Carter Vance

OPINION | Welfare Walls, Not Welfare, Discourage Work

The typical attitude towards welfare policies in Canada among the majority of the population is not generally a positive one. But much of this hate is due to misconceptions about what welfare policies are and how they actually work. In cases like this the policy details do matter and in Canada these details need to be reconfigured and re-conceptualized.

OPINION | It’s Past Time for Canada to Re-Engage with Iran

Canada stands to lose more than it gains by refusing to reopen diplomatic relations with the Islamic Republic of Iran. Iran has shown some movement in a positive direction in terms of willingness to engage with the outside world and moderate its actions on the global stage, which most other Western nations have recognized by reopening communication lines. Continuing a relations freeze in light of this makes Canada appear not only quixotic but ignorant of the consequences.

OPINION | The Singapore Fantasy and the Impossibility of Benevolent Autocracy

Though China is sometimes invoked in quasi-admirable terms, the real goal for the anti-populist would be, in a sense, “getting to Singapore”, where there are (notionally) competitive elections, but much of the state functions on a perception of “clean”, meritocratic technocracy. However, Singapore is not “Singapore” and the reasons for this point to both the impossibility of closed systems of government being benevolent and the need for the anti-populists to stop dreaming and start addressing real concerns.

OPINION | Looking to the Past Won’t Help Us Understand Post-COVID Economics

The unique nature of the COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in equally unique, and unforeseen consequences, the economy being the main casualty. While it is tempting to compare the present economic circumstances to that of the 2008 recession to do so would be incorrect and in fact dangerous especially when attempting to navigate post COVID economics. Instead, officials should look to different methods and responses in order to rebuild the economy such as through a more sophisticated investment response.

OPINION | Canada’s Reverse Robin Hood Housing Policy

The federal government has pledged to introduce a modest, targeted vacancy tax in its recent budget in order to tamp down on the speculative housing activity that has grown during the COVID-19 pandemic. However, it is difficult to imagine that such a small measure will make much of a difference on the overall costs and a responsible government would, before introducing new initiatives, examine and eliminate perverse incentives in this realm which previous have put in place and which continue to contribute to an overheating market.

OPINION | Of Firearms and “Root Causes”: Looking Beyond Easy Answers on Gun Violence

Contextual analysis is what separates nuanced thinking in the justice policy realm from the basic Benthamite calculus still seemingly favoured by most of the political right. However, when it comes to the issue of guns and gun control, a great many left-wing politicians and activists have seemingly discarded this nuanced understanding for a combination of monocausal insistence and culturally-based revulsion. This singular focus betrays a lack of broader thinking on the issue as well as lack of understanding about the nature of guns and gun crime within our society.

OPINION | Why don’t ethics scandals stick anymore?

In today’s political climate, ethical scandals such as the SNC-Lavalin affair or the WE Charity scandal have not been able to affect the outcome of federal or provincial elections as much as might have been expected. Instead, societal polarization and an increase in voter cynicism have led to voters becoming increasingly concerned with tangible results and gains such as the impact on their own finances, healthcare and other aspects of their own lives. Thus, calling out governments for failures in the realms of tangible results is likely to be more effective than raging on about insider scandals that only those already deeply engaged in the process care about.