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SWLF 3105 (Week 6) Public expenditures II: Alternative Federal and Ontario Budget

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Does the very name suggest failure? If drafting alternative budgets is ... now the West Coast of Canada used to engage in the ritual known as the potlatch. ... – PowerPoint PPT presentation

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Title: SWLF 3105 (Week 6) Public expenditures II: Alternative Federal and Ontario Budget


1
SWLF 3105 (Week 6)Public expenditures II
Alternative Federal and Ontario Budget
  • Two important thoughts as we begin
  • What is the point of drafting alternative
    budgets? Does the very name suggest failure?
  • If drafting alternative budgets is important, how
    can they appeal to the Canadian public?

2
Agenda for this week
  • Web site is up! Go to www.nipissingu.ca/faculty/
    joelh/jhhome
  • Please attend a guest lecture in SWLF 1005!
    October 25th, 630pm, Mary Laronde and Karen
    Linklater, Union of Ontario Indians.
  • Analysis of course readings (Course pack, pp.
    18-40)

3
Key themes/ideas from last week
  • Brooks
  • Why do we need government? Why is the left
    right and the right wrong?
  • If the left is right and the right is wrong,
    why isnt the left (for the most part, anyway) in
    power?
  • Do most Canadians, as Brooks claims, take public
    services for granted?

4
Key themes/ideas from last week
  • CCPA
  • What is participatory budgeting? How might this
    process work in Canada?
  • Can participatory budgeting eliminate all
    inequalities in a given society?
  • McQuaig
  • Where did the federal debt/deficit come from?
    What does this reading reveal about the interests
    of the Canadian state?

5
Small group activity the Potlatch in perspective
as deliberative public policy
  • Background
  • Aboriginal peoples on the what is now the West
    Coast of Canada used to engage in the ritual
    known as the potlatch.
  • The potlatch was a practice where members of one
    tribe (or even different tribes) would share
    resources to ensure against hunger and poor
    living conditions.
  • In your small groups, imagine a circumstance
    where members of your community would engage in a
    potlatch for certain resources. What would you
    share, and why?

6
1. What is a social debt?
  • Consider these examples
  • When a student is saddled with debt payments of
    300-500 per month, what are the potential
    consequences beyond her/his own financial health?
  • When a former welfare recipient (turned homeless
    person) in downtown Toronto suffers an epileptic
    seizure, what are the costs beyond her/his
    medical health?

7
2. Tax cuts and Canadas social debt
  • Consider these questions
  • Why do you think the federal government
    introduced the largest tax cuts in Canadian
    history in 1997?
  • Are tax cuts popular? Why or why not? What
    does this AFB (federal or provincial) say about
    this?

8
3-5. The AFB in practice, proposed improvements
to social welfare
  • Again, in small groups
  • What are economic assumptions of the AFB? (pp.
    47-54)
  • What are the National Investment Funds proposed
    by the AFB how might they work? (pp. 62-66)
  • What are the AFBs proposals around tax
    fairness? (pp. 67-68).

9
6. Poorer Ontarians post Tories?
  • Clearly, the authors are making this case, but
    would everyone agree with this statement? Why or
    why not?
  • Was there was a contradiction between the
    Tories statements about cutting red tape and
    their actions in practice?
  • During their nine years in power, were the
    Tories effective in polarizing public opinion?
    If yes, why?

10
7. OAB and education
  • Why is funding so crucial an issue in discussions
    around post-secondary education?
  • What are the authors concerns about the Rozanski
    report? Are these concerns well-founded?
  • The OAB makes a case for a system of needs-based
    grants in addition to student loans. Why?
  • What is the factual discrepancy the OAB raises
    about PC policy on tuition fees?

11
8. OAB and early childhood education
  • Why is early childhood education a foremost
    priority?
  • What are the social costs of not having
    affordable child care programs in place?
  • What measures does the OAB propose for child care
    workers?

12
9-11. The OAB on homelessness, poverty, and
social assistance
  • Why are the OAB authors alleging that Ontarios
    social assistance programs are broken?
  • What proposals do they suggest to reverse current
    trends of homelessness and poverty?
  • Would any of these proposals be widely popular
    among Ontarians? Why or why not?

13
12. The OAB and health care
  • What is Ontarios hospital crisis according to
    the OAB?
  • What are the costs for health care workers if
    funding levels are unpredictable, or predictably
    worse?
  • What is the Primary Care Reform the OAB
    proposes? Is this a viable solution?

14
13. The OAB and taxes
  • How significant were tax cuts in Ontario under
    the Tories in fiscal terms?
  • What is the bone the OAB picks with the Tories
    handling of federal transfers destined for health
    care?
  • Why are tax cuts called upside down equity at
    work?

15
For next week
  • Readings Week 7 (Public expenditures II).
  • See you next Monday? Please?
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