Housing experts say budget doesn’t address needs of ‘the other missing middle’
Two experts on affordable housing say the federal government’s 2022 budget features incremental steps “in the right direction,” but without the scale or volume needed to make a real dent in the need for affordable housing. Ricardo Tranjan, a senior researcher with the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives, told The Hill Times the budget doesn’t […]
Boreal Wildlands project a model for combatting biodiversity loss and climate change
The Nature Conservancy of Canada has just announced plans for the largest private land conservation project in Canada’s history. When complete, Boreal Wildlands will protect 1,450 square kilometres of boreal forest near Hearst in northern Ontario. The project will encompass an area twice the size of the city of Toronto. As we celebrate Earth Day […]
Budget 2022’s employment strategy for people with disabilities not a replacement for income support, warn advocates
As MPs from all parties urge the government to fast-track legislation for a promised disability benefit left out of the budget, advocates say the employment strategy outlined in the federal government’s 2022 budget won’t work if people with disabilities lose access to existing benefits faster than they can replace that money with wages. The budget, […]
Pandemic heightens urgency for Canada Health Transfers reform
With the federal government having unveiled its spending plan for the coming year, the conversation between the federal government and the provincial and territorial governments over Canada Health Transfers (CHT) will be taking on a new urgency. The past two years of fighting the relentless COVID-19 pandemic have revealed real cracks in our health-care system […]
Federal budget a failure when it comes to addressing the water crisis
The climate crisis is a water crisis—affecting everything from prosperity and public health to food availability, energy, security, salmon, fisheries, and ecosystems. The recent flooding, drought, and fires show all Canadians the reality of a very chaotic future where these kinds of events will not only be more common, but also increasingly severe, impacting community […]
Time to reduce unfair financial barriers to medical cannabis
Nearly 300,000 people in Canada use medical cannabis to manage various health issues, including chronic pain. And yet, despite medical cannabis adding much-needed benefit, choice, and positive outcomes to our health care system, unfair taxation means patients face a major barrier to accessing this effective treatment option. Cannabis products for both adult recreational use and […]
Health-care workforce crisis and housing affordability top pre-budget advocacy on the Hill
Advocacy addressing the labour crisis in the health-care sector is just getting started, following the federal budget that didn’t adequately address worker retention, according to the president of the Canadian Nurses Association (CNA). “There is a shortage of health-care professionals—yes, in rural and remote regions—but also now we see that in urban areas as well,” […]
Freeland’s budget bases Canada’s future heavily on attraction and retention of foreign direct investment
TORONTO—When members of the European Union, in response to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, announced plans to wean themselves off Russian oil and gas, Canada’s fossil fuel producers saw this as an opportunity to boost oil and gas production, despite the environmental damage. Australia had a different response. Fortescue Metals, an Australian-controlled business, announced a dramatic […]
Long-term funding for infrastructure projects crucial for Indigenous self-governance, says expert
This year’s budget reaffirms past billion-dollar federal commitments to fund the long-term infrastructure needs of Indigenous communities, but some advocates are calling for clarity to make sure First Nations are not left holding the bag for assets they do not have sufficient resources to properly maintain as many negotiate for greater self-government. Lynne Groulx, the […]
Russia-Ukraine ‘war-supply shock’ could erode Canada’s positive financial situation, warns former PBO
“Today, Canada has come roaring back,” federal Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland declared in the House of Commons on April 7, echoing a familiar promise Prime Minister Justin Trudeau used throughout the pandemic. Canada’s deficit is projected to drop to $52.8-billion this year, down slightly from the $58.4-billion estimated for 2022-23 in December’s fiscal update—and both […]
