Posts by Alex Hemingway

About Alex Hemingway

Alex Hemingway is a Senior Economist and Public Finance Policy Analyst at the CCPA’s BC Office. His research focuses on tax fairness, public finances, public services, and economic inequality in BC and Canada.

Alex holds a PhD in political science from the University of British Columbia, where his research examined the relationship between economic class and political inequality in the advanced industrialized world. He holds two master’s degrees from the London School of Economics (MSc Social Policy and Planning; MSc Global Politics), as well as a BA in psychology from Simon Fraser University.
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BC is flush. It’s time for more robust investment in the common good.

Nov 2, 2022

By Alex Hemingway

Can BC afford to make major new public investments to address crises in housing, climate change, health care, child care and toxic drugs, among others? The simple answer is yes, can we ever.  A new report from the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives’ national office shows that despite dire predictions that the pandemic would be… View Article

BC private schools to collect $491 million in public funding this year

Sep 21, 2022

By Alex Hemingway

Private schools will collect nearly half a billion dollars in public funding from the provincial government during this school year in British Columbia. This is in addition to further public subsidies to private schools—including elite prep schools—in the form of various tax exemptions and credits.  Provincial operating subsidies to the private school system will rise… View Article

Five reasons supply matters to the housing crisis

Sep 14, 2022

By Alex Hemingway

The housing crisis in BC is a multi-headed beast, requiring an all-hands-on-deck effort to make homes affordable and available to everyone as a human right.  Most of my work on housing policy to date has focused on financing a massive expansion of public and non-market housing, using progressive taxes to tamp down on speculation and… View Article

Shortchanging public sector workers is bad for BC

Jun 27, 2022

By Alex Hemingway

Public sector workers are in the midst of difficult contract negotiations with the BC government. The workers are reportedly asking for wages to keep up with inflation, but the government hasn’t been willing to come to the table with an offer that reflects the rising cost of living. Public sector workers who have been keeping… View Article

Our recommendations for the 2023 BC budget

Jun 23, 2022

By Alex Hemingway

The BC government is holding its annual public consultation on Budget 2023 this June, inviting British Columbians to share their priorities for government investment next year.  On June 14, I presented 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 as… View Article

A win for BC workers: single-step union certification

May 4, 2022

By Alex Hemingway

The BC government recently introduced legislation that allows a majority of workers in a workplace to organize a union a little more easily, making it harder for employers to intimidate and interfere in organizing drives. That’s good news both for working people and for the quality of our democracy. Single-step certification simply means that if… View Article

Financing public housing: how a massive expansion of rental homes can literally pay for itself

Apr 21, 2022

By Alex Hemingway

In the face of a mounting housing crisis, what if BC could massively increase public investment in below-market rental housing—and if that upfront investment could literally pay for itself, with no increase to taxpayer-supported debt? While this might sound too good to be true, it simply follows from the basic logic of rental housing development…. View Article

BC needs a public intercity transportation service

Apr 11, 2022

By Peter Ewart, Alex Hemingway and Dawn Hemingway

Northern British Columbia is a vast, rugged, mostly mountainous area roughly the size of France. In winter, its two-lane public highways often get hit with snow and ice storms, making travel hazardous and sometimes impossible for the 280,000 or so people who live and work in the region. But these are not the only storms… View Article

Why increasing government spending makes economic sense

Feb 14, 2022

By Alex Hemingway

Author’s note: The latest BC government throne speech promised “to help solve big challenges – like inequality and climate change – with growth that is inclusive and sustainable.” CCPA-BC will closely analyze the upcoming BC Budget to determine whether the government’s intention is backed by the increased levels of public investment needed to meet the… View Article

Will BC enact a robust paid sick days plan, or will corporate power derail it?

Sep 17, 2021

By Alex Hemingway

British Columbians are on the cusp of winning a meaningful right to paid sick days—if the powerful corporate lobby doesn’t get its way. Paid sick days are common sense and already a right of workers in many advanced democracies around the world. The idea is simple. If you’re sick, you stay home and you get… View Article