This needs to change if we hope to strengthen the rules-based international system that Canada has staked its reputation on defending. Over two million Ontario jobs were affected in the first few months of the pandemic. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. In response to a recommendation from the House of Commons subcommittee on international human rights, the government agreed to consult Canadians on whether Canada needs new legislation mandating companies to conduct due diligence on eliminating forced labour and child labour in their supply chains. 10. AUGUST 25 — On this National Women's Day 2020, our country stands at a critical crossroads. BALANCE THE BUDGET AHEAD OF SCHEDULE — Originally, this government promised to balance the budget by 2023. What should a government do for a country to become successful?--Currently, there is only one super country in the world. We’re in this situation because the former Ontario Liberal government signed a number of bad deals for renewable energy that locked us in above market rates. Here are ten things the federal government should do about technology. In the last election, Premier Doug Ford promised to reduce gas prices by 10 cents per litre by eliminating the former government’s cap-and-trade program, and by reducing the provincial excise tax. All other utilities need to run as public services, the crucial goal being to maintain access, calm and order, at stable prices. Governments can be corrupt, heavy-handed, even evil. Amendment VI. The 2015 innovation package and the decision to implement most of the Harper Review competition policy recommendations were standout initiatives. So should utilities like gas and electricity. Free trade agreements with China, Japan and South Korea will offer real, if modest, benefits. PICKEL: 5 things Ontario government should do for taxpayers in 2020, tap here to see other videos from our team. The Canadian government has said repeatedly that it expects companies to obey local laws and respect international human rights wherever they operate in the world. Charitable Registration No. We encountered an issue signing you up. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children are 24 times more likely to be locked... 2. COMMIT TO PUBLIC INFORMATION CAMPAIGNS. Here are three things the federal government can and should do right now to help workers and avoid an economic collapse: Tell employers that if they pay laid-off workers an amount equal to what they are entitled to receive in Employment Insurance benefits, the government will reimburse the employer at a future date. Government should not be providing solutions to problems that confront people (like health issues or paying bills). While the government did adopt the helpful Voices At Risk guidelines in 2016 to encourage Canadian diplomats to support human rights defenders abroad, in cases involving “Canadian corporate entities,” they simply refer back to the outdated CSR Strategy and the under-equipped Ombudsperson. Please try again. Sign up to receive daily headline news from the Toronto SUN, a division of Postmedia Network Inc. Canadian government officials have been largely absent from the process so far. The Ombudsperson needs a new Order-In-Council that grants powers under the Inquiries Act to compel documents and testimony during its investigations. The new government should, of course, change policies that need changing (and many do), but it must protect investors, both domestic and foreign, who … But they rarely give a general answer. Ontarians value and respect teachers, but we can’t afford to go further into debt or to pay more in taxes to give already well compensated government employees an even bigger raise. Fact-finding is an essential role of the Ombudsperson, which is why the office needs strong legal powers to get to the bottom of the serious allegations brought forward by victims. They say what they think the government should do about the provision of healthcare, about education, about housing and so on and on. As Americans, we have the inalienable right to enjoy life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness without unreasonable government interference. Instead, here are five ways the Ontario government can help make life more affordable without increasing spending: LOWER HYDRO BILLS — A recent report found residential consumers in Ontario pay 22% more for their electricity than the rest of Canada, and some businesses pay nearly 65% more! The government cannot take away your life, liberty, or property without following the law. I am not discounting what the individual states might do in these areas. I fore on take for granted all of the things our government does. But the last thing they need is more government because taxes are already the single largest expense for the average Canadian household. Raising the bar on corporate conduct abroad will not only be good for human rights defenders and their communities. END CORPORATE WELFARE — There’s a practice whereby the government takes money from people — even from those who are struggling — and hands it over it to profitable corporations. Theresa May is a welcome exception. I think lots of people do not realize all of the things government does. Read more about cookies here. … Four things the government should do to make Malaysia a better country for women — Women’s Aid Organisation. And some initiatives, such a… To mitigate the hardship on landlords and lenders, real estate and other taxes should be waived during the same period. But our federal government is growing larger and larger, taking on new and more diverse roles each year. With all this information at our fingertips, now more than ever, we need to be able to think for ourselves, question the current way of doing things, and be critical of all forms of media, government and education. © 2020 Toronto Sun, a division of Postmedia Network Inc. All rights reserved. What does our government do? 1. Tuesday, 25 Aug 2020 11:57 AM MYT. TRUMP: The government can lead it, but it should be privately done. The Coalition’s first term economic policy achievements were a mixed bag. A government should never control information:- Should never prohibit the publication of a book or arrest the release of a movie. A welcome email is on its way. However, the government tabled its report on EDC on June 20, the very last sitting day of this Parliament, essentially delaying the legislative review until after the election. Requiring all companies to conduct such due diligence would create a level playing field and provide everyone – workers, investors, communities and governments – with assurance that human rights risks are being properly managed. Here are five things the Ford government should do: 1. Have you really stopped to think about what our government actually does for us? While I've been focused so far on specific things that the federal government can do better than individuals or the private market, there are a number of tiny things that local governments do to create the world in which you live-building roads, taking out the trash, keeping traffic flowing, and turning street lights on at night. That means it must direct investment and any building programmes towards building homes which are genuinely financially accessible to those on low incomes — and work with communities to do this. You should know how to think critically and question the status quo. PICKEL: 5 things Ontario government should do for taxpayers in 2020 Back to video Instead, here are five ways the Ontario government can help … Postmedia is committed to maintaining a lively but civil forum for discussion and encourage all readers to share their views on our articles. As it turns out, the 2018 budgetary deficit was half of what was expected, and the government is on track to shave a further $1.3 billion off its 2019 projection. Congress should consider a … 15. We have enabled email notifications—you will now receive an email if you receive a reply to your comment, there is an update to a comment thread you follow or if a user you follow comments. Steal these ideas: 34 things Canada’s innovators think the government should do to help the economy through the COVID-19 crisis Finance Minister Bill Morneau arrives for a press conference on economic support for Canadians impacted by COVID-19 at West Block on Parliament Hill in March 2020. The problem is serious and widespread. It also signals clearly to companies that human rights should be everybody’s business. We ask you to keep your comments relevant and respectful. I would like to receive email updates from Oxfam Canada. The government enacts certain legislation and acts in order to take control of pollution and to lower its impact on people and the environment. Even though Trudeau explicitly stated: "The last thing Canadians need is to see a rise in taxes right now," he's … This year, the government should use legislation to cancel (or at the very least, renegotiate) all remaining renewable energy contracts in the province to ease the financial burden on families and increase the province’s competitiveness. If the government is serious about tackling the problem of affordability, then it must be guided by people’s real needs. Join the mailing list to receive daily email updates. Fifteen months later, Sheri Meyerhoffer was appointed the new Ombudsperson, but without any of the independence or legal powers of investigation originally promised. Following the October 2019 federal election, here are five actions that Canada’s next government should take to move the country forward on the corporate accountability file: Hopes were raised in January 2018 when then Minister of International Trade, Francois-Philippe Champagne, announced the government would be appointing a Canadian Ombudsperson for Responsible Enterprise. The reversal on the Ombudsperson promise was a serious blow. The news was welcomed by human rights advocates after a decade of public campaigning for the creation of such an office. But that doesn’t prevent the powers that be … Due diligence on forced labour and child labour is too narrow, and the next government should broaden the scope of any legislation on company due diligence to encompass all human rights. They state no principles by which we could judge whether the government should or should not be involved in something. Education: Last but not least, the government was never meant to provide conveyer belt, cookie cutter style education where one size fits all despite the unique make up of every person. Give Indigenous kids a fair go. Unauthorized distribution, transmission or republication strictly prohibited. Ontario can’t afford to continue down this path, so it’s time to cut our losses. Most businesses accept that they have a responsibility to respect human rights and not infringe them in their operations or through their supply chains. However, many others also have great examples of successful systems. Things a government should never do. Yet the sentiment behind plans like Ryan's … 16. Ian Thomson is a Policy Specialist leading our policy work on gender justice in the mining, oil and gas industries. This website uses cookies to personalize your content (including ads), and allows us to analyze our traffic. Governments can make things worse by introducing perverse incentives for us to do things that are inefficient and idiotic. Basically, we can call this "running your community." Although a long-term endeavour, the binding treaty is one of the most promising avenues to hold companies to account when they are complicit in human rights abuses. When so many Ontarians are teetering on the brink of financial insolvency, it’s unconscionable to think the teachers’ unions are taking legal action against the government for legislation that would give the more than 10,000 teachers currently earning more than $100,000 per year a $3,000 raise over the next three years. Until the overarching government policies and approaches change, Canadian diplomats will be hamstrung and find it challenging to prioritize human rights concerns over private commercial interests. You should know how to cook an egg (correctly!) The government can reimburse communications companies for the cost. It should be privately done. Ouch. His government made good on the former, but the federal carbon tax quickly erased any savings Ontarians would have enjoyed. Some main trends can be noticed by searching for the environment which would be beneficial for the huge part of society. The government cannot take your private property from you for public use unless it pays to you what your property is worth. Instead of restricting price, states should put pressure on the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to clear its backlog of new medicines. The Corporate Social Responsibility Strategy of Global Affairs Canada, which acts as the operating manual on responsible business conduct for the Canadian foreign service, has not been revised since 2014. A Republican would say that relying on the government to solve problems is a crutch that makes people lazy and feel entitled to receive things without working for them. Canada desperately needs to update its approach on corporate accountability. Cumulatively, these five taxes add 44 cents per litre to the price of gasoline. Due diligence involves systematically assessing human rights-related risks and taking steps to minimize harm. A balanced approach would also direct more of Canada’s international assistance to women human rights defenders working to defend their communities against business-related human rights abuses. Here are two things the federal government can do to dramatically reduce the consumption of fossil fuels through energy efficiency: Reduce energy consumption in old buildings: The next issue of The Toronto Sun Headline News will soon be in your inbox. 5 things Canada’s next government should do to curb corporate abuses of human rights. At a minimum government run prisons should have strong partnerships with faith-based organizations who know how to transform the lives of convicted criminals. LOWER GAS TAXES — What many Ontarians may not realize is that we pay five separate taxes every time we fill up at the gas station: the carbon tax, provincial excise tax, federal excise tax, provincial sales tax and federal sales tax. Strong and vibrant women’s rights organizations and citizen movements are essential to counter-balance the power of multinational corporations. The Canada Brand, a 2017 study by Osgoode Hall Law School in Toronto, found that between 2000 and 2015, Canadian mining companies operating in Latin America were reportedly associated with 44 deaths, 403 injuries (most of which occurred during protests and confrontations) and 709 cases of criminalization of dissent. (Some companies may be in a position to top up the maximum EI-insurable … 10 things our government should do to make human rights a priority 1. By continuing to use our site, you agree to our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy. 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