From Matt: ‘Shallow, selfish, and self-absorbed‘ (Sophie Gilbert, The Atlantic): Despite its tongue-in-cheek-title, this article – drawing on a recent book by a similar name – provides an interesting take on why more and more people these days, women in particular, are choosing to not have kids. The article’s (and book’s) objective was to remove some of…
From Matt: ‘A triumph of tax madness’. The federal Conservatives are announcing an election-year budget containing a large number of bad economic policies, as well as balanced-budget legislation – rightly called ‘bonehead economics’ by The Globe and Mail Editorial Board. Jeffrey Simpson surveys the wreckage. Simpson draws parallels between Harper’s fiscal policy to that of George W. Bush – politically-targeted but expensive and economically-distortionary…
Research has shown that diverse environments are the most innovative, and that diversity makes us better thinkers. We are forced to challenge our beliefs and assumptions when we immerse ourselves in an environment filled with people whose experiences and opinions are different. Facing differing opinions forces us to make sound, well-articulated and evidence-based arguments for what…
A controversial research study led by University of Toronto’s Dean of Pharmacy, looking at the effects of homeopathic remedies on Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) in children, has reignited the debate on academic freedom vs. academic responsibility. Naturopathic medicine includes a very diverse list of remedies and practices. Some, like fish oils, have scientifically-validated health…
-Matt Burgess- As a Canadian, I have been forced to think a lot over the last few years about the importance of character in politics. Stephen Harper, the current Canadian Prime Minster, has been widely criticized for vindictive, ruthless, secretive and hyper-partisan behaviors, by both left- and right-wing pundits. Those who support Harper as PM largely do…
On September 20 last year, Emma Watson gave a widely acclaimed speech at the United Nations, launching the HeForShe campaign – one aimed at starting a broader conversation and building a broader coalition to promote global gender equity. Gender equity is important, but can be difficult to talk about in public forums. Having broad conversations about gender equity is…
–Niya Bajaj– Niya Bajaj is chair of fundraising at the Elspeth Centre for Women and secretary of the Board at the Native Women’s Resource Center. This article is part of a Discussion addressing the question, ‘What changes can we make to our social, political and legal institutions to improve gender equity in Canada?’. Gender equity is…
The idea of a national carbon tax has been near the front of many Canadian news cycles since the Liberals included it in their federal election platform in 2008. The Liberals, under Stéphane Dion, proposed a carbon price of 10$/tonne initially, rising to 40$/tonne in the fourth year, levied on electricity and fuel consumption, with the exception…
–Matt Burgess- Though not every family is like the Woodhouse family, political diversity within families is common, sometimes leading to political debates during the holidays (much to the chagrin of Joy Woodhouse, evidently). Unlike the Woodhouse family apparently, I find holiday political debates in my family to be mostly civil and quite interesting. In fact, these…
The Tête-à-Tête 