Behind the Numbers

One year into the COVID-19 pandemic that has upended the lives of millions of people in this country, Canadian billionaires have increased their wealth by $78 billion.

The interest rate the federal government pays on debt hasn’t been this low since the Second World War (and possibly earlier).

We are far less likely to recognize households living in poverty as a public health issue, societal crisis or economic problem that we should solve collectively.

The CERB was a critical support for many workers impacted by pandemic closures. For low-wage workers, the benefit funds were likely used to cover critical expenses. As such, it's unlikely that Canadians living below the poverty line will have money set aside for their pending CERB tax bill.

On April 1^st, Nova Scotia’s minimum hourly wage increased from $12.55 to $12.95. Is it now “too high” or “too low”?

The pandemic has exposed the disastrous result of government cuts to vital investments, especially in health care and long-term care. Does the latest budget undo the damage?

What’s the true story about what's happening at Ontario’s schools during the pandemic? Ricardo Tranjan examines funding across the province, school board by school board.

Don’t expect any big surprises in the March 24th Ontario budget. The top-line numbers in the document are already well known, more or less, and so is the government that will deliver it.

David Macdonald's presentation to the Standing Committee on Finance on March 18, 2021 regarding Bill C-14 and COVID-19 spending.

Governments need to step up to address both the immediate economic needs the pandemic has created and the longer-term, equitable recovery this crisis requires.

Here are 10 things worth knowing about the latest Alberta budget, its major changes to spending and taxation, and its projected deficit of $18.2 billion.

The celebration of International Women’s Day and upcoming federal Budget affords an opportunity to take stock of the devastation that has unfolded over the past year – and imagine a better, more inclusive and just future.

You might think that means the provincial government is pulling out all the stops to save lives, but you’d be wrong.