PEF home page and weblog
I’ve written a blog post about this year’s Alternative Federal Budget (AFB). Points raised in the blog post include the following: -This year’s AFB would create 470,000 (full-time equivalent) jobs in its first year alone. By year 2 of the plan, 600,000 new (full-time equivalent) jobs will exist. -This year’s AFB will also bring in […]
Posted by Nick Falvo under aboriginal peoples, Canada, carbon pricing, Child Care, climate change, corporate income tax, CPP, deficits, economic thought, employment, Employment Insurance, environment, federal budget, fiscal federalism, fiscal policy, health care, housing, income support, Indigenous people, inequality, labour market, macroeconomics, political economic thought, post-secondary education, poverty, progressive economic strategies, public services, Role of government, seniors, social policy, taxation, unemployment, user fees, women, working time.
February 24th, 2018
Comments: none
Oxford University Press has recently released the second edition of Social Policy in Canada, co-authored by the father-daughter duo of Ernie Lightman and Naomi Lightman. I recommend this book as an excellent resource for students of social policy. It will be useful for classroom instruction, while also being a handy reference for researchers, persons who […]
Posted by Nick Falvo under Alberta, BC, budgets, Canada, child benefits, Child Care, Conservative government, demographics, education, election 2015, employment, Harper, housing, income, income distribution, income support, income tax, inequality, PEF, population aging, post-secondary education, poverty, privatization, progressive economic strategies, public services, Role of government, Saskatchewan, seniors, social policy, taxation, unemployment, user fees, workplace benefits.
September 11th, 2017
Comments: none
I have an opinion piece on Saskatchewan’s recent budget in the Regina Leader-Post. Points raised in the opinion piece include the following: -Reductions in personal and corporate income taxes help the rich more than the poor (and this budget cut both personal and corporate income taxes). -Increases in sales tax hurt the poor more than […]
Posted by Nick Falvo under aboriginal peoples, Austerity, budgets, Child Care, corporate income tax, debt, deficits, economic growth, economic models, economic thought, employment, fiscal policy, health care, income, income distribution, income support, income tax, Indigenous people, inequality, NEO-LIBERAL POLICIES, population aging, post-secondary education, poverty, public infrastructure, public services, Saskatchewan, social policy, taxation, unemployment.
April 23rd, 2017
Comments: none
Over at the web site of the Calgary Homeless Foundation, I’ve written a review of the recent Alberta budget. Points I make in the blog post include the following: -Alberta remains the lowest-taxed province in Canada. -Alberta’s net debt-to-GDP ratio remains the lowest in Canada. -For the third consecutive year, the Rachel Notley government announced […]
Posted by Nick Falvo under aboriginal peoples, Alberta, budgets, debt, education, homeless, housing, income, income support, Indigenous people, post-secondary education, poverty, social policy.
April 2nd, 2017
Comments: none
What follow is a guest blog post from Glenn Burley: – If Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) and professional fields like medicine, law, and dentistry are the so-called golden ticket to a good job in today’s labour market, what does that say about the current and future health of our economy? The myth of […]
Posted by Nick Falvo under education, employment, inequality, Job vacanices, labour market, post-secondary education, skill shortages, student debt, unemployment, user fees, wages, young workers.
July 3rd, 2015
Comments: none
My debate with Alex Usher on tuition fees continues, over at the Academic Matters web site. In my latest post, I make the case that Mr. Usher needs to consider Canada’s tax system when suggesting that reducing tuition fees is “regressive.” Enjoy and share:
Posted by Nick Falvo under Child Care, education, health care, income distribution, labour market, Ontario, post-secondary education, social policy, student debt, student movement, user fees, young workers.
May 20th, 2014
Comments: none
Earlier today, over at the Academic Matters web site, I addressed the issue of whether Canada’s current system of high tuition fees and means-tested student aid is in fact “progressive.” My post was a response to a Alex Usher‘s May 9 blog post. My blog post can be found here. Enjoy and share:
Posted by Nick Falvo under economic literacy, education, financial literacy, fiscal federalism, health care, income support, inequality, Ontario, post-secondary education, progressive economic strategies, social policy, user fees.
May 12th, 2014
Comments: none
Alex Usher, one of Canada’s most well-known post-secondary education pundits, has just written a blog post offering some sober second thought on Minister Kenney’s recent enthusiasm for Germany’s apprenticeship system. Mr. Usher’s blog post can be accessed here. Enjoy and share:
Posted by Nick Falvo under Conservative government, education, employment, fiscal federalism, labour market, post-secondary education, skill shortages, training, young workers.
March 26th, 2014
Comments: none
This afternoon I spoke on a panel on university governance at a conference titled Future U: Creating the Universities We Want, organized by the Ontario Confederation of University Faculty Associations. Also presenting on the panel were Professor Glen Jones and Professor Claire Polster. Future U: Creating the Universities We want Future U: Creating the Universities […]
Posted by Nick Falvo under democracy, education, post-secondary education.
February 27th, 2014
Comments: 1
This afternoon I gave a presentation to Professor Ted Jackson’s graduate seminar course on higher education, taught in Carleton University’s School of Public Policy and Administration. Â The link to my slide deck, titled “The Political Economy of Post-Secondary Education in Canada,” can be found here. Points I raised in the presentation include the following: -Tuition […]
Posted by Nick Falvo under debt, demographics, economic risk, education, employment, household debt, Indigenous people, inequality, post-secondary education, social policy, student debt, student movement, taxation, unemployment, user fees, young workers.
February 6th, 2014
Comments: 4
It has recently been reported that the University of Alberta wants to “reopen two-year collective agreements” with faculty and staff “to help the university balance its budget…” This appears to be in direct response to Alberta’s provincial government announcing in its March budget that there would be a “7% cut to operating grants to universities, […]
Posted by Nick Falvo under Alberta, budgets, corporate profits, education, employment, fiscal policy, income, income distribution, income tax, inequality, post-secondary education, productivity, taxation, unions, wages.
August 7th, 2013
Comments: 2
On June 7, I gave a keynote address to the Alberta Union of Provincial Employees Education Sector Conference. My PowerPoint presentation (with full references) can be found at this link. Points I raised in the address include the following: -Canada’s economy has been growing quite steadily over the past three decades, even when one adjusts […]
Posted by Nick Falvo under BC, competition, Conservative government, corporate income tax, debt, demographics, education, fiscal federalism, fiscal policy, household debt, income distribution, income tax, inequality, macroeconomics, Newfoundland and Labrador, P3s, part time work, post-secondary education, privatization, productivity, public infrastructure, Quebec, rankings, regulation, Role of government, social policy, student debt, student movement, taxation, user fees, working time, young workers.
June 7th, 2012
Comments: 4
Despite the remarkably poor media coverage of the early days of the protests (especially in English Canada), it seems that the Quebec student protestors have finally succeeded in sparking a broader public discussion about civil liberties and the right to protest (even in the Globe here, here and in the Celebrity Photo captions). Yet, media […]
Posted by Iglika Ivanova under education, income distribution, inequality, post-secondary education, student debt, student movement.
May 31st, 2012
Comments: 4
I’ve written before about attempts in Canada to create more separation between university teaching, on the one hand, and university research, on the other. In 2009, I wrote this opinion piece about an attempt by five university presidents to each acquire a larger share of university research dollars. And last year, I blogged here about […]
Posted by Nick Falvo under education, fiscal federalism, inequality, Ontario, post-secondary education, privatization, R&D, rankings, Saskatchewan.
May 2nd, 2012
Comments: 4
In the context of student protests over Quebec tuition fees, my friend Luan Ngo has just written a very informative blog post on Quebec’s fiscal situation. While I encourage readers to read his full post, I do want to use the present space to make mention of three important points he makes: -On a per […]
Posted by Nick Falvo under Bank of Canada, budgets, Conservative government, corporate income tax, debt, deficits, economic crisis, economic growth, economic literacy, economic models, economic thought, education, equalization, financial crisis, fiscal federalism, fiscal policy, heterodox economics, inflation, interest rates, macroeconomics, monetary policy, post-secondary education, progressive economic strategies, Quebec, social policy, student movement, user fees.
April 28th, 2012
Comments: 17
A recent article by Stefani Forster, of the Canadian Press, suggests that the Quebec student protests may be starting a larger social movement outside of Quebec. According to the article: In the last few days, Quebec’s student protests have received coverage in French news outlets like Le Monde and Agence France-Presse, in Australia, in New […]
Posted by Nick Falvo under education, Occupy Movement, post-secondary education, progressive economic strategies, Quebec, social policy, student movement, user fees.
April 28th, 2012
Comments: none
Simon Tremblay-Pepin, an emerging social policy scholar, has recently blogged here (in French) about Quebec tuition fees. He points out that, when one adjusts for inflation, Quebec tuition fees are headed into uncharted territory. Indeed, contrary to some recent spin from the Charest government, Tremblay-Pepin makes two important observations: 1. When one takes an average […]
Posted by Nick Falvo under demographics, education, fiscal federalism, post-secondary education, Quebec, social policy, student movement, user fees, young workers.
April 28th, 2012
Comments: 2
Last Friday, I blogged here about the Quebec student protests. Â Subsequently, I was invited to appear on 580 CFRA News Talk Radio, with hosts Rob Snow and Lowell Green. I should note that Mr. Green is the author of several books, including: -How the Granola Crunching, Tree Hugging Thug Huggers are Wrecking our Country; –Mayday […]
Posted by Nick Falvo under debt, education, fiscal federalism, household debt, Newfoundland and Labrador, Ontario, part time work, post-secondary education, privatization, Quebec, social policy, student debt, student movement, user fees, young workers.
April 26th, 2012
Comments: 1
On CBC’s The National last night, Rex Murphy weighed in on Quebec’s student protests; the transcript can be found here,  and the three-minute video here.  He calls the protests “short sighted,” points out that Quebec already has the lowest tuition fees in Canada, and suggests the students’ actions are “crude attempts at precipitating a crisis.” He […]
Posted by Nick Falvo under education, fiscal federalism, housing, Newfoundland and Labrador, post-secondary education, poverty, Quebec, social indicators, social policy, student debt, student movement, user fees, young workers.
April 20th, 2012
Comments: 12
A few years ago, I wrote an opinion piece on “pathway colleges”—i.e. private companies that recruit students from other countries and then ‘bridge’ them into Canadian universities by providing pre-university courses, including English as a Second Language. A recent CBC News article  underlines how perilous such recruitment of post-secondary students from abroad can be, and why it is important […]
Posted by Nick Falvo under China, education, Manitoba, P3s, post-secondary education, privatization, social policy.
April 20th, 2012
Comments: 1
Carleton University’s Ted Jackson teaches a graduate seminar course on post-secondary education in Carleton’s School of Public Policy and Administration. Earlier this month, I was invited to give a guest presentation to Professor Jackson’s class. I focused the presentation on affordability challenges faced by students wanting to pursue post-secondary education. My slide presentation can be […]
Posted by Nick Falvo under education, fiscal federalism, income distribution, inequality, Newfoundland and Labrador, Ontario, post-secondary education, Quebec, social indicators, social policy, student debt, student movement, user fees, working time, young workers.
February 29th, 2012
Comments: 2
I have an opinion piece out on the City of Ottawa’s universal, student transit pass–also known as “the U-Pass.” Points raised in the op-ed include the following: -U-Pass programs exist for roughly 30 universities and colleges across Canada. -For a U-Pass program to be introduced, students typically must vote in favour of the program in […]
Posted by Nick Falvo under cities, climate change, Ontario, post-secondary education, public infrastructure, public services, public transit, student movement, transportation, user fees.
February 7th, 2012
Comments: none
It’s no secret that a major priority of Canadian universities is to recruit substantial numbers of international students, who in turn pay very high tuition fees once they arrive in Canada. Recent evidence suggests that insofar as Canadian universities want to continue doing so, they should work with senior levels of government to reduce the cost of both housing […]
Posted by Nick Falvo under Australia, education, housing, post-secondary education, public transit, social policy.
January 7th, 2012
Comments: none
An article in yesterday’s Village Voice looks at the rising costs of post-secondary education (PSE) in the United States. It points to research suggesting that the “biggest single factor” contributing to the rising cost of PSE for both private and public institutions is the cost of employee health benefits. I would infer from the above that, insofar […]
Posted by Nick Falvo under bubble, education, fiscal federalism, health care, post-secondary education, privatization, social policy, student debt, student movement, US, user fees.
January 5th, 2012
Comments: none
Last month, the Canadian Federation of Students (CFS) released a document entitled Public Education for the Public Good: A National Vision for Canada’s Post-Secondary Education System. I found the document to be quite informative, filled with a lot of useful statistics. For example: -Enrolment is rising in colleges and universities across Canada. Since the late 1990s, full-time enrolment has […]
Posted by Nick Falvo under BC, democracy, education, employment, fiscal federalism, part time work, post-secondary education, public infrastructure, social policy, user fees, young workers.
November 6th, 2011
Comments: none
I have an opinion piece out on Access Copyright, English Canada’s longtime copyright middleman. I argue that Access Copyright is a bit like the Blockbuster Video of Canadian university libraries—once indispensable, and now almost obsolete (largely due the Internet). Within a year from now, it’s possible that no Canadian university will still have day-to-day dealings with […]
Posted by Nick Falvo under education, intellectual property, post-secondary education, progressive economic strategies, R&D, student movement.
October 13th, 2011
Comments: none
In Saskatchewan’s provincial election campaign, the incumbent Saskatchewan Party is promising a scholarship of up to $500 per year for new high-school graduates who undertake post-secondary studies. It claims that this scholarship is worth “THREE TIMES†the annual increase in university tuition fees, which has averaged $146.50 over the past four years. What the Sask […]
Posted by Erin Weir under economic literacy, post-secondary education, Sask. Election 2011.
October 12th, 2011
Comments: 1
In August, I blogged about controversy surrounding Concordia University’s Board of Governors. A report co-authored by Bernard J. Shapiro (Canada’s first Ethics Commissioner) had concluded that an unofficial, inner circle of Board members had been micromanaging some of the university’s day-to-day operations, and undermining the President. This had apparently prompted the resignation of the previous two Presidents before the midway points of […]
Posted by Nick Falvo under democracy, education, post-secondary education, Quebec, student movement.
October 1st, 2011
Comments: 3
Newly-released data indicate that student debt is rising amongst new physicians in Canada. In 2010, 23 percent of medical residents reported having more than $120,000 in education-related debt upon completion of their residency training (as compared with just 17 percent in 2007). (Note: across Canada, average tuition fees for medical students amount to just over $10,000 a year.) This appears to have […]
Posted by Nick Falvo under debt, education, employment, health care, post-secondary education, student debt, student movement, US, user fees, young workers.
October 1st, 2011
Comments: none
On Wednesday, William Watson wrote a comment piece in the Financial Post in which he was critical of Armine Yalnizyan’s recent essay on inequality. In his piece, Mr. Watson alleges that Armine “is guilty of fantastical reminiscence,” particularly with respect to her take on post-secondary education (PSE). Among other things, Mr. Watson points to the […]
Posted by Nick Falvo under economic history, education, fiscal federalism, household debt, human rights, inequality, labour market, post-secondary education, social policy, student debt, student movement, user fees, young workers.
September 24th, 2011
Comments: 2