “is a modest, pragmatic choice
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