The need for income security among middle-class Canadians is accelerating as the labour market changes
In Canadian policy circles, basic income has come to mean a stipend paid to families or individuals without the many conditions and rules that govern existing income assistance programs. The amount received is gradually reduced as income from other sources increases. However, basic income is not just about welfare reform. A basic income is most…
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is following in the footsteps of his father. That’s leading to fiscal calamity and regional dissent
By Jason Clemens, Milagros Palacios and Niels Veldhuis The Fraser Institute As the dust settles from the federal election – which further exacerbated Western frustration, if not outright separatist sentiments – it’s worth considering the policy ebbs and flows of the Liberal Party under Pierre Trudeau and his son Justin. Therein lies the explanation and…
Any voluntary increase in spending by the federal government would further exacerbate the deficit
By Jake Fuss and Milagros Palacios The Fraser Institute Many economists have warned of a U.S. recession in the near future, in part due to the rise of trade protectionism, political turmoil and market volatility. Of course, a U.S. recession will also harm the Canadian economy and create significant problems for federal finances. So when…
It's not a scarcity issue, it's about knowledge and access. We have the means to fix that, in Canada and globally
Hunger is horrid, an undesirable state few deliberately choose. We know that over 800 million suffer from hunger around the globe. In the Western world, hunger surrounds us without knowing that it’s there. It’s estimated that four million Canadians experience food insecurity regularly. World Hunger Day, on May 28, should help bring that into focus.…
There are no status cards providing one group with superior rights. There are no special financial privileges
Mexico offers a social model that Canada should consider. Oaxaca is one of the best preserved colonial cities in Mexico. It has a bustling centre, rich with busy markets – street vendors and music wherever you go. Oaxaca state has the largest percentage of Indigenous people in Mexico. Zapotec, Mixtec and other peoples mingle in…
Government is called upon for yet more legislation and more money when the real problem is poor parenting
Five calls to action in the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada report concern child welfare. They are all destined to fail. The calls to action focus on increasing funding for Indigenous welfare, establishing national standards for the various agencies, keeping Indigenous children in culturally-relevant homes, and reducing the number of Indigenous children in the…The federal government now spends approximately $100,000 per year on each First Nations family
As a regular attendee of the Winnipeg Folk Festival, I’ve had the good fortune to watch and hear a wide variety of interesting musicians over the years. One such performance was that of an Indigenous rapper. His main theme in a number of his songs was treaty rights. Basically, he powerfully denounced the government and…
If the world has anything to teach Canada, it’s not how to treat migrants. It’s how to deliver health care for its own
Are you a big-hearted person who likes to help everyone? If so, you probably suffered a phase where you offered too much of yourself: heart, time and money. Then you realized if you gave out too much, you would just plain give out. Despite your best efforts, there would always be more people in need…
Developmentally delayed children come into a failing welfare system due to irresponsible parents placing substance abuse ahead of their children
More than half of Winnipeg’s Indigenous homeless population are former wards of Child and Family Services (CFS). A former CFS ward explained on CBC recently that the 50 per cent figure was too low, not taking into account the significant number of former wards who “couch surf.” This group relies on the kindness of acquaintances…
Such a program would weaken the incentives to work for lower-income Canadians and people not strongly tied to the labour force
By Charles Lammam and Hugh MacIntyre The Fraser Institute Almost 50 years ago, a Canadian Senate report declared that a basic income “is an idea whose time has come.” Ever since, the idea resurfaces every so often, with support that spans the political spectrum. Most recently, a Parliamentary Budget Office (PBO) report reinvigorated the debate…