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 […]
Liberals’ budget doesn’t crack through favoured performative veneer
OTTAWA—What a patriarchal budget from a so-called “feminist.” It just goes to show you can’t girl-boss your way out of neoliberalism. On Thursday, April 7, Canada’s first female minister of finance, who bathes herself in the feminism identity, rose in the House of Commons to deliver her second budget. And it’s abysmal. As YWCA’s statement […]
Economic reconciliation needs more than what the budget presents
We hope that last week’s federal budget is not a missed opportunity for Canada to make meaningful changes in its relationship with First Nations—but it may be unless it is accompanied soon by legislation that expands First Nations’ jurisdictions and institutional support. Despite $10.6-billion of new investments over five years in the chapter on reconciliation […]
Need for austerity is ‘fundamentally disproven’ by 2022 budget: economists
With its latest budget, the government finds itself in “an enviable fiscal moment,” say economists, leading some to conclude that austere approaches to balancing the budget “have been relegated to history.” “The government’s fiscal response to the pandemic—injecting huge amounts of spending power when we needed it most—has actually allowed us to have smaller deficits […]
‘No time to lose’: Indo-Pacific strategy highly anticipated after absence from budget
Absent from the latest federal budget were commitments to Indo-Pacific priorities as Canadians await the government’s much-anticipated strategy for engagement in the region. In the budget tabled on April 7, the Liberal government pledged an additional $8-billion in defence funding and to complete a defence review. Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland’s (University-Rosedale, […]
