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ISBN: 9781459409439

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Canada after Harper

His ideology-fuelled attack on Canadian society and values, and how we can now work to create the country we want

Most Canadians know that Stephen Harper has had a tremendous impact on the country since becoming prime minister in 2006. But few have the in-depth knowledge of how far his transformation has gone — what has already been done, and what the consequences will be in the future.

This book brings together Canadian experts in a wide variety of areas. They document key changes put in place by the Harper government. There have been dramatic changes in education, health care, women’s rights, science and research, guiding the economy, labour unions, water and natural resources, and aboriginal affairs. Most of these measures have been designed to be difficult, if not impossible, to reverse.

Readers will for the first time grasp the breadth and depth of the Harper attack on institutions, policies, and programs that embody values and principles shared by most Canadians. Each chapter documents the dangers of a government fixated on the needs of corporations and the one percent, blinded to our environmentally unsustainable lifestyle, and expanding surveillance and security measures to intimidate and threaten opponents.

The contributors to this book believe that engagement in public affairs by the citizenry can trump the power of the elites and the giant corporations who are the winners of the Harper era. As activists in public life, they propose strategies and measures to create a Canada that champions fairness, social justice, real democracy in our government institutions, action to reverse global warming, and a constructive role in world affairs.

Contributors

Ed Finn

ED FINN began his 70-year career in journalism in 1944 as a reporter for the Corner Brook daily The Western Star, followed by two years with the Montreal Gazette in the 1950s. While working as a communicator for several unions during the 1960s-1980s, he wrote a column on labour relations for the Toronto Star from 1968 to 1982. He retired in 2014 after serving 20 years as editor of the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives' monthly magazine, The Monitor.

Chapter Title Contents Contributors Pages Year Price

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Finn describes Canada’s state under Harper and the country’s socioeconomic status. Nader describes how excessive corporate power and influence had transformed the United States into … ; 30 $3.00

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David Suzuki opens by graphically depicting the impact of reckless human activities on the planet and its inhabitants. 12 $1.20

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Maude Barlow next focuses on the alarming shrinkage and pollution of Canada’s fresh water supply, a precious resource which lacks the effective laws and regulations needed to protect it 13 $1.30

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Joyce Nelson finds a close link between this political inaction and the adherence to religious fundamentalism by the Prime Minister and his closest allies. 21 $2.10

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Peter Robinson then rounds out our survey of the environment by discussing how a rights-based mobilization offers the best hope for bringing government environmental policy into line with … 7 $0.70

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Andrew Jackson leads off by describing how our economy has been seriously harmed by the transfer of industries and jobs to other countries, by wage stagnation, and an over-reliance on the … 19 $1.90

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Scott Sinclair and Stuart Trew examine the many free trade agreements our federal government has signed, finding little in them that helps workers or consumers, but a great deal that boosts the … ; 22 $2.20

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Lynne Fernandez then recounts how neoliberal government and corporate practices have weakened unions and violated their fundamental rights. 25 $2.50

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Linda McQuaig tells us how the inequality generated by “free market” policies has widened the gap between Canada’s ultra-rich and most other Canadians. 6 $0.60

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Trish Hennessy relates how the obsession with tax cuts promoted by neoliberal governments has served as a convenient excuse for slashing social programs. 15 $1.50

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Colleen Fuller first relates how underfunding, privatization, and other neoliberal health care policies have undermined medicare. 24 $2.40

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Kate McInturff examines the struggle for gender equality, chiding the federal government for failing to advance or even protect women’s rights. 10 $1.00

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Larry Kuehn writes of the need to save our public education system from the corroding effects of privatization, underfunding, international testing, charter schools, and other related education … 18 $1.80

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In my chapter, I call Canada’s steep rate of poverty — especially child poverty — a national disgrace for a country so bountifully endowed with wealth and resources. 11 $1.10

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Art Manuel wraps up this section by reminding us of the long and lurid history of Canada’s mistreatment of its Aboriginal peoples. 14 $1.40

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Duff Conacher first sees Canada falling far short of qualifying as a true democracy, citing the failure to enable everyone to participate fully and freely in political decision-making processes. 32 $3.20

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Kevin Page lists the many ways good government in Canada has been eroded, notably by the federal government’s usurpation of financial budgetary control, which should properly be exercised … 12 $1.20

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James Turk describes how science and scientific research have been undermined by funding cuts, research constraints, and even the muzzling of scientists. 30 $3.00

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Alex Himelfarb concludes by relating how tax cuts and other austerity measures have led to a loss of public awareness of the need for adequate tax revenue to maintain essential services — … 15 $1.50

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Final thoughts by the editor 2 $0.20