I have quite a few creative ideas, but am too tired to write them down rn. I’ll go the easy, lazy way (and write about more legislation ideas tomorrow):
Proportional representation like Germany. In every election, the voter votes for an individual and a party. The individual is chosen to represent the riding through STAR voting (my version). After all MPs are elected, to ensure proportional representation according to the party votes (the second vote that voters cast), individuals from party lists are put into parliament.
This way, we get riding representation and party representation.
There’s too many that would benefit Canada immensely.
Since most of my first thoughts were already said, maybe criminalising corporate involvement in politics? Or price fixing. Hell, even nationalising necessities would be good (food, housing, utilities - including phone/internet).
Another thought would be requiring a total compensation disparity of no more than 7x - as in, if any employee is being paid $17.85 (current BC minimum), the total compensation for the highest can be, at most $124.95, including stocks and other benefits that can be considered compensation. Its still a fucking insane difference, but much more sane than not having a cap at all.
To allow booking MAID in the future based on developing conditions such as dementia. I definitely want to do this.
End first past the post.
Every other goal becomes significantly achievable if we do that.
Next immediate goal after that is UBI.
Nationalize all natural resources in Canada. Oil, minerals, water, electricity, you name it.
National priorities: 1. PR, 2+3. UBI paid by wealth tax, 4. healthcare, 5. nationalization of resource and infrastructure assets. If you can fit all of that in one bill then that counts.
My priority: A new railway bill. Mandate passenger trains having right-of-way over freight, and create a new infrastructure manager tasked to buy/seize, develop and improve railways for passenger or passenger-freight dual use (or +military for triple use) and create a usable national network.
Collectivization of all industry. Or if that’s too pie in the sky, strengthen and actually enforce local ownership requirements over Canadian news orgs.
Worker cooperatives.
Also, housing cooperatives and other types of cooperatives everywhere.
Sounds like communism, I like it!
A good start would be for the federal government to stop funding news orgs that have more than 0% foreign ownership or funding.
Proportional representation without question
The price of food cannot increase.
The “tithe” law. Profit capped at 10% to keep costs and chicanery down. People and corps taxed at 10% across the board. GST/PST 10% total. Capitalism, but non-aggressive, loaded with social programs. I guess I might as well throw in flying pigs. Yes, pigs should fly, and it oughta be a law.
Ban online gambling.
Immediately end all subsidies and preferential tax treatment of the fossil fuel sector.
- The banning of all future fossil fuel expansion.
- Criminal charges for any Canadian fighting in the IDF or involved in sending arms to Israel.
- Require that all vehicles in excess of 2 tonnes require a commercial license to operate. The idea would be that this limit would gradually be reduced to a sensible number over time.
- Vehicle speed limiters, ideally tied to the region you’re in (city/highway).
I know, you asked for one, but there’s a lot of stuff to be done.
Ban age verification laws.
Ive been thinking of these laws myself for the longest time as well. Glad im not the only one
Ban algorithmic timelines for all social media, news, and entertainment.
Ban real-time algorithmic pricing.
Enforce a higher standard of driving, tailgating, extreme speed, distracted driving is insane.
All timelines are algorithmic except for AI generated timelines, which are heuristic. You’re gonna force them to put AI in the timeline
Labd value tax
Basic Income.
I was about to write this. Universal basic income.
But how are we going to fund this exclusively from taxpayer money? I think it’s important we secure a solid revenue to fund this first. Through nationalized resources, or a tax on the wealthy, etc.
About the funding:
Many years ago there was a Conservative politician named Hugh Segal who lead a study about UBI. The calculations showed that if the 60 over-lapping government handouts were elimated, Canada would save millions (or billions idk it’s been a while since I read it) of dollars every year.
Sounds too good to be true until you realize that just for UI each city across Canada has a least one office with multiple employees. These office all pay rent, insurance, power, etc. Most cities likely have 10 or more UI offices.
Multiple that by all the other programs and it adds up to quite a bit on money.
Edit: I found this from CBC https://www.cbc.ca/radio/sunday/the-sunday-edition-for-march-29-2020-1.5509908/amidst-a-global-pandemic-hugh-segal-s-call-for-a-guaranteed-annual-income-is-even-more-timely-1.5509938
From the article:
“The Parliamentary Budget Officer said it would probably cost about $60 billion without counting those federal and provincial programs. It would replace those and produce substantial savings for the taxpayer. That would bring the number down to about $25 billion nationally. That’s less than 10 per cent of Canada’s total economic cost in terms of running the store. That would be a very efficient investment, not only in reducing poverty, but also in reducing all the negative pathologies of poverty, like bad healthcare, health status, education outcomes and family difficulties, difficulty with the law — all of which cost taxpayers a tremendous amount of money.”
A UBI is intended to be inexpensive to administer, this is why everyone gets it unconditionally, but income taxes need to be increased so that the wealthy end up paying back what they got and more, such that it balances the cost of giving it to everyone.
Well that’s the thing ain’t it? Taxing the rich? Unless we have strong legislation on that with higher tax rates and get rid of loopholes, we could achieve it.
IF we do those things.
