Progressive Economics Forum

The new EI appeals process isn't working. Here's why.

Progressive Economics Forum — Thu, 15 Dec 2016 14:37:47 +0000

Last weekend, Quebec unions and activists issued a joint statement on the appeals process in employment insurance, calling on Trudeau to review the appeals process. The 2012 budget removed part-time panels of three community representatives -- one labour, one business, and one government, and replaced them with full-time adjudicators working on their own. The joint statement contains some very good information about why we think the new appeals process isn't working, so I'm posting it here, in English.

Statement on challenging Employment Insurance decisions, Fall 2016

Stop Trump copycats by listening to workers on trade

Progressive Economics Forum — Fri, 18 Nov 2016 14:41:47 +0000

I presented at the Standing Committee on International Trade's incredibly brief review of the implementing legislation for CETA. With me were representatives from the Business Council of Canada, the Chamber of Commerce, and the Canadian Cattleman's Association. There are only two more meetings scheduled, and there are no IP experts, no pharmaceutical experts, no representatives from either our shipping industry or labour groups representing seafarers. There were no representatives from municipalities, even though CETA is the first deal to apply at that level of government, and more than 50 municipalities have asked to be carved out of the deal. This is hardly a shining example of how to govern inclusively, transparently, or progressively.

How do you solve a problem like precarious work?

Progressive Economics Forum — Fri, 28 Oct 2016 14:07:13 +0000

Finance Minister Bill Morneau has taken quite a bit of heat for his tone deaf comments about the reality of precarious work, specifically saying that we should just "get used to job churn." His policy prescription, an improved social safety net, is actually a valid part of the solution. But must we accept that the precarious will always be with us? That is, what can government actually do to address precarious work?

First of all, has the Finance Minister accurately understood the issue? There is a great deal of hubbub about precarious work; can it be reduced to simply "job churn"?

Pitching a new social program? Ten things to know about central agencies in Canada

Progressive Economics Forum — Wed, 10 Aug 2016 14:29:09 +0000

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The role of sharing data in ending homelessness

Progressive Economics Forum — Thu, 28 Jul 2016 16:06:58 +0000

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On May 4, 2016, approximately 40 people attended the First Annual Canadian Homelessness Data Sharing Initiative, sponsored in Calgary by the Calgary Homeless Foundation and the University of Calgary's School of Public Policy. Those attending included government officials, researchers and students. Here are 10 things to know about the event.

Ten things to know about the 2016 Alberta budget

Progressive Economics Forum — Wed, 04 May 2016 13:57:59 +0000

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On April 14, the Alberta government tabled its 2016-17 budget: Alberta Jobs Plan. Here are 10 things to know about it:

1. A new carbon tax (known as a "carbon levy") was announced.

This Equal Pay Day, let's mobilize for change

Progressive Economics Forum — Tue, 19 Apr 2016 15:04:18 +0000

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Every year, women around the world celebrate (angrily) the day their average full-time full-year earnings have caught up to men's average full-time full-year earnings from the year before.

This year in the United States that day fell on April 12. In Germany it was March 19. In Switzerland it was February 24.

In Ontario? Equal Pay Day* comes on April 19.

EI changes in Budget 2016: What workers need to know

Progressive Economics Forum — Thu, 24 Mar 2016 12:08:54 +0000

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The 2016 budget announces some much-needed improvements to employment insurance, and leaves room for more changes in the near future. The changes announced in the budget are largely positive, but many details are still missing, and some stinkers from Harper are left unchanged.

The good

We need employment insurance reform in Budget 2016

Progressive Economics Forum — Thu, 18 Feb 2016 01:32:46 +0000

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A coalition of community and labour organizations have come together to present their views on necessary EI reforms as part of the pre-budget process.

Joint community and labour statement on the 2016 Budget, stimulus and EI

We urge the government to act quickly and decisively to restore the integrity of Canada's EI social insurance system.

Homelessness in Canada: Its growth, policy responses and advocacy

Progressive Economics Forum — Fri, 05 Feb 2016 15:23:57 +0000

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Boosting the economy for the rest of us

Progressive Economics Forum — Wed, 27 Jan 2016 13:29:19 +0000

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Tracking work in 2016: Jobs and growth after the Great Recession

Progressive Economics Forum — Wed, 06 Jan 2016 15:19:15 +0000

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This is the time of year when articles list their favourite things about last year, and their "things to watch" for the next year.

Naturally, my "things to watch" list will always include the labour market. Where have we seen the strongest job growth or worst job losses, and what are the trends that might affect this in the coming year?

10 things to know about the challenges of ending homelessness in Canada

Progressive Economics Forum — Wed, 25 Nov 2015 19:22:40 +0000

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On November 18, I gave a presentation on "ending homelessness" at the 7 Cities Leadership Summit in Edmonton. My PowerPoint slides can be downloaded here.

Here are ten things to know about "ending homelessness" in Canada:

Five things to know about pre-1964 Canadian housing policy

Progressive Economics Forum — Thu, 05 Nov 2015 15:39:21 +0000

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On November 4, I gave a historical presentation on Canadian housing policy at the annual conference of the Canadian Alliance to End Homelessness. My slide presentation, which focused on pre-1964 Canadian social history, can be downloaded here.

Harper's climate claims: Taking credit where it's not due

Progressive Economics Forum — Tue, 06 Oct 2015 15:55:56 +0000

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On the election's climate file, Prime Minister Harper has claimed that his is the "first government in Canadian history that has actually been able to see a reduction in our greenhouse gas emissions while at the same time seeing the economy grow." This is very much a case of claiming credit where it is not due, from a prime minister who is only pretending to care about the issue amid the spotlight of the election campaign.

First Nations education is critical social infrastructure

Progressive Economics Forum — Thu, 01 Oct 2015 15:39:24 +0000

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Many Canadians know that the federal government is responsible for funding social services, health care, education and income supports on First Nations reserves.

Few people realize that the escalator for these transfer payments has been frozen at two per cent per year since 1996, without consideration for population growth or need.

Ten things to know about homelessness in Canada

Progressive Economics Forum — Wed, 30 Sep 2015 14:53:32 +0000

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This afternoon I gave a presentation at Raising the Roof's Child and Family Homelessness Stakeholder Summit in Toronto. My slide deck can be downloaded here. To accompany the presentation, I've prepared the following list of "Ten Things to Know About Homelessness in Canada."

Memo from Washington: The Pope's call for climate action

Progressive Economics Forum — Tue, 29 Sep 2015 14:53:37 +0000

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The positive economic impacts of infrastructure investment

Progressive Economics Forum — Thu, 24 Sep 2015 14:55:48 +0000

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A five-year $50-billion public infrastructure spending initiative would generate a return on investment to Canadians over the long term as high as $3.83 per dollar spent, trigger significant private sector investment and stimulate wage increases, according to a new study by an independent economic modelling firm.

Missing in (debate) action: Macroeconomic lessons from the Great Depression

Progressive Economics Forum — Wed, 23 Sep 2015 14:58:57 +0000

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Election 2015: The political economy of balanced budgets

Progressive Economics Forum — Tue, 22 Sep 2015 15:25:39 +0000

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First, disclosure. I wear several hats. In addition to being a progressive economist, I am a member of the NDP. I have been since 1988. I will be voting for the NDP candidate in my riding and I just donated $100 to the party, with more to follow.

Small business taxes, big loopholes

Progressive Economics Forum — Tue, 15 Sep 2015 15:42:48 +0000

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Small business taxes made the news last week when, during a CBC interview, federal Liberal leader Justin Trudeau suggested many business owners are using the small business tax rate as a de facto in-country tax shelter.

Balanced budget myopia breaks both ways

Progressive Economics Forum — Tue, 01 Sep 2015 13:24:36 +0000

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Opinions on deficit budgeting have become a shorthand litmus test in Canadian politics. Deficits are left wing and balanced budgets are right-wing austerity. Economists know that there is virtually no difference between a small surplus and a small deficit, but politicians and voters are a different story.

I have spent the past three and half years railing against premature Conservative budgetary tightening, so when Thomas Mulcair said he wasn't entertaining the possibility of a budget deficit in 2016, I was among those progressive economists who groaned and rolled their eyes in frustration.

Five reasons not to expect an economic recovery this year

Progressive Economics Forum — Tue, 25 Aug 2015 14:45:41 +0000

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With news of economic turmoil in China and other emerging economies, repercussions for Canada will be quite "atrocious." Expect the recession to continue beyond the second quarter of 2015.

Survey sheds new light on job vacancies

Progressive Economics Forum — Tue, 25 Aug 2015 14:00:08 +0000

Congratulations to StatsCan on the occasion of the first release from the National Job Vacancy and Wage Survey, with data for the first quarter of this year. The survey received funding from HRSDC to put some hard numbers on job vacancies, and the first tranche of data are impressively granular, providing detail on vacancies at a detailed occupational level and by economic region as well as by province. (In addition to what is published in the Daily and on CANSIM, StatsCan will provide detailed tables on request.)

Harper's housing promises and the crisis of affordability

Progressive Economics Forum — Tue, 18 Aug 2015 14:26:45 +0000

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Over the past two weeks, Stephen Harper has made three new housing-related promises on the campaign trail. However, they won't help the crisis of affordability. The pattern is familiar: make things worse and prepare to blame others.

This election, let's have a real debate about legalizing marijuana

Progressive Economics Forum — Thu, 13 Aug 2015 15:10:53 +0000

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No, Mr. Harper, the economy is not doing fine

Progressive Economics Forum — Wed, 12 Aug 2015 14:47:19 +0000

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Mr. Harper and the Conservatives never miss an opportunity of reminding Canadians that we should vote for them in October in order to ensure economic prosperity in the future. At the heart of this argument is the belief that they are the best-equipped political party to manage the Canadian economy. Yet a new study arrives at the very opposite conclusion: Mr. Harper's government has the worst economic record of all federal governments in Canada since 1946.

Bribing people with their own money: The home reno tax credit

Progressive Economics Forum — Wed, 05 Aug 2015 14:51:49 +0000

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The first major election promise from the federal Conservatives: a permanent home renovation tax credit. On the surface this looks like an astute manoeuvre, given that home renovation has been booming in recent years. Canadian Press called the proposed credit a "big budget campaign promise," but on closer inspection it is pretty underwhelming.

Canada's new recession and the push for alternatives

Progressive Economics Forum — Tue, 04 Aug 2015 14:11:22 +0000

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The Bank of Canada cut its benchmark interest rate two weeks ago to nearly record lows, now just 0.5 per cent. In the face of an oil shock and other weakness, monetary policy is expected to do the heavy lifting of beating an economic funk. The move reflects a poverty of economic policy from the ruling Conservatives and much of the political class.