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As I sat around the Easter dinner table this weekend, there was one dominant topic of conversation — the detested carbon tax, and the three-cent-per-litre increase that kicked in at the pumps yesterday. Spoiler alert: Everyone was mad about it.
But today in The Conversation Canada, Steve Lorteau of the University of Toronto points out that Canadians pay a lot more in taxes every year by way of subsidies to fossil fuel companies than they pay in carbon taxes.
He writes: “These subsidies cost Canadian taxpayers at least $6.03 billion, or roughly $214 per taxpayer, every year. And unlike the federal carbon tax, Canadians don’t get a rebate on this tax …. While oil and gas companies boast about record profits, Canadian taxpayers are footing the bill.”
Lorteau also points out all the critical infrastructure — from schools to hospitals and public transit — that could be funded with that money, and delves into how and why there’s a mounting consensus that fossil fuel subsidies need to be eliminated once and for all.
Also today:
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Anti-carbon tax protesters wave signs and chant slogans as they block a westbound lane of the Trans Canada highway near Cochrane, Alta., on April 1, 2024.
THE CANADIAN PRESS/Jeff McIntosh
Steve Lorteau, University of Toronto
Never mind the carbon tax. Tax breaks and public spending for fossil fuel companies cost taxpayers billions every year and hurt the environment.
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Some fault teachers for an inability to restrict phone use at school. But both students and some parents resist this, and problems far exceed in-class distraction. A student puts her phone in a holder at Delta High School in Delta, Utah, in February 2024.
(AP Photo/Rick Bowmer)
Sachin Maharaj, L’Université d’Ottawa/University of Ottawa
Four Canadian school boards are suing social media giants. This comes as 95 per cent of Ontario schools report needing more resources to support student mental health.
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Toronto band The Beaches, fronted by lead singer and bassist Jordan Miller, closes off the 2024 Juno awards in Halifax, March 24, 2024.
THE CANADIAN PRESS/Darren Calabrese
Jacqueline Warwick, Dalhousie University
All-female rock bands like The Beaches are both a breath of fresh air and also heirs to a tradition of women in rock that includes early Black female guitarists and the 1990s riot grrrl movement.
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Women have more positive experiences seeking justice when they experienced support, agency and validation.
(Shutterstock)
Diane Crocker, Saint Mary’s University; Deborah Norris, Mount Saint Vincent University; Meghan Gosse, Dalhousie University
Survivors of gender-based abuse can often feel retraumatized by the justice system. But simple acts of validation and support can make a meaningful difference and restore a sense of agency.
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Person-centred care means treating people who face health issues as valued partners in health systems.
(Priscilla du Preez/Unsplash)
Janet Jull, Queen's University, Ontario; Kimberly Fairman, University of Victoria; Sandy Oliver, UCL
Research partnerships with the people and communities affected help to challenge health inequities, and support person-centred care in health systems.
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Culture + Society
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Dara E. Purvis, Penn State
In the past, when courts considered disputes over what to do with no-longer-wanted embryos, they typically considered them property. The Alabama ruling challenges this legal precedent.
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Environment + Energy
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Nasya Bahfen, La Trobe University
Muslims internationally fast during the day in the holy month. But largely-Islamic nations are feeling the effects of climate change, making life harder both during and outside of Ramadan.
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Science + Tech
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Robin Chataut, Quinnipiac University
The 485 multiterabit-per-second undersea data cables that span the world’s oceans link the globe and maintain the digital realm.
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