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Trapped in the wage gap

May 30, 2024
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On June 1, BC’s minimum wage is going up to $17.40 per hour. Despite this welcome pay raise for the 240,000 lowest-paid workers in the province, the minimum wage remains over $3 per hour lower than the lowest living wage in BC ($20.64 in Dawson Creek). In BC’s largest cities, Metro Vancouver and Greater Victoria,… View Article
Democratic employee ownership

The case for expanding democratic employee ownership in Canada

Apr 29, 2024
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Workers lack democratic rights in the corporations and institutions that govern their work lives. As we find ourselves in an era of high inequality the question of ‘why shouldn’t working people be the owners and beneficiaries of the fruits of their labour?’ becomes timely and necessary. Read this research report on what it’d take to make democratic employee ownership a reality in Canada…. View Article
Funding cuts = disaster

A return to cuts would be disastrous for BC and its economy

Mar 27, 2024
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Under-investment in public services and infrastructure not only hurts BC families, it also hurts our economy.  With the BC government projecting deficits in the latest provincial budget, the corporate lobby is trying to raise alarm bells about spending. But a return to the cuts of the past would be disastrous for BC. The provincial BC… View Article

That 70s show: The evolution of income inequality in Canada

Jul 13, 2023
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  This brief looks at the evolution of inequality going back to 1976. Drawing on Statistics Canada’s Canadian Income Survey, it reviews changes in the distribution of income by decile (groupings of ten percent of households ranked by income from lowest to highest income), and asks a hypothetical question: what would today’s incomes look like… View Article
"Budget 2024" written on a coiled paper pad on a desk.

Our recommendations for the 2024 BC budget

Jun 22, 2023
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The BC government is holding its annual public consultation on Budget 2024 this June, inviting British Columbians to share their priorities for government investment next year.  On June 14, I presented the CCPA–BC’s recommendations to the Select Standing Committee on Finance and Government Services. Via the BC Legislative Assembly website, you can hear my presentation… View Article

The Bank of Canada’s obsession with interest rate hikes is hurting households: How did we get here and what are the alternatives?

Jun 7, 2023
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The Bank of Canada’s June decision to raise its overnight, or policy, interest rate to 4.75% is predicated on cooling an overly strong economy afflicted by stubbornly high inflation. Yet, it’s not at all clear that the Bank’s narrative makes sense and, in one major category, housing, higher interest rates will make inflation worse by… View Article