A Space Race Approach to Fighting Climate Change
Here’s a neat idea: save the planet using the research and development practices used during the space race. The state-lead push for advanced science led to really fun things like…
funding
How Ontario public sector health care funding lags behind
The Ontario public sector spends less than almost all other provinces on health care. And it’s falling further behind. Over the most recent four years per capita spending increased 9.7%…
Creative Funding for Green Startups
You are an entrepreneur with a fantastic idea for a green startup. You go to the bank for funding but they turn you down. What do you do? Fear not,…
US and Canadian public health care costs compared
Despite the lack of universal public insurance, U.S. governments actually spend much moreon health care than Canadian governments. Public sector health expenditure in the U.S.A. accounts for 8.5% of the…
Premiers focus on cuts and ignore falling federal health care funding
As feared yesterday— the premiers have rolled. They didn’t even dare to beg for better federal health care funding in their media release on health care from their meeting (“The…
Will premiers fight for federal health care funding?
At this week’s meeting of the provincial premiers there were some sharp complaints about the federal government. But missing — so far — is any significant complaint about the one…
Are hospitals primarily providers of acute care?
Hospitals are often stereotyped as providers of acute care services. In fact, acute care accounts for a relatively small portion of total hospital services. As noted a few days ago,…
Harper Conservatives failing BC’s First Nations children: PBO report
Reported by: Obert Madondo | Twitter: @Obiemad: First Nations demand a better deal from the Canadian Government during a massive December 2012 protest on Parliament Hill. (Photo: Obert Madondo) A…
CUPE: B.C. school support staff layoffs “devastating”
By: CUPE | Press Release NEW WESTMINSTER, BC – Education workers and students are paying the price for ballooning deficits in Coquitlam and New Westminster. The districts have announced layoffs…
Doctors get lion’s share of Budget funding
Forget all the government Budget rhetoric about better home care. The real winners are the docs. The Ontario Budget Estimates are out and the line item primarily covering the doctors…
Government: "collective bargaining is achieving results & protecting services"
Yesterday I noted that the Liberal Budget plainly states that they are planning many more years of austerity. So how does it see collective bargaining with public employees? And, moreover,…
Health care spending continues decline
Contrary to the hysteria from conservatives, health care spending continues to decline as a percentage of the provincial budget. Last year, health care accounted for 38.5% of total expenditures, this…
The Humanitarian Coalition Launches Joint Appeal for Syrian Refugees
By: Humanitarian Coalition | Press Release: OTTAWA, May 14, 2013 – Today, the Humanitarian Coalition and its member agencies are launching a national joint appeal to raise funds to assist…
NDP demands action on missing $3.1 billion in anti-terrorism funding
By: Obert Madondo | The Canadian Progressive: Last week, the Auditor General reported that the Harper Conservatives can’t account for $3.1 billion of the $12.9 billion allocated to the Public…
Ontario Finance Minister plans cuts in public services
The Ontario government just lopped another $2.1 billion off their 2012-13 deficit estimate, cutting it from $11.9 billion (as of January) to $9.8 billion. This means that since 2010 when…
A tangible response to physiotherapy cuts – the province finally adds community capacity
After significantly cutting outpatient physiotherapy at hospitals across Ontario, the government is finally putting something back. The Ministry of Health says it is making a major investment in community-based physiotherapy,…
Harper cut to Health Council of Canada could signal end of national health care
By: Canadian Health Coalition | Press Release: OTTAWA, April 17, 2013 – The Canadian Health Coalition issued an urgent alert to Canadians in light of today’s news that the Harper…
Hospital costs lower in Ontario
The “cost per weighted case” in Ontario hospitals in 2010-11 was $5,143, according to a new report from CIHI. (This indicator measures the relative cost-efficiency of a hospital’s ability to…
Homecare funding falls short – of even aging cost pressures?
The Ontario government likes to suggest that the planned annual 4% nominal increase in “home and community care” funding will offset their cuts to hospital services and squeeze on long…