Christine Saulnier

The Fight for $15 in Nova Scotia: A bottom-up approach that benefits us all

CMS — Thu, 12 May 2016 13:17:43 +0000

Like this article? rabble is reader-supported journalism. Chip in to keep stories like these coming.

Nova Scotia Budget 2015: Ignores real problems, lacks vision

Behind The Numbers — Fri, 10 Apr 2015 12:52:56 +0000

The Nova Scotia budget tabled this week is without vision. It was constructed to deal primarily with the deficit.

Undertaking "restructuring" and "right-sizing" of the public sector to balance the budget may well make things worse. In contrast, CCPA-NS projected that Nova Scotia's fiscal health will continually improve provided the government recognizes its responsibility to invest in the economy, and economic growth.

Benevolent exploitation: Government should protect payday loan consumers, not businesses

Behind The Numbers — Fri, 13 Feb 2015 14:19:54 +0000

Like this article? Chip in to keep stories likes these coming.

On Tuesday of this week, I presented at the Utility and Review Board hearing on payday loans. The UARB is reviewing the payday regulations and will issue a decision on these loans in a few weeks. This post details what I presented to the Board: at best payday lenders are predators and at worst engage in benevolent exploitation. There is a clear need to more strictly regulate and enforce regulations.

A generation of broken promises: The 2014 Report Card on Child and Family Poverty in Nova Scotia

Behind The Numbers — Tue, 25 Nov 2014 14:27:11 +0000

"Study after study describes poverty as a profound and damning thing for child development. The political response has been to watch poverty levels dip and rise. On the sidelines, statisticians have debated how measurement might best occur…too often with a view to reporting the lowest numbers possible. There have been champions. Despite that Canada has arrived at a shameful place.

Right now our inaction tells the world this nation thinks one in four children are not worth it.

Not worth feeding.

Not worth shelter.

Nova Scotia Tax Review: Eroding tax fairness

Behind The Numbers — Thu, 20 Nov 2014 13:56:34 +0000

The Nova Scotia Tax Review released this week lacks an analysis of the impact its tax changes will have on Nova Scotians. Who would benefit? A simple distributional analysis of different income groups would give us some information. Not available. (Informative to check out the analysis we did for the Hamm government's proposed cuts back in 2003 -- by income level and by gender and county.)

A budget that builds a Nova Scotia economy for the people

Behind The Numbers — Thu, 27 Mar 2014 12:19:06 +0000

After more than 30 years of jobless growth and growing household debt punctuated by a series of increasingly severe economic crises, September 17, 2011 marked an important turning point. On that day, "thousands of people marched on the Financial District, then formed an encampment in Zuccotti Park, launching a movement that shifted the conversation on economic inequality." Following the emergence of "Occupy Wall St," similar "Occupy" movements sprang up all around the world, including here in Nova Scotia. Occupy is driven by the clear sense that it is not only possible but absolutely necessary to build an economy for the people, not for corporations and the wealthy.

Consider this an outcry about special-needs income assistance in Nova Scotia

Behind The Numbers — Thu, 25 Jul 2013 13:06:16 +0000

The government's response to our recent report on special-needs income assistance allowances requires a response on two counts in particular.

First, the Minister of Community Services says: "the report stating these changes have hurt people is totally erroneous. That's totally wrong." That claim is unfounded.

Atlantic Canada's story of inequality

Behind The Numbers — Thu, 31 Jan 2013 15:27:29 +0000

Change the conversation, support rabble.ca today.

Statistics Canada released new data this week on high income trends in Canada with nary a mention of the Atlantic Provinces. From a Canadian comparative perspective, the data told a story that was more striking for most of the rest of the country and in particular, Alberta, Ontario, B.C. and Quebec, where 92 per cent of the top 1 per cent of tax filers are found, with only 3.4 per cent in Atlantic Canada.

The inequality that exists in Atlantic Canada also tells a story that demands illustration.

CETA and Nova Scotia: Oversold benefits, untold costs

Behind The Numbers — Wed, 24 Oct 2012 13:37:35 +0000

A new report on the Comprehensive Economic Trade Agreement (CETA) concludes that the agreement’s benefits for Nova Scotia are being oversold, while its costs and consequences are minimized or even ignored.

HST cut in Nova Scotia: Detracting from real debate about our future

CMS — Fri, 06 Apr 2012 18:07:05 +0000

The Nova Scotia government has just announced that it will cut the HST by one per cent next year and one per cent the following year. This cut will reverse the two per cent increase the government imposed in order to assist it to achieve a balanced budget. Increasing the HST was part of a four year plan to balance the budget, which included increasing taxes and cutting spending. Since this government came into office in 2009, its mantra has been that the government of Nova Scotia needs to “live within its means.” But this focus has detracted from the bigger questions we should focus on during budget time and all throughout a government’s mandate: what does and what should government do for Nova Scotians and how will it pay for what it needs to do?

The NS NDP introduces an energy tax rebate: In whose interest?

CMS — Fri, 18 Sep 2009 16:44:51 +0000

The NS legislature reopened this week, but the NS NDP has already been busy following through on some of its election promises. One of these was to institute an energy tax rebate making life more affordable for families. But does it?

In an interview about the energy tax rebate, Premier Darrell Dexter suggested that this was important because ‘the necessities of life should not be taxed.'

Electricity costs are indeed a necessity, but whether basic necessities are taxed is beside the point. The point really is whether basic necessities are available and accessible to all who need them.