Archive
Thank you, Hugh Segal
Feb 21, 2013
The debate on Bill C-377 has moved to the Senate. As many Policy Note readers probably know, Bill C-377 would impose onerous and unfair financial and operational disclosure obligations on unions and other labour organizations, in the lofty name of “transparency and accountability,” but with the actual malicious aim of weakening Labour and publicizing the… View Article
BC Budget 2013 News Release
Feb 19, 2013
We will be posting more commentary on the budget in the coming days; this is our news release from today’s budget lockup. Budget may be “balanced,” but lack of action on poverty, climate creates serious social, environmental defecits (Victoria) The 2013 BC budget focuses on balancing the budget at the expense of British Columbians’ present… View Article
Parliamentary reform idea: Get Out of the House
Feb 15, 2013
By Seth Klein and Shannon Daub [Note: Samara Canada has been gathering ideas for reforming Parliament. All the ideas they have collected are being posted on their blog, which you can find here. What follows is our contribution.] Here’s the big dilemma: Whatever reforms are made to Parliamentary practice and conduct, the simple truth is… View Article
Fairness by design: a framework for tax reform in Canada
Feb 14, 2013
A new CCPA (National) report by Marc Lee and myself argues that Canada’s tax system needs a “fairness” overhaul and presents a framework for progressive tax reform. Those of you who have been following our tax work so far will find this study a great complement to the BC Tax Options Paper. Tax policy is… View Article
BC throne speech repackages old announcements, lacks courage and vision
Feb 12, 2013
Today’s Speech from the Throne reads more like a list of what this government sees as its main achievements than a true framework for going forward. New initiatives are few and far between, sandwiched between pages of self-congratulatory recap of the natural gas strategy, the jobs plan and highlights from the last budget. All in… View Article
RIP Clyde Hertzman
Feb 11, 2013
As many of you have likely heard, late last week we at the CCPA lost a great friend, and Canada lost one of its greatest advocates for children: See here and here. The sudden and untimely passing of Clyde Hertzman comes as a terrible shock. Clyde was the life partner of our former Chair and… View Article
More twists and turns in the dubious economics of LNGs
Feb 8, 2013
This morning the newspapers bring news that the natural gas industry is seeking tax breaks for developing liquified natural gas (LNG) plants. Apparently the Canadian Association of Petroleum Producers is asking for increased capital cost allowances , which would cost the federal government as much as $2 billion over seven years in foregone revenues. The… View Article
Response to a tax critic: the sky will not fall
Feb 8, 2013
On January 29, the Vancouver Sun ran an opinion piece by Iglika Ivanova and myself entitled “The Case for Higher Taxes.” Last Monday (February 4), the Sun ran an opinion piece in response by Andrew Wilkinson (a former deputy minister currently seeking the BC Liberal nomination in Vancouver-Quilchena) entitled “Wave goodbye to skilled labourers.” Today, the… View Article
Seeking a Real Families First Agenda this First BC Family Day
Feb 7, 2013
By Seth Klein and Adrienne Montani On February 11, British Columbians will enjoy a well-deserved new stat holiday. With the inaugural Family Day, Premier Christy Clark has made good on a promise made during her bid for the BC Liberal leadership. The winter stretch needed a new long weekend, and many will appreciate this new-found… View Article
Tea Party Tactics
Feb 7, 2013
There is no question that climate change is one of the major issues of our time . And we do need to challenge our political leaders to state clearly what plans and strategies they have both to reduce GHG emissions and to prepare for the changes that are already happening and likely to intensify. However,… View Article
State of play – 3rd party advertising rules and the 2013 provincial election
Feb 5, 2013
BC’s third party election advertising law has been highly controversial since its introduction in 2008. I wrote the following briefing note to help organizations understand if/how the law affects them. BC’s 3rd party election advertising law applies to many many kinds of public communication during a provincial election campaign — so even if you don’t… View Article
Progressive tax options for BC or how to raise needed revenues and make our tax system more fair
Jan 30, 2013
In a new report we released this week, Seth Klein and I show there’s a clear need of tax reform in BC, both to raise new revenues and to make our tax system more fair (Vancouver Sun oped here, CTV News story here). As the report’s title suggest, this is all about options. Instead of… View Article
An inadequate appeal process for tenants means a bumpy ride for everyone
Jan 24, 2013
(Co-authored by Kendra Milne and Jess Hadley, staff lawyers at the Community Legal Assistance Society) Earlier this week, we read with interest Kathy Tomlinson’s January 21st CBC Go Public story, “Landlords ‘powerless’ as tenants get free ride”, which investigates one family of tenants who have apparently taken advantage of several successive landlords. In her article,… View Article
The dubious case for casinos
Jan 22, 2013
I got way off my usual research agenda this morning for a business panel on CBC radio. The topic was the economics of casinos, the result of the City of Surrey voting down a new casino proposal. I have often disparagingly compared stock markets to casinos, but in fact I knew relatively little about the… View Article
The Great Bear Rainforest – Carbon Store or Carbon Story?
Jan 17, 2013
The provincial government, First Nations and environmental organizations alike have all hailed it as an ecological triumph and a shining beacon of a new economic order based on conservation principles. Yet when it comes to talking openly about one of the hallmarks of that emerging economy – a project that cashes in on the carbon-storing… View Article
Marc’s Enbridge Testimony
Jan 16, 2013
Testimony to the Joint Review Panel on the Enbridge Northern Gateway Project By Marc Lee, Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives January 16, 2013 My name is Marc Lee, and I have served as an economist for the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives for more than 14 years. Most recently I have been Senior Economist and… View Article
Enbridge testimony from Josh Paterson
Jan 16, 2013
A guest post follows from Josh Paterson, who is formerly a lawyer with West Coast Environmental Law, and recently appointed Executive Director of the BC Civil Liberties Association. Josh’s remarks are his own personal opinions. ********** Good evening. I’m happy to be here in unceded Coast Salish territories to address you this evening, to express my unreserved… View Article
BC’s Coal Future
Jan 16, 2013
While much of the attention this week is on the Enbridge Northern Gateway Pipeline hearings in Vancouver, another fossil fuel export issue has come into play with proposals to greatly expand coal exports from the Port of Metro Vancouver. Our colleagues, David Green (Economics, UBC) and Kevin Washbrook (Voters Taking Action of Climate Change) have… View Article
What’s next for BC’s carbon tax?
Jan 14, 2013
An oped of mine was published by the Vancouver Sun today: What’s next for BC’s carbon tax? Marc Lee Climate change forced its way onto the political agenda in 2012, as Hurricane Sandy ripped through the northeast United Stages just days before the election. And while action remains frustratingly slow, extreme weather disasters in the… View Article
Making the case for public dental care
Jan 10, 2013
There is a classic episode of the Simpsons, where Mr Burns cuts the dental plan for the nuclear power plant. With Lisa needing braces, Homer becomes a union organizer and leads a strike against the plant to get back the dental plan. I thought about that episode when had to get a root canal this week. Because… View Article