One of CPJ’s key mandates is to help governments understand what implications their decisions hold for people who are vulnerable and in need. So, what do we do when government priorities are misplaced and these very people are overlooked in the name of economic expansion? While it might be tempting to give up in frustration and just wait for the winds to change, CPJ’s recent Annual General Meeting in Ottawa made clear that it is especially in times like these that we must stay engaged and speak truth to power. Read more »
Canada is cutting the quantity of overseas development assistance, as well as the quality of our aid. Development NGOs with admirable track records, several of them funded by Canadian faith communities, have seen their budgets slashed. New rules for competing for grants from the federal government mark a new trend. Will such changes assure Canada does its part to meet the Millennium Development Goals? Read more »
Imagine a Canada where all kids have access to adequate housing, clean water, a good education, and the opportunity to be the best they can be, regardless of their background. It’s a dream aboriginal children’s advocates are bringing to the forefront by highlighting the extreme inequities First Nations children experience in Canada. CPJ is shedding its own light on the issue through a recently launched video contest. It’s time for Canadians to look at life in Canada through the lens of a First Nations child. Read more »
What does public policy in Canada look like when we prioritize the needs of the most vulnerable and disadvantaged in society—children, low-income individuals, and seniors? Some of the nation’s brightest public policy thinkers gathered to respond to this question at the recent Dignity for All Campaign Policy Summit in Ottawa. Read more »
In a healthy democracy citizens have a crucial role to play in determining public policy. People have a right – and, more importantly, a responsibility – to participate in the decisions affecting their country and their communities. That is the essence of democracy, especially a democracy that goes beyond the ballot box and rejects the politics of attack and vilification.
Citizens who question government policies and advocate for the common good, public health, protection of the Earth – or for any other cause – are as important as the Members of Parliament who have been elected to serve in the best interest of all people. Read more »
By now most Canadians have heard about the changes to seniors’ benefits announced by the federal government in Budget 2012. Beginning in 2023, the age of eligibility for Old Age Security (OAS) and the Guaranteed Income Supplement (GIS) top-up will be increased from 65 to 67. As a result, seniors will have to work longer, draw from whatever savings they might have, hope for family support, or rely on provincial social assistance programs to get by.
Of course, these changes won’t be a problem for middle and upper-income seniors, those fortunate enough to have good pensions and healthy saving accounts. It will hurt the low-income Canadians who need income supports the most. Read more »
Pundits have written this budget off as modest, and even better than expected after all the hype over predicted austerity measures. Finance Minister Flaherty himself emphasized that cuts to spending are much smaller than the reductions in the mid-1990s.
In truth, Canadians are about to lose a lot more than pennies in a budget that delivers substantial and politically symbolic cuts. In combination with unilateral changes to federal-provincial transfers, actions taken in the budget are designed to further erode the presence of the federal government in the lives of Canadians—a strategy that translates into the laying off thousands of public servants and elimination of key public programs. Read more »
Canadians are warming up to the idea of a carbon tax. The reason is simple: the well-being of our economy relies on the well-being of our environment. And when it comes to the environment, Canada has run a hefty tab. If we want to create a prosperous society, mindful of our neighbours and generations to come, we have to start counting the cost of our carbon. Read more »
A nation can change and improve its social conditions. However, serious action is required. An example of this initiative is the Brazilian Bolsa Família (Family Grant), a conditional cash transfer program launched by the federal government in 2003 that became law in 2004. It has proven to be extremely successful in the fight against poverty. Read more »
We’ve been warned. The next federal budget, expected in March, will be first and foremost about cuts to public programs, with the express goal of reducing the federal deficit over the next few years, and reducing the debt accumulated since the 2008-09 recession. Even as the economic news last Fall suggested that the recovery was losing steam, the Finance Minister was reconfirming the government’s intent to bring down the deficit as quickly as possible. Read more »
Canada is cutting the quantity of overseas development assistance, as well as the quality of our aid. Development NGOs with admirable track records, several of them funded by Canadian faith communities, have seen their budgets slashed. New rules for competing for grants from the federal government mark a new trend. Will such changes assure Canada does its part to meet the Millennium Development Goals? 
Imagine a Canada where all kids have access to adequate housing, clean water, a good education, and the opportunity to be the best they can be, regardless of their background. It’s a dream aboriginal children’s advocates are bringing to the forefront by highlighting the extreme inequities First Nations children experience in Canada. CPJ is shedding its own light on the issue through a recently launched video contest. It’s time for Canadians to look at life in Canada through the lens of a First Nations child. 
What does public policy in Canada look like when we prioritize the needs of the most vulnerable and disadvantaged in society—children, low-income individuals, and seniors? Some of the nation’s brightest public policy thinkers gathered to respond to this question at the recent 
In a healthy democracy citizens have a crucial role to play in determining public policy. People have a right – and, more importantly, a responsibility – to participate in the decisions affecting their country and their communities. That is the essence of democracy, especially a democracy that goes beyond the ballot box and rejects the politics of attack and vilification.
By now most Canadians have heard about the changes to seniors’ benefits announced by the federal government in Budget 2012. Beginning in 2023, the age of eligibility for Old Age Security (OAS) and the Guaranteed Income Supplement (GIS) top-up will be increased from 65 to 67. As a result, seniors will have to work longer, draw from whatever savings they might have, hope for family support, or rely on provincial social assistance programs to get by.
Pundits have written this budget off as modest, and even better than expected after all the hype over predicted austerity measures. Finance Minister Flaherty himself emphasized that cuts to spending are much smaller than the reductions in the mid-1990s.
Canadians are warming up to the idea of a carbon tax. The reason is simple: the well-being of our economy relies on the well-being of our environment. And when it comes to the environment, Canada has run a hefty tab. If we want to create a prosperous society, mindful of our neighbours and generations to come, we have to start counting the cost of our carbon. 
A nation can change and improve its social conditions. However, serious action is required. An example of this initiative is the Brazilian Bolsa Família (Family Grant), a conditional cash transfer program launched by the federal government in 2003 that became law in 2004. It has proven to be extremely successful in the fight against poverty. 
We’ve been warned. The next federal budget, expected in March, will be first and foremost about cuts to public programs, with the express goal of reducing the federal deficit over the next few years, and reducing the debt accumulated since the 2008-09 recession. Even as the economic news last Fall suggested that the recovery was losing steam, the Finance Minister was reconfirming the government’s intent to bring down the deficit as quickly as possible. 
