September, 2008

Recent events have made the economy a significant issue. How our leaders will handle the economy is an important issue for all Canadians, but especially low income Canadians who could suffer most from an economic downturn. As Canadian citizens, we should be actively engaged in ensuring that the economy and its impact on all Canadians is addressed by our government representatives. It is crucial to know that the leaders we elect have a plan to protect the impoverished and those who are most vulnerable. Read more »

With more than 3.3 million people living in poverty in Canada, we see the face of poverty every day. Organizations throughout the country working in the fight against poverty agree that it is a critical issue that needs to be addressed with a federal poverty reduction strategy. It is good news that four of the five major political parties have addressing poverty among their priorities in the current election campaign. We encourage you to engage your local candidates, ask them to share their vision for Canada, and remind them that poverty is an issue. Read more »

There are approximately 4.1 million people in Canada that do not have a family doctor, and countless more that have experienced barriers to accessing quality health care. Public justice calls us to care for the vulnerable and marginalized in our society and question barriers that prevent people from having equal access to their basic needs. The quality of our health care system impacts nearly every Canadian at some point in their lives and the subject of health care deserves serious attention from our political leaders. During this election campaign, ask your candidate how they intend to ensure health care is free and accessible for all Canadians. Read more »

The UN’s Universal Periodic Review will be considering Canada’s record on human rights commitments in February, 2009. CPJ submitted a brief to the UPR as part of this review process, highlighting Canada’s record on poverty and suggesting a poverty reduction strategy as a best practice that would take effective action on poverty. Read more »

Elections have always been about values, but a new practice is appearing in Canadian politics: framing. Framing is a way of conveying values and associating them with certain policies or parties. Canadians who are truly concerned about voting their values must therefore not take election campaigns at “face value”. Many important issues need to be addressed, but if we allow ourselves to be manipulated by the framing of political parties, we may end up voting against our own values. Read more »

There are currently four million Canadians in need of affordable housing, and thousands more that are homeless. The government recently announced the renewal of funding for three national affordable housing and homelessness programs that were set to expire in March 2009. While CPJ was pleased to hear of this renewal, these existing programs are not enough to ensure that every person in Canada has secure and affordable housing. Public justice calls us to work together to ensure that every person has equal access to their basic needs. Our governments must work together over the long term to eliminate the injustice of housing insecurity and homelessness in Canada. Read more »

On Wednesday, September 17, Human Resources and Social Development Minister Monte Solberg announced that the federal government was renewing funding for three national programs aimed at combating homelessness and providing affordable housing across Canada. Read more »

CPJ was pleased to respond to the media consortium’s call for questions for the leaders’ debate. Our submission included questions on topics from poverty reduction and the growing income gap to action on global warming and care for the environment. Read more »

Homelessness and the availability of affordable housing increasingly impact millions of people across Canada. However, government programs continue to rely on short-term strategies to address what has grown to be a national crisis. Public justice demands that every person has the right to equal access to the resources necessary for their well-being. Our governments must create a comprehensive housing strategy that ensures all Canadians have access to affordable housing so they can live with dignity. Read more »

In a letter to the national chair of the Canadian Broadcast Standards Council and to the president of the Canadian Association of Broadcasters, CPJ expressed disappointment with the exclusion of Green Party Leader Elizabeth May from the televised leaders’ debates, and called on the media consortium to respect democracy and act to reverse their decision immediately. Read more »

Looking beyond the mistakes and disappointing personal attacks that obscured policy debate during the first week of the campaign, it’s clear that the environment and the economy were the two big issues. They were the focus of the first policy announcements from parties, and parties’ stances on the topics were the target of opponents and pundits alike.

Here’s a quick rundown on the competing options: Read more »

Right now, 1 in 10 Canadians are living in poverty. Poverty undermines the dignity of people, which is their right as human beings, created in God’s image. It also hinders them from fully participating in and contributing to society.

It’s time for a federal poverty reduction strategy. Such a strategy would allow us to get at the root causes of poverty, making a lasting difference in the lives of the 10.5% of Canadians who struggle daily. Read more and ask your candidate about their vision for a Canada without poverty. Read more »

Only a few decades ago, Canada was viewed as a world leader when it came to welcoming refugees. However, in recent years, refugees have faced increasing barriers when seeking asylum in Canada. Backlogs in the system and a culture of fear created by concerns over national security have limited the ability of people to gain refuge in our country. We must do all we can to help overcome these barriers and welcome refugees as neighbours. During this election campaign, ask your candidate what policies they will enact to ensure Canada is a more welcoming place for refugees. Read more »

Taxation has loomed large in discussions about the future of Canada’s economy. But so much of the debate is centred on numbers and how much money Canadians pay – forgetting that taxes are equally about government programs and services, poverty and inequality.

Taxes are an important tool, helping the government to carry out its public justice tasks. Taxes are a major contribution to the common good, an investment in our shared future. We need to go beyond looking at taxes as an isolated set of numbers to recognize the contribution that these revenues make to our entire society. Ask your candidate about what kind of Canada they want to live in, and how collective programs and services can contribute to that. Read more »

Former Prime Minister Kim Campbell once famously remarked that elections are no time at all for the discussion of serious issues. So how will serious environmental issues be presented in this campaign?

Some political parties are already insisting that environmental protection be a central campaign topic. At the same time, the media consortium and political opponents have prevented unelected party leader Elizabeth May from appearing in the televised Leaders’ Debate. Can this election be a moment for Canadians to express a deeper commitment to preserve and protect the ecology? Read more »

Here you will find the websites of all of the parties hoping to run at least 50 candidates in this election. Visit their websites to find out more. Read more »