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Tax season is fast approaching, and many of us who donate to charitable causes appreciate the tax break we get from giving. But does it make economic sense for governments to offer the deduction? Gregory C. Mason of the University of Manitoba makes a persuasive argument in today’s The Conversation Canada that Canada, as other countries have, should do away with tax breaks for charitable donations.
Should Canada also ban the sale of assault-style firearms? R. Blake Brown of Saint Mary’s University writes that as the federal government ponders banning handguns and assault-style rifles, our gun laws have always been irrational and need an overhaul.
Finally, Ian Reilly of Mount Saint Vincent University has a fascinating piece about media hoaxers and how their use of humour in the realm of social justice activism helps enhance democratic discourse and spur political action.
Note: In yesterday’s newsletter we misidentified the university affiliation of Allyson Stevenson, who wrote about the history of the Saskatchewan Indian Women’s Association. Prof. Stevenson is the Department of Politics and International Studies department Tier II Canada Research Chair in Indigenous Peoples and Global Social Justice at the University of Regina.
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It’s time to seriously rethink giving tax breaks for charitable donations, since ultimately taxpayers foot the bill for the deductions anyway.
(Shutterstock)
Gregory C Mason, University of Manitoba
Several countries — namely Austria, Finland, Ireland, Italy, Sweden and Switzerland — have removed tax benefits for charitable donations. Here's why Canada should follow suit.
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Meaghan Hennegan, who was shot twice during the Dawson College shooting in 2006 in Montreal holds up a board showing assault weapons as she joins other gun control advocates at a news conference on Bill C-71 on Parliament Hill in Ottawa in December 2018. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Sean Kilpatrick.
THE CANADIAN PRESS/Sean Kilpatrick
R. Blake Brown, Saint Mary’s University
Canada must decide if modern semi-automatic rifles should be widely available to its citizens. Our current classification system for such guns is irrational.
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The Yes Men in 2009 handing out spoof editions of the ‘New York Post’ with the lead story ‘We’re Screwed’ outlining how “climate change is threatening the lives of New Yorkers — especially those who take the subway to work.
Still from the documentary by Laura Nix and the Yes Men
Ian Reilly, Mount Saint Vincent University
For media activists The Yes Men, hoaxes have emerged as a proven tactic to generate public discourse on social justice issues that are not generally given space and time in mainstream news media.
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Politics
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Jamila Michener, Cornell University
Medicaid and Medicare benefits appear safe for now. But SNAP food assistance and many other programs could be disrupted.
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Health + Medicine
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Francesca Cavallerio, Anglia Ruskin University
Too often athletes are forced into a narrative in which their sport overtakes everything, to the detriment of their health and future happiness.
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Science + Technology
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Jen King, Stanford University
Most tech companies make it difficult for users to say no to aggressive surveillance practices. But it is helpful to know about the default settings on your smartphone and how to change them.
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