On February 5, Minister of Children, Community and Social Services, Lisa MacLeod, held a press conference with her Parliamentary Secretary, Amy Fee, to announce sweeping changes to the Ontario Autism Program. I sat glued to my screen at my office and then following the announcement, closed my door and cried….
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The recent renegotiation of the North American Free Trade Agreement presented a unique opportunity to rethink the dominant model for governing international trade and investment. At the outset of the “New NAFTA” talks in August 2017, Foreign Affairs Minister Chrystia Freeland outlined the government’s priorities under the umbrella of a…
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In the mid-1970s the average monthly cost of a cancer drug in the United States was about $100. By 1995 that cost had crept up to about $1,800 per month and today it is over $10,000. Similarly, while drugs for multiple sclerosis introduced in the mid-1990s cost about $8,000 per…
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In an increasingly chaotic world characterized by deep inequality and growing disillusionment with governments, public institutions and evidence, progressive movements offering a compelling and hopeful narrative for change have never been more important. Social justice, environmental sustainability and social solidarity are the keys to an inclusive, productive future for people…
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Looking for context in an increasingly complex and uncertain world? Have questions about what major political and policy moves mean for you? We’ve got you covered. Make your morning commute matter with Talking Points, a podcast from Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives that dives behind the headlines to make sense…
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The Ontario Superior Court of Justice has confirmed that the Canada Revenue Agency’s (CRA) crackdown on charitable political activity has been an arbitrary and unjustified infringement upon freedom of expression. It’s time for the federal government to act swiftly to close the book on a dark time in Canada’s democratic…
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Ontario’s new Progressive Conservative government is rejigging OHIP+, a modest but promising pharmacare policy introduced by the previous Liberal government, allegedly to make more efficient use of tax dollars. Where the short-lived program covered most prescription drug costs for people under 25, OHIP+ will now only cover people without individual…
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The Supreme Court gave Canadians cause to celebrate this April in its R v Comeau decision. However, because of the way the ruling was covered in the media, most people will not know how much was at stake and what we might have lost had things gone the other way….
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The Invisible Heart, a documentary film exploring social impact bonds (SIB), is currently debuting in theatres across Canada. CCPA Senior Economist David Macdonald and board president Larry Brown were both interviewed for this project. While both spoke of the inherently problematic nature of SIB, we’ve heard from some supporters that…
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Ontario PC Leader Doug Ford has proposed a $2.8-billion “middle class tax cut,” despite the fact the province is facing a deficit. Promoting tax cuts as “middle class tax cuts” is the latest fad in election-time politics. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau promised to cut middle class taxes in the 2015…
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