CANADIAN CENTRE FOR POLICY ALTERNATIVES MAY/JUNE 2018 $6.95 Contributors Ricardo Acuña is Director of Alex Himelfarb is a former Randy Robinson is a the Parkland Institute and federal government freelance researcher, sits on the CCPA’s Member’s executive with the Privy educator and political Council. Council, Treasury Board, and commentator based in Vol. 25, No. 1 numerous other departments, Toronto. Alyssa O’Dell is Media and ISSN 1198-497X and currently chairs or serves Public Relations Officer at the Luke Savage writes and Canada Post Publication 40009942 on various voluntary boards. CCPA. blogs about politics, labour, He chairs the advisory board The Monitor is published six times philosophy and political a year by the Canadian Centre for Marc Edge is a professor of of the CCPA-Ontario. culture. Policy Alternatives. media and communication Elaine Hughes is an at University Canada West Edgardo Sepulveda is an The opinions expressed in the environmental activist in in Vancouver. His last book, independent consulting Monitor are those of the authors several non-profit groups and do not necessarily reflect The News We Deserve: The economist with more than including the Council of the views of the CCPA. Transformation of Canada’s two decades of utility Canadians, where she chairs Media Landscape, was (telecommunications) policy Please send feedback to the Quill Plains (Wynyard), published by New Star Books and regulatory experience. [email protected]. Saskatchewan chapter. in 2016. He writes about electricity, Editor: Stuart Trew Syed Hussan is Co-ordinator inequality and other Senior Designer: Tim Scarth Matt Elliott is a city columnist of the Migrant Workers economic policy issues at Layout: Susan Purtell and blogger with Metro Editorial Board: Peter Bleyer, Alliance for Change. the Progressive Economics Toronto, and a professor Alyssa O’Dell, Seth Klein, Kate Forum. McInturff, Erika Shaker, Emily Turk of journalism at Humber Emery Huszka is a College. southwestern Ontario farmer Robin Shaban is an Ottawa- CCPA National Office: and President of the National based economist. HELP US SHED LIGHT ON THE 141 Laurier Avenue W, Suite 1000 Poh-Gek Forkert is a research Farmers Union–Ontario. Ottawa, ON K1P 5J2 scientist and toxicologist who Erika Shaker is a senior Tel: 613-563-1341 has published extensively Asad Ismi covers researcher at the CCPA and Fax: 613-233-1458 on the metabolism of international affairs for the director of the Education ISSUES THAT MATTER TO YOU. [email protected] www.policyalternatives.ca toxic chemicals. She is Monitor, with a focus on Project. professor emerita at Queen’s Western imperialism and Natalie Spagnuolo is a PhD (we’ve got some bright ideas) CCPA BC Office: University. resistance to it in the Global 520-700 West Pender Street candidate in critical disability South. 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REGISTERED CHARITY #124146473 RR0001 TABLE OF CONTENTS May/June 2018 THE ONTARIO ELECTION DEMOCRACY AND POPULISM 14 • PUBLIC SERVICES 18 • TAXES 21 INCOME SECURITY 23 • ENVIRONMENT AND CLIMATE 26 • RACIAL JUSTICE 27 WAGES 30 • MASS TRANSIT 32 • EDUCATION AND PRECARITY 35 ELECTRICITY PRICES 38 • FOOD AND FARMERS 44 COLUMNS FEATURES BOOKS Alternate Futures: Fixing Canada’s ableist U.S. conservatism The confusion about immigration policy and the alt-right: Aberration payday lending Natalie Spagnuolo, or natural conclusion? Robin Shaban 12 Melissa Graham and Essay by Luke Savage 54 Syed Hussan 47 BEHIND THE NUMBERS The Italian election and Alberta’s shockingly bad the future of the European left case for the Trans Mountain Asad Ismi 50 pipeline expansion How a Mulroney-era Ricardo Acuña 13 treaty might save the caribou (again) Ian G. Waddell 52 Editorial 2 | Letters 3 | Up Front 5 | Index 7 | New From the CCPA 11 | Good News Page 46 From the Editor STUART TREW Ontario hits a fork in the road KNOW WHAT YOU’RE thinking. Not On- “I can’t watch the party I love fall hydro boss would not fix the problem tario. Talk to me about anything but into the hands of the elites,” Ford said of soaring electricity bills. The NDP Ontario. Well, you may be thinking as he launched his PC leadership bid has promised to bring the utility back I that if you happen to live outside of from his mom’s basement at the end under public control, which would Canada’s largest province, as many of January. “The elites of this party, the also be difficult (though not impos- CCPA supporters do. Then again, you ones who have shut out the grassroots, sible), while proposing “cancelling or may be stuck here with us—stuck do not want me in this race. But I’m renegotiating bad private contracts, pondering another election, and the here to give a voice…to the hard- or letting them expire,” something possibility of a new government at working taxpayers of this province, Edgardo Sepulveda claims will be Queen’s Park, Toronto, Centre of the people who have been ignored for far essential for reducing electricity rates Universe. In either case, I promise this too long.” Like Donald Trump in his in the province (page 35). will be worth it. Because as far as pro- battle for control of the disorganized The trouble with covering elections vincial elections go, the June 7 vote in Republican party, here was Ford the and other fast-moving stories, at least Ontario is a rather important one, with underdog outsider with a plan to make for a bimonthly like the Monitor, is the potential to make waves across the Ontario great again. that you risk being out of date the rest of Canada. It’s unclear whose voices Ford minute you go to the printers. We’ve A Progressive Conservative victory, wants to amplify within the party, tried to avoid that here by focusing under the leadership of the former To- the traditional home of the low-tax, on longer-term political and policy de- ronto city councillor Doug Ford, would low-regulation, business class vote, velopments, and by looking ahead as almost certainly usher in a new era of but such is the beauty of right-wing much as possible—not to guess the re- harsh and unnecessary austerity, in a populist rhetoric. Everyone, low-wage sult on June 7, but to acknowledge that province that is just coming to appre- or laid-off workers in particular, can whoever forms the next government, ciate the power of collective action and imagine he’s talking about them when our collective push for fairer taxes, fair taxation to do good in people’s lives his real policy agenda would leave them better child care, free pharmacare and (see Alex Himelfarb on page 21). On the in the dust. The risk in sounding too dentalcare, racial justice, more public other hand, all the other major parties much like Trump, or perhaps, fright- power and expanded public services are promising to expand on recent eningly, its intended purpose, is that it continues apace. upgrades to the province’s social safety will stir up racist resentment toward net (see Jennefer Laidley on page 23), policies, including new social programs, ow for some housekeeping.