Social justice and the economics of the minimum wage
Our goal should be decent wages for all workers. The way to get there is to push for higher productivity in low-wage sectors by raising wages while maintaining full employment.
Our goal should be decent wages for all workers. The way to get there is to push for higher productivity in low-wage sectors by raising wages while maintaining full employment.
Now that the election is behind us, the left should focus on developing and mobilizing for an even bolder policy agenda.
One thing is for sure, the Tax the Rich debate is here to stay and our ability to invest in our future depends on its outcome.
The Conservative belief that we can squeeze every last drop of economic gain from a fading fossil fuel sector by delaying deep action on climate is a Faustian bargain if ever there was one.
Mark Carney does not deny the need for government supervision and regulation to balance corporate capitalism with broader social goals. But his faith in socially responsible capitalism is excessive.
Individuals don’t experience food insecurity because they lack cooking skills, live too far from a grocery store, or that there isn’t enough food to go around. It’s because we’ve allowed food to become a commodity.
While the concept of environmental justice has been discussed by academics and politicians for decades in Canada, environmental legislation that fully incorporates an environmental justice framework has yet to become a reality.
Meeting universal basic needs for participation, health and independence is not a simple consumer choice. Rather, it’s a minimum condition to ensure a vibrant and thriving democratic society.
It’s time we stopped being prisoners of foolish economic orthodoxies. A publicly-owned pharmaceutical company always made sense – and does so now more than ever.