What’s normal? 

It was brought to my attention recently by a friend with teenage children that there is a need for that generation,  and perhaps even their parents’ generation to know that the need for food banks, and the current extent of homelessness, is not normal. Not normal in the sense that these sad realities at one time were not normal. Not normal in the sense that these sad realities are not inevitable, but are the consequences of deliberate public policy choices made by governments of the past. Not normal in the sense that these sad realities can be made not normal again by the right public policy choices, in terms of economic policy, housing policy, and mental health policy, to name a few.

Canada’s enhanced climate plan (released in Dec 2019) includes a gradually rising carbon price – to $170 per tonne by 2030. That’s a high price by international standards, which gives Canada a credible shot at hitting its 2030 climate target. The new plan made commentator Andrew Coyne take the market fundamentalist position that a higher carbon price should be the single policy, and governments should do little else.

On April 2nd, political economist and giant of the Canadian left, Mel Watkins, passed away.

This summer, the Broadbent Institute welcomed two Public Policy Interns to our Vancouver and Ottawa offices: Chuka Ejeckam and Somaya Amiri. The internships are one way we are building the leadership capacity of a new generation of progressive leaders. In addition to learning practical skills, working on the day to day work of the Institute, both Chuka and Somaya are being mentored through their own independent research projects. Learn more about them and their projects below.