Democracy

The case for expanding democratic employee ownership in Canada

Apr 29, 2024

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

Stack of papers with a magnifying glass resting on them

Time to end information hide-and-seek games: Public deserves more prompt government disclosure of basic data

Nov 16, 2023

By Ben Parfitt

No one should be told to file a Freedom of Information request simply to learn who works for them. Government must give members of the public access to up-to-date and useful information on who is there to serve them and quit obfuscating and abusing access to information laws, Ben Parfitt writes…. View Article

Waning transparency in Canada: Is access to information broken?

Apr 27, 2023

By Keith Reynolds

At the federal, provincial and even the local level, there was a time when governments in Canada seemed to think transparency about their operations was a pretty good idea. Not anymore. At the federal level, the issue of transparency through access to information has even been sent to the United Nations. The Nova Scotia-based Centre… View Article

Discussions of foreign interference and national security can quickly become toxic

Mar 21, 2023

By John Price

Open Letter to the Right Honorable David Johnston, Independent Special Rapporteur, Government of Canada from the Advisory Group, Canada-China Focus. Signatories below. We are deeply concerned that discussions of foreign interference and national security can quickly become toxic as we have already seen in the accusations that a respected Chinese Canadian senator and a newly elected mayor are agents of… View Article

To break housing gridlock, we need to democratize unrepresentative public hearings

Feb 22, 2023

By Alex Hemingway and Simon Pek

Housing policy has a democracy problem. Amid a housing crisis, highly unrepresentative public hearing processes contribute to land-use decisions that fail to reflect the perspectives and interests of all affected residents. But the right reforms can help deepen democracy and break housing gridlock. At the municipal level, decisions about providing new housing are typically made… View Article

The sound of silence

Jun 21, 2022

By Ben Parfitt

Weeks stretch to months, months to years as BC government clamps down on information When debate on the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Amendment Act began last fall Stephanie Cadieux, then Liberal MLA for Surrey-Cloverdale, was among many to note how British Columbians are waiting longer and longer to obtain information from government… View Article

Albertans have a right to be outraged…about the $3.5 million Allan Inquiry

Nov 1, 2021

By J David Hughes

Last week Albertans received the fruits of the Kenney Government’s inquiry into foreign-funded “anti-Alberta” activities targeting the oil and gas industry. The $3.5 million report, a year late and a million dollars over budget, found no evidence of illegal activities or wrongdoing on the part of any individual or organization targeted by the Inquiry. When… View Article

Remembering Murray Dobbin—activist, intellectual, mentor, friend

Sep 27, 2021

By Seth Klein and Shannon Daub

Neoliberal myth-buster. Far right exposer. Movement philosopher. Activist mentor. Murray Dobbin was all of these. On Sept. 8, our good friend and comrade Murray died at age 76. Murray was not ready to leave, but after two-and-a-half years the inexorable brutality of cancer led him to choose medical assistance in dying to end his life… View Article

Robust wealth tax could raise $363B over 10 years

Sep 14, 2021

By Alex Hemingway

Amid a rise in extreme inequality, the idea of an annual tax on the wealth of the super-rich has risen to prominence in recent years in many countries. New analysis shows that a robust wealth tax in Canada—one that goes further than those currently on the table in the federal election—could raise well over a… View Article

In a flawed survey, BC seeks input on changes to freedom of information and privacy

Jul 12, 2021