Policy Note

Trump and Trudeau's 'stealth privatization' will be at the taxpayer's expense

PolicyNote — Thu, 26 Jan 2017 02:59:28 +0000

As with most of Donald Trump's policy ideas, details are still sparse on his plan for rebuilding America's crumbling infrastructure. But two main pillars of the plan, outlined during the election campaign, stand out. First, he's talking a big game -- a proposed $1 trillion in infrastructure investment to be "spurred" over 10 years. Second -- and here's the rub -- the Trump plan would move to privatize infrastructure on an unprecedented scale, lining the pockets of investors with huge tax breaks in the process.

B.C. saw 73,000 new jobs created in 2016, but this is not a good news story

PolicyNote — Thu, 12 Jan 2017 04:03:56 +0000

We hear a lot about B.C.'s strong jobs performance -- it's mentioned in every speech and media appearance by our Premier and members of her government. On the surface, it sounds like a good news story with over 73,000 new jobs created in 2016 while many provinces actually lost jobs. But what the Premier doesn't say is that most of these jobs were created in Metro Vancouver and Victoria, and our longer-term track record on job creation is much less rosy.

Unpacking Kinder Morgan's employment promises

PolicyNote — Sat, 24 Dec 2016 04:32:40 +0000

After the federal approval of Kinder Morgan's controversial Trans Mountain Pipeline Expansion (TMX), Alberta Premier Rachel Notley came to B.C. to sell the pipeline's economic benefits. She claims B.C. will get a $1 billion per year boost in GDP as a result of the pipeline, as well as thousands of jobs in both construction and operations once the pipeline is built.

There is good reason to believe, however, that the incremental income and employment gains for ordinary working British Columbians are likely to be substantially less. The project would lead to a small increase in total GDP in the province, but the main benefits are in the construction phase, and even there the benefits have been grossly inflated. In the long run, we can only bank on about 50 new permanent jobs.

Confronting the neoliberal addiction to colonialism, consumption, and greed

PolicyNote — Fri, 02 Dec 2016 04:39:24 +0000

I know I am not alone shedding tears for the story of the 2016 American election. These aren't the tears of a campaign or game lost, or an ego wounded, nor are they tears of aloneness, because I know I am not the only one who is afraid.

These tears connect me to all of those who are afraid. We are connected because the politics of hatred and fear are less visible but alive in Canada too, because the fear of discrimination and violence is shared by women and so many minority groups in America, because those who voted for Trump are afraid too. There is fear all around us.

Refugees are bringing new attention to the gaps in our social safety net

PolicyNote — Thu, 28 Jan 2016 16:36:44 +0000

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As we welcome refugees in larger numbers this year, the spotlight is turned on our disintegrating social infrastructure.

No shortage of compelling budget ideas for Finance Minister Bill Morneau

PolicyNote — Wed, 27 Jan 2016 17:10:58 +0000

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New federal finance minister Bill Morneau has invited Canadians to submit their ideas and priorities for the next Federal Budget. People are welcome to share their suggestions via email, a survey and social media on a site the government has created here.

What's wrong with a revenue neutral carbon tax?

PolicyNote — Mon, 25 Jan 2016 21:02:36 +0000

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The political appeal of a revenue neutral carbon tax is clear. The tax provides an incentive to reduce fossil fuel use, and the revenue neutrality -- reducing income or other taxes in amounts more or less equal to the amount of carbon tax revenues that the government receives -- makes the whole exercise rather painless.

B.C.'s bump in homeowner grant threshold is not the good deal suggested

PolicyNote — Tue, 12 Jan 2016 15:38:59 +0000

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Admitting a post-Paris truth: B.C.'s LNG pipe dream is over

PolicyNote — Tue, 05 Jan 2016 14:09:47 +0000

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Since the signing of the new climate treaty in Paris last month, there's been plenty of debate as to whether the new global agreement is a turning point or merely more hollow promises.

Real test of Paris climate agreement will be how markets and regulators react

PolicyNote — Tue, 15 Dec 2015 14:48:29 +0000

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So did we save the planet?

From the outset, this was never about "saving the planet." Our spinning hunk of rock has been around billions of years and will continue to support diverse life forms long past the time humans roam it. The question is whether we have a planet that can support human life over the long term, in something close to the style with which we have become accustomed.

We're putting fossil fuel industry influence under the microscope

PolicyNote — Thu, 03 Dec 2015 16:52:09 +0000

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Why corporate power is a problem at the climate crossroads

PolicyNote — Wed, 02 Dec 2015 14:41:27 +0000

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Want to create good, sustainable jobs for Canada? Try co-ops.

PolicyNote — Tue, 01 Dec 2015 18:24:39 +0000

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In the coming months and years, the new federal government will make important decisions about jobs: how we create them, protect them and make them more sustainable.

Many Canadians believe there's a trade-off to be made between employment and environmental sustainability. But that doesn't have to be the case -- particularly if we look at co-operatives as a source of jobs.

Five signs the B.C. economy is weak -- and what this means for 2016

PolicyNote — Fri, 27 Nov 2015 21:00:44 +0000

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Yesterday, the B.C. provincial government released its 2015/16 Second Quarterly Report: an update on where provincial finances are at six months into the fiscal year and where the economy is heading.

The news is not very good.

Five signs the B.C. economy is weak and what this means for Budget 2016

PolicyNote — Thu, 26 Nov 2015 17:40:26 +0000

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This week, the provincial government released its 2015/16 Second Quarterly Report: an update on where provincial finances are at six months into the fiscal year and where the economy is heading.

The news is not very good.

Why do so many people need food banks when the B.C. economy is growing?

PolicyNote — Thu, 19 Nov 2015 16:37:10 +0000

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Last week, Statistics Canada released new data showing the B.C. economy did better than expected in 2014, growing by 3.2 per cent in real terms. This is a strong economic performance, the fastest on record since the recession ended.

We need a 'war-time' approach to tackling the climate challenge

PolicyNote — Wed, 18 Nov 2015 17:33:41 +0000

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Five whoppers British Columbians are being sold on LNG

PolicyNote — Fri, 13 Nov 2015 17:38:41 +0000

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Senate appointments plan would create a new aristocracy of the distinguished

PolicyNote — Wed, 04 Nov 2015 17:13:49 +0000

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Ruth Ellen Brosseau is a member of Parliament against the odds. A single mother and the assistant manager of a pub, she was elected in 2011, as Wikipedia describes her, as a "paper candidate" because the NDP had no viable nominee in the riding." But here's the thing. She worked hard, she impressed her constituents and was re-elected in 2015.

The election is over. Now can we really talk about gender inequality?

PolicyNote — Tue, 03 Nov 2015 17:14:22 +0000

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After an election campaign in which women's equality became a rhetorical tool in a divisive attempt to instill fear and xenophobia in voters and control women's religious choices, Canada has opted for a more hopeful federal government. But where does that leave women in B.C.?

Spotlight on health care austerity: Seniors residential care

PolicyNote — Mon, 02 Nov 2015 18:38:28 +0000

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Let's break down changes in health care spending by age group. You might think that as overall health care spending in B.C. has gone up, we would see bigger jumps for those over age 65. But this is not the case -- indeed, quite the opposite. This figure shows the change in health care spending per person between 1998 and 2012, after adjusting for inflation, by age group.

Austerity comes to B.C.'s health care system

PolicyNote — Fri, 30 Oct 2015 17:07:38 +0000

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For many years, B.C.'s health care system escaped the austerity imposed on other parts of the public sector. No longer. While total dollars allocated to health care are still increasing somewhat, those increases are not sufficient to keep up with cost drivers in the system, leading to a real reduction in health care services. This needs to be rectified in February's budget.

We have a new federal government. What now?

PolicyNote — Mon, 26 Oct 2015 17:46:30 +0000

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Monday's election results brought a palpable sense of relief to Canadians who had tired of the divisive and nasty politics of the Harper Conservatives, and they point to important lessons for progressives (which we outlined in this previous post).

Relief, cautious optimism and disappointments: Lessons from the 2015 federal election

PolicyNote — Fri, 23 Oct 2015 19:30:50 +0000

Few would have predicted a Liberal majority at the outset of the election campaign (or the collapse in the NDP vote that came with it). But it feels like a weight lifted, like we as a country have a chance at being our best selves, instead of our worst.

For a couple of Gen-Xers like us, who came of age politically just as neoliberalism was taking the world by storm, this week has also been a time of mixed feelings -- optimism and hope about the new Liberal government, tempered by our memories of the last time the Conservatives were firmly booted from office.

Why my dad and I will vote for health

PolicyNote — Fri, 16 Oct 2015 20:00:17 +0000

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As a family physician, the most important way I can help (and not harm) my patients, is to vote for health care in this election.

Throughout grade school, my dad took me with him to vote. Before I knew anything about politics, I understood my parents' pride in voting and democracy.

The new climate vision is not so new: Let's act on it

PolicyNote — Wed, 14 Oct 2015 14:20:34 +0000

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Child care and the federal election: Where have the parties landed?

PolicyNote — Tue, 13 Oct 2015 15:11:51 +0000

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Canada is one of the few advanced countries that doesn't yet have a national child-care system. We invest less in early childhood programs than any of our peer countries and fall far short of meeting the minimum public investment benchmarks recommended by UNICEF and the OECD.

Albertans support climate action: Lessons for the next federal government

PolicyNote — Thu, 08 Oct 2015 14:39:21 +0000

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Closing small business tax loopholes

PolicyNote — Mon, 05 Oct 2015 17:52:28 +0000

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The NDP, Liberals, Conservatives and Greens are now all proposing to cut the small business tax rate from 11 per cent to nine per cent (albeit on slightly differing timelines), an unnecessary and unwise policy, as outlined in previous CCPA posts. It may make for good politics, but it's a policy with no economic merit.

What's wrong with Site C

PolicyNote — Mon, 05 Oct 2015 17:43:48 +0000

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In a tweet no doubt designed to complement an unabashedly political debate taking place in the legislature this week, the Liberal caucus stated that Site C is the most reviewed project in B.C.'s history, it will create 10,000 jobs and will provide affordable, reliable clean power.

The tweet is partially true. The problem though is what it leaves out.