But women have challenges that most men don’t have when entering the trades
The fridge has stopped working, and your frozen food is melting. You call your usual appliance repair service only to find its cadre of four technicians has dwindled to two overloaded workers. They’ll do their best to come as soon as possible but can’t give a specific date. You contact friends about stuffing some food…
The feds should be cutting taxes, not raising them
The rising cost of living isn’t an act of God or nature. Politicians are making it worse every day. You can find politicians who are making life more affordable for taxpayers. But those politicians don’t live in Ottawa. Ottawa is raising gas taxes, payroll taxes and even alcohol taxes. Meanwhile, 51 other national governments are…
Governments’ failure to care about low-wage workers has meant real-dollar pay cuts for those who can afford them least
Ten years ago, advocates in the United States started a campaign for a $15-an-hour minimum wage. In 2014, low-wage workers in B.C. and Ontario followed suit. Before long, the call for $15 had spread right across the country. Eight years later, how do the provinces measure up? Six provincial governments increased the minimum wage this…
Canadians need to understand how their food supply chains really work
With the hype caused by the scandal at Hockey Canada, few noticed last week that Ottawa decided to investigate food prices and the alleged abuse by large grocery chains. The Parliamentary Standing Committee on Agriculture and the members of the Committee will examine the problem in the coming weeks. We must first welcome Ottawa’s decision.…
Candidates do not tend to have corporate sponsorships nor to conform to the wishes of political parties
On average, fewer people vote in local elections than in provincial or federal elections. Interestingly, each vote has a greater impact in local elections, especially in smaller communities. There is more to this phenomenon than numbers and proportions. Local governments not only respond to the input of their constituents on local issues, but school council…
Worshipping at the net-zero altar has led to two dictators controlling both energy security and the supply of manufactured goods
Mark Twain famously said that “Truth is stranger than fiction.” Seldom have those words been more clearly illustrated than by the West’s attempt to rid the world of fossil fuels. In a supreme irony, the location of the first gathering aimed at that goal took place in the country now suffering the worst consequences of…
Product website gatekeepers might be better off allowing some profanity on their platforms
Profanity in online reviews can pack a powerful punch, says a University of Alberta business researcher. According to Katherine Lafreniere, an expletive or two in a review can enhance an evaluation of a service or product, especially when qualifying descriptions of a given attribute. That means a dishwasher described as “damn quiet,” for example, is…
Canadians are like children born with silver spoons in their mouths. We are doing nothing to develop our inheritance
First, the good news. I am a Canadian, and I think Canada is the best country in the world. My bias may be showing in calling Canada the best, but there is a lot of evidence to indicate that Canada is excellent. Money alone does not ensure a good life. Health, longevity and education also…
The total payroll tax bill for each middle-class worker increased by $818 this year alone
Political pundits are twisting themselves into pretzels arguing mandatory Canada Pension Plan and Employment Insurance payments are not a tax. They’re missing the point: the government is taking too much money from Canadians. If you make $65,000 this year, then the federal government is taking nearly $4,500 directly from your pay through CPP and EI…
He dishonoured the Queen and her family during her funeral. Did he know he’d be filmed in this Canada’s Got No Talent debacle?
The latest theatre of the absurd from Canada’s prime minister Justin Trudeau has received mixed reviews. For reasons best known to himself and his circle of advisors, Trudeau thought it might be a swell idea on the eve of Queen Elizabeth’s funeral to go to the lobby bar in his swank five-star London hotel for…