Much more needs to be done to ensure that homeless people are encouraged to vote and given equal opportunity to do so. Do homeless people vote? Although they are citizens of Canada, the political participation of homeless people has rarely been considered. The health of our democracy should be … [Read more...]
Time for Tax Reform?
Following the release of the Department of Finance’s private corporation tax proposals on July 18, 2017, which was far more controversial than the government anticipated, over 21,000 letters containing comments, criticisms and suggestions were sent to Finance. A common theme contained in many of … [Read more...]
The Politicized Complexity of the Canadian Income Tax Act
An effective tax system in theory operates with objectivity in a fair, transparent and simple manner, and is used to maintain government expenditures to support and stimulate the economy. Unfortunately, this has never been the case in Canada. Since the introduction of the tax system in 1917, there … [Read more...]
Reforming our Tax System: What Prime Minister Trudeau Can Learn from the Carter Commission (and his Father)
On July 18, 2017, the Federal Government, under the leadership of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, released a consultation paper entitled “Tax Planning Using Private Corporations” (Consultation Paper), which identified three tax strategies that shareholders of private corporations may be able to use … [Read more...]
Public Interest Law Clinic at the University of Calgary
The forces shaping the access to justice crisis are deeply connected to the forces shaping the future of legal practice and legal education. Marginalized people are chronically deprived of access to legal services. The expanding role of the administrative state has created opportunities for public … [Read more...]
Defending the Court Challenges Program
After much anticipation, the federal government has announced the reinstatement of the Court Challenges Program. Set to cost $12 million over five years, the CCP will assist Canadians with legal challenges to advance and protect their Charter rights. The decision is a welcome one. The program’s … [Read more...]
Supreme Court of Canada Endorses A New Approach to Self-Represented Litigants
The steady rise in the number of self-represented litigants, individuals who are not represented by lawyers, presents challenges in the Canadian justice system. Generally, the justice system relies on lawyers to function efficiently. Individuals without lawyers often find it difficult to … [Read more...]
A Renewed Senate That Works for Canadians
Had you been standing in the foyer of Canada’s Senate on June 22nd 2017, you’d have been forgiven for thinking that a constitutional crisis was about to engulf our nation’s Parliament. While the national media waited outside the chamber with cameras, microphones and hot television lights in tow, … [Read more...]
An Insider’s Look at Senate Committees
When I first stepped into the Senate atrium and peered into the chamber, I recall experiencing a sensory overload of colour. Carpeted in a sea of red with gold leaf adorning the ceiling, the Senate is decorated in a style befitting a monarch, the colours hinting at the Upper House's regal … [Read more...]
The Senate Reference: Supreme Court of Canada Outlines Constitutional Road to Reform
Controversies in the Senate have caused many to question whether we need a Senate at all. Realistically, however, what changes could Parliament make to the Senate? Constitutionally, what changes is Parliament allowed to make to the Senate? In 2014, Parliament found out exactly how it could change – … [Read more...]