The budget Quebecers needed

The budget Quebecers neededLegault government is revolutionizing how the province’s health care system is financed Inflation has hurt the wallets of Quebeckers, hard. They feel it every time they go to the grocery store, fill their gas tank, or pay rent. Compared to its pre-pandemic level, the price of a typical consumer basket has increased by 13.75 per…

Canada is suffering a care economy crisis

Canada is suffering a care economy crisisCanada’s governments must apply the lessons of COVID-19 to create a more gender-just future International Women’s Day, March 8th, is the annual commemoration that invites Canadians to take stock of the progress made toward gender equality in our country and beyond. But in 2023, more than three years after the COVID-19 crisis was declared, this…

A provincial remedy to the excesses of medical assisted suicide

A provincial remedy to the excesses of medical assisted suicideMAiD is changing our health system to one designed to bury us at the lowest possible cost Decriminalizing “Medical Assistance in Dying” (MAiD) in 2016 apparently confirmed a powerful social bias in favour of personal freedom. Presented as a free choice – affecting no one else – euthanasia seemed acceptable to most Canadians. However, this…

The Welfare Trap: Working pays little more than welfare

The Welfare Trap: Working pays little more than welfareHelping those stuck in the welfare trap could aid in addressing Canada’s labour shortage Would you take a job for $4.61 per hr? Probably not. But that’s the choice many Quebecers receiving social assistance are offered. With no exaggeration, they can either stay home or work full time for a whole year and earn a…

Canada’s health-care system desperately needs creative leadership

Canada’s health-care system desperately needs creative leadershipToo bad there’s none on offer When the Premiers were first called to a sit-down lunch to talk about health care with Prime Minister Trudeau, there was plenty of talk about the potential for systemic change, innovation and accountability. It seemed that Canadians and their leaders were finally on the same page in recognizing that…

Rents are out of control, but let’s not blame ‘the market’ for our woes

Rents are out of control, but let’s not blame ‘the market’ for our woesGradually, entire cities are becoming unaffordable for working families A new report from the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC) shows that rents are skyrocketing in many, if not most, Canadian cities. No surprise there. But this year’s annual report also documents, for the first time, rent increases in vacant units. It shows rents going…

Higher productivity can meet the labour shortage challenge

Higher productivity can meet the labour shortage challengeBut governments must first reduce the tax burden on companies to give them the room they need to improve their productivity Quebec has a shortage of workers. Before the start of the pandemic, the lack of labour was already one of the top concerns of Quebec companies. The situation hasn’t improved since then. In the…

Private facilities bring much needed competition to health care system

Private facilities bring much needed competition to health care systemThe competition will pressure governments to improve the public system Ontario Premier Doug Ford’s proposal to use private health centres to alleviate long wait lists has faced opposition from many quarters. It may seem counterintuitive, but Ford’s plan will actually ease the shortages of doctors and nurses. It was B.C.’s NDP government of the early…

Canada’s health-care system is a disaster

Canada’s health-care system is a disasterForeign-trained health professionals could help alleviate the strain Canada’s medical system is fast becoming a disaster area and a tragedy. There are not nearly enough family doctors to provide primary health care. Walk-in clinics were supposed to backfill this need, but many now do not take walk-ins as their registered patient load is already beyond…

Grocer code of conduct could help reduce loss of trust in the sector

Grocer code of conduct could help reduce loss of trust in the sectorGrocers need to be more accountable to themselves and the public A grocer code of conduct is coming to Canada. The United Kingdom and Australia, where grocer oligopolies exist, have a similar code already. This is great news for consumers; in fact, it should be considered a minor miracle. It all started in 2020 when…
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