A balanced budget
The budget is balanced, with a projected surplus of $1.4 billion this year, increasing to $4.8 billion in 2019-20.
...But a smaller cushion going forward
The federal contingency fund drops to $1 billion in 2015-16, returning to $3 billion by 2019.
Tax-Free Savings Accounts
As expected, the budget increases the annual contribution limit on TFSAs to $10,000 from $5,500.
For households...
The budget extends compassionate-care benefits under the employment insurance system from six weeks to six months for Canadians caring for gravely ill family members.
For seniors...
The budget changes the rules governing registered retirement income funds, or RRIFs, to allow seniors to preserve their retirement nest eggs for longer.
For small business...
The small business tax rate drops from 11 per cent to 9 per cent by 2019.
For the auto industry...
The budget provides up to $100 million over five years to foster innovation among Canadian automotive parts suppliers.
Cash from GM stock sale
The sale of the government's General Motors shares, purchased in 2009 as part of an effort to help the auto industry weather the storm in the wake of the 2008 recession, generated a net gain of $2.1 billion.
The Military
The 2015 budget provides an additional $11.8 billion for the Canadian military over 10 years, starting in 2017.
It also provides up to $360.3 million for the extended and expanded mission against the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant, and $7.1 million for the recently announced military training mission in Ukraine.
Plus, $23 million over four years to upgrade security at Canada's military bases.
National security
The budget provides $292.6 million over five years for the RCMP, the Canadian Security Intelligence Service (CSIS) and Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) to fight terrorism and enforce the government's new anti-terror law.
It also provides $12.5 million over five years, followed by an additional $2.5 million a year, for the Security Intelligence Review Committee, which oversees CSIS.
Parliament Hill security
The budget provides $60.4 million over three years to buttress Parliament Hill security, $27 million over give years for tighter security at federal court and registry offices, and $10 million over five years for Ottawa police.
Cybersecurity
The budget provides $58 million over five years to better protect computer networks and critical infrastructure against cyberattacks, and $36.4 million over five years to address cybersecurity threats.
Monday 27 April 2015
What Liberals Would Change About Bill C-51
The Liberal Party of Canada is supporting the federal government's controversial anti-terror legislation, but the party has called for several amendments.
Justin Trudeau has said that if the following changes are not made to Bill C-51 before it passes, Liberals will do so if they win the next federal election.
OVERSIGHT
Creation of a national security committee of parliamentarians with up to six MPs and three senators
SUNSET CLAUSES
Expiry of certain provisions after three years, unless Parliament decides to renew them.
REVIEW
A comprehensive parliamentary review of the bill after three years.
PROTECTING PROTEST RIGHTS
Removal of the word "lawful'' from a section that states the bill's information-sharing provisions do not apply to "lawful advocacy, protest, dissent and artistic expression.''
PROTECTING CHARTER RIGHTS
A guarantee that the Canadian Security Intelligence Service's new disruptive powers would not violate the Charter of Rights and Freedoms.
WATCHDOG REPORT
An annual report from the privacy commissioner on information-sharing conducted under the law.
Justin Trudeau has said that if the following changes are not made to Bill C-51 before it passes, Liberals will do so if they win the next federal election.
OVERSIGHT
Creation of a national security committee of parliamentarians with up to six MPs and three senators
SUNSET CLAUSES
Expiry of certain provisions after three years, unless Parliament decides to renew them.
REVIEW
A comprehensive parliamentary review of the bill after three years.
PROTECTING PROTEST RIGHTS
Removal of the word "lawful'' from a section that states the bill's information-sharing provisions do not apply to "lawful advocacy, protest, dissent and artistic expression.''
PROTECTING CHARTER RIGHTS
A guarantee that the Canadian Security Intelligence Service's new disruptive powers would not violate the Charter of Rights and Freedoms.
WATCHDOG REPORT
An annual report from the privacy commissioner on information-sharing conducted under the law.
Thursday 16 April 2015
7 Ways Boomers Will Change The Food Industry
Waning Influence
Boomers' influence will start to wane as incomes slide and households shrink.
A Trend Towards Fresh And Healthy
Fresh and healthy items will continue to gain importance, as will products that help with specific dietary needs that result from growing older
Community Ties
Stronger ties to the community produce more desire for locally produced and more environmentally friendly products
Conservative Attitudes Towards Food Prices
Boomers, however, seem much less willing to pay up for sought-after attributes
Traditional Brands And Supermarkets
Baby Boomers like their traditional brands and traditional supermarkets
Shopping Conventionally
Smaller Package Sizes
Aging will drive Boomers to smaller package sizes and magnify health/wellness and fresh trends
Income levels significantly influence Baby Boomer purchasing behavior
Boomers' influence will start to wane as incomes slide and households shrink.
A Trend Towards Fresh And Healthy
Fresh and healthy items will continue to gain importance, as will products that help with specific dietary needs that result from growing older
Community Ties
Stronger ties to the community produce more desire for locally produced and more environmentally friendly products
Conservative Attitudes Towards Food Prices
Boomers, however, seem much less willing to pay up for sought-after attributes
Traditional Brands And Supermarkets
Baby Boomers like their traditional brands and traditional supermarkets
Shopping Conventionally
Smaller Package Sizes
Aging will drive Boomers to smaller package sizes and magnify health/wellness and fresh trends
Income levels significantly influence Baby Boomer purchasing behavior
Sunday 12 April 2015
Saturday 11 April 2015
Friday 10 April 2015
7 Reasons The Cuba Embargo Needs To Go
The rest of the world hates it
The United Nations has voted for 22 years in a row to condemn the Cuban embargo in lopsided votes. Last year only Israel and the United States itself voted against the resolution.
UN General Assembly renews call for end to US embargo against Cuba
It's ineffective
The idea behind the embargo is to topple the Communist government. More than five decades later, the policy has led to the overthrow of zero out of two Cuban heads of state.
It's expensive
The embargo on Cuba doesn't just hurt the Cuban economy -- it costs U.S. businesses as well. The United States loses out on $1.2 billion in forfeited earnings from lost trade with Cuba annually, according to the Harvard Political Review.
From the Archives: Reexamining the Cuban Embargo
It's undemocratic
A poll by the Atlantic Council, a non-partisan think tank, found that a solid majority of Americans favors normalizing relations with Cuba. You'd never guess by looking at the behavior of the U.S. government.
Cuba isn't a threat
The idea behind the embargo emanates in part from the Cold War-era notion that a Soviet-aligned government 90 miles off the coast posed a grave security threat. That may have been true during the days of the Cuban missile crisis in 1962, but it's tough to make a reasonable case that Cuba poses a threat to the world's most massive military machine today.
It targets the wrong people
The embargo aims to cower the Cuban government into submission by engendering resentment among a cash-starved populace. If one takes the U.S. government at its word that it aims to free a country from an oppressive government, why punish the people you're supposedly trying to help?
Its time has passed
While it's up for debate whether the embargo was ever a smart policy, today it's clearly anachronistic. The United States now does business with China, Vietnam and Russia, but not Cuba. The policy, first partially implemented in 1960, has survived 11 U.S. presidents with nothing to show. Give it a rest.
The U.S. and Cuba have normalized relations
With the United States and Cuba normalizing diplomatic relations for the first time since 1961, maintaining a trade embargo has ceased to make any logical sense. Get with the times, Congress.
The United Nations has voted for 22 years in a row to condemn the Cuban embargo in lopsided votes. Last year only Israel and the United States itself voted against the resolution.
UN General Assembly renews call for end to US embargo against Cuba
It's ineffective
The idea behind the embargo is to topple the Communist government. More than five decades later, the policy has led to the overthrow of zero out of two Cuban heads of state.
It's expensive
The embargo on Cuba doesn't just hurt the Cuban economy -- it costs U.S. businesses as well. The United States loses out on $1.2 billion in forfeited earnings from lost trade with Cuba annually, according to the Harvard Political Review.
From the Archives: Reexamining the Cuban Embargo
It's undemocratic
A poll by the Atlantic Council, a non-partisan think tank, found that a solid majority of Americans favors normalizing relations with Cuba. You'd never guess by looking at the behavior of the U.S. government.
Cuba isn't a threat
The idea behind the embargo emanates in part from the Cold War-era notion that a Soviet-aligned government 90 miles off the coast posed a grave security threat. That may have been true during the days of the Cuban missile crisis in 1962, but it's tough to make a reasonable case that Cuba poses a threat to the world's most massive military machine today.
It targets the wrong people
The embargo aims to cower the Cuban government into submission by engendering resentment among a cash-starved populace. If one takes the U.S. government at its word that it aims to free a country from an oppressive government, why punish the people you're supposedly trying to help?
Its time has passed
While it's up for debate whether the embargo was ever a smart policy, today it's clearly anachronistic. The United States now does business with China, Vietnam and Russia, but not Cuba. The policy, first partially implemented in 1960, has survived 11 U.S. presidents with nothing to show. Give it a rest.
The U.S. and Cuba have normalized relations
With the United States and Cuba normalizing diplomatic relations for the first time since 1961, maintaining a trade embargo has ceased to make any logical sense. Get with the times, Congress.
Monday 6 April 2015
Saturday 4 April 2015
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