News

Billion Dollar Accounting Error a Burden on our Veterans

Recently, a Federal Court judge signed off on a class-action settlement between Veterans Affairs Canada (VAC) that will see taxpayers’ foot the $1 billion bill for a minor accounting error.
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March 4

Time to Deliver on Tommy Douglas’ Vision for Pharmacare

At the end of last week, Canadians received news that a deal had been reached between the government and New Democrats that would finally establish a framework for a Canadian pharmacare system. This is an historic step toward a universal, public pharmacare program that will deliver concrete measures to help Canadians who are struggling with the costs of prescription medication. Continuing progress towards a universal national pharmacare program was one of the foundations of the Supply and...
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March 3

Bell Layoffs Another Clear Example of Corporate Bloodsucking

Recently, Bell Media gave layoff notices to an astonishing 4,800 people across their broadcasting arms in television and radio and also announced it would be selling 45 of its 103 regional radio stations. To call this a dark day for regional news and journalism to pad corporate profits would be downplaying the severe impact these cuts will have. Not only are 4,800 people out of work, impacting their families and local communities, but Canadians across the board will feel the impacts of reduced...
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February 20

ArriveCan Development a Textbook Example of Public Waste

Earlier this week, Auditor General Karen Hogan released her long-awaited report on the costs associated with the development of the much-derided ArriveCan app. The report is a scathing indictment of the government’s procurement process during the early Covid-19 pandemic, and their reliance on expensive consultants that don’t give Canadians value for the money spent.
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February 12

Pushback on Loblaws / Manulife Deal Reinforces Need for Universal Pharmacare

Last week, Manulife, Canada’s largest insurance company, made headlines across the country by telling customers that coverage for 260 specialty prescription drugs would only be filled at Loblaw-owned pharmacies, chiefly Shoppers Drug Mart. It was a move that was roundly and swiftly condemned by independent pharmacies, health care groups, unions, and consumers across Canada. That condemnation forced Manulife to quickly backpedal and announce they would reverse course on this foolhardy idea...
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February 5

We need to make voting easier for Canadians

If there’s one thing in politics that is sacrosanct, it’s the right to vote. Voting is the most fundamental expression of what a person wants out of their local representative, as well as the direction they want the country to move towards. However, for some, the limited number of ways we can express our opinions through our vote can lead to frustration, and in a worst-case scenario, even prevent people from exercising this fundamental right. So let’s make it easier.
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February 1

Sale of Canada Post Services Goes Against Government’s Outsourcing Claims

Over the years, the Federal government has increasingly relied on outsourcing to private companies to get work done. While there will always be outsourcing of services that the government is ill-equipped to do themselves, the rate in which they, and by extension taxpayers, are using private firms to do government work has swelled in recent years. So much, in fact, that the Treasury Board has issued guidelines on reducing outsourcing and expensive consultancy work in recent months. It’s...
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January 22

Canada Must Ensure Stable Drug Supply Following Florida Ruling

Recently, the U.S. Food & Drug Administration authorized Florida’s Agency for Health Care Administration to be allowed to import drugs from Canada as a way to reduce costs and improve accessibility in that state. This move follows the passing of Florida bill CS/HB 19 in 2019, signed by Republican Governor Ron DeSantis. Florida believes it can save $180 million USD annually by purchasing common drugs for diabetes, hepatitis, prostate cancer, and other ailments, from Canada. A Rand...
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January 11

Prioritizing Passenger Trains would make a Huge Difference for Rail Travel

This time last year, one of the big news stories coming out of the back end of the holiday season was the severe travel delays across Canadian airports. Thankfully, air travel was markedly more consistent this holiday season, and most travelers managed to evade any serious delays. However, the other major federally regulated travel industry, rail, remains plagued with poor on-time performance, with frequent delays causing headaches for travelers. However, with one simple legislative change,...
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December 18

Reflecting on the Challenges of 2023

2023 is slowly coming to a close, and Canadians everywhere are preparing for the holiday season. By all accounts, it’s been a year filled with significant challenges, and Canadians expect their elected representatives to deal with those issues effectively. It’s always a good practice to remind ourselves where we’ve been to help guide the path to where we should be heading.
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