Evidence vs. Ivison
If the National Post’s John Ivison wanted to agitate this blog’s authors, he could not have done much better than last week’s commentary on the census numbers. It was printed…
employment insurance
Job Shortages? What Shortages?
Sigh. Here we go again. More evidence-free corporate policy advocacy. The Chamber of Commerce put out a report today – actually I can’t find much in the way of background…
Saturday Morning Links
Assorted content for your weekend reading. – Mike Ward nicely describes the “Orwellian reverie” being used by the Cons to try to manipulate the public into acceding to the every…
Parliament in Review: November 29, 2011
Tuesday, November 29 saw debate at third reading on the Cons’ omnibus crime bill. And with even some Cons starting to recognize the desperate need for amendments, the government’s obstinate…
Parliament in Review: November 24, 2011
The main topic of debate in the House of Commons on Thursday, November 24 was again copyright – and once more, the Cons couldn’t be bothered to try to defend…
EI financing agency spends millions doing nothing – Politics – CBC News
So much for being fiscally responsible! Maybe the reason the number of Service Canada’s E.I. offices is being slashed by over 80% is to pay for this boondoggle. EI financing…
Monday Morning Links
Assorted content to start your week. – Erin nicely challenges Brad Wall’s efforts to tilt the playing field against poorer provinces when it comes to Employment Insurance and equalization. –…
Parliament in Review: November 18, 2011
Friday, November 18 saw two pieces of legislation discussed. And the contrast couldn’t have been much more stark between an opposition effort to develop better legislation, and a government focused…
Wall Strikes Out on Fiscal Federalism
Saskatchewan’s Brad Wall recently issued a statement exhorting his fellow Premiers to blaze largely unspecified new trails on healthcare, Employment Insurance and Equalization. Unfortunately, he misses the ball on all…
EI Benefits Decline Amid Rising Unemployment
Today, Statistics Canada reported that the number of Canadians receiving Employment Insurance (EI) benefits fell for a third consecutive month in November. This decline would be good news if it…
The “Job Seekers Allowance”
Michael Mendelson has posted a long comment on my earlier post regarding the Mowat Report on EI. He defends Caledon’s proposal for temporary non EI income support for the unemployed…
Backlogged by Design?
It is an old tried and tested political trick. If you want to look like a hero, break something while no one is looking… fix it and then take all…
Friday Evening Links
Assorted content to end your week. – No, we shouldn’t be surprised that the Harper Cons are allowing defence contractors to deliver nothing at all. But is it really so…
Parliament in Review: November 15, 2011
Much of Tuesday, November 15 was spent discussing C-13, the Cons’ budget implementation bill. And with a giant and scattered omnibus bill came a Commons debate to match. The Big…
Social Insurance Benefits Increase Tomorrow!
Amidst the plethora of media reports on “payroll tax” increases for 2012, there was little mention of increases in benefits. There are, of course, two sides to social insurance programs.…
Stephen Harper and the War on the Unemployed
You don’t have to be a weatherman, or an economist, to know that a cold wind is blowing in Harperland, and that a recession could be just around the corner.…
Wednesday Morning Links
Miscellaneous material for your mid-week reading. – The Edmonton Journal makes it clear that the Cons’ efforts to stymie any global climate change agreement aren’t without some serious controversy even…
EI Coverage Falls Below 40%
It may be a grim Christmas for thousands of unemployed Canadians. Today’s Employment Insurance figures show that fewer workers received benefits in October, even as more became unemployed and filed…
Decoding Dunderdale
James McLeod has a great piece in the Telegram today. It comes complete with a great headline derived from a quote the Premier provides, all of which, in its own…
More on Mowat and Winners and Losers from EI
Further to my post yesterday on the Mowat report on EI, I looked up the most recent rates of unemployment for the 58 EI regions. In the current regionally differentiated…