[W. K. Lis]

The Canada Pension Plan offers a death benefit, up to a maximum amount of $2,500, to be paid out if the deceased has been a CPP contributor.


Canada Pension Plan Death Benefit (CPP/OAS) Seniors|Income and Financial Support The Canada Pension Plan offers a death benefit, up to a maximum amount of $2,500, to be paid out if the deceased has been a CPP contributor.

See link for more information.

The CPP Death Benefit has been the same amount for decades, and hasn't kept up to inflation. Funeral costs have gone way up in the meantime.

The Funeral Service Association of Canada (FSAC) would make the following 3 recommendations:

1. Increase the Canadian Pension Plan (CPP) Death Benefit Cap from $2,500 to $3,440 and Index it to Inflation
2. Reviewing the Means Test Limit for the Last Post Fund
3. Support Employment by Encouraging Canadians to Fill Job Gaps in the Funeral Profession through Existing Government Incentives Programs
4. Adjust the Eligible Funeral Arrangements (EFA) Limits to Meet the Needs of Canadians and Index them to Inflation

See this PDF link for more information.

 

[Northern Light]

I use this thread from time to time to look at news from other provinces that may be noteworthy for Ontario, including from a precedent point of view.

In that vein, I want to mention something in yesterday's provincial budget in British Columbia that I find genuinely exciting as public policy.

Effective April '23, the province will cover the full cost of all forms of contraception; 'the pill'; the subdermal injection, IUDs as well as Plan B (colloquially, the morning after pill).

In addition to that (starting in May), women will be able to access contraception without a prescription, directly from a pharmacist.

I have little doubt this will reduce unwanted pregnancies and children, reduce social service costs, and abortions. Evidence shows this type of policy literally pays for itself in the very short-term.

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/free-contraception-bc-budget-2023-2024-1.6763392

 

[W. K. Lis]

 

[W. K. Lis]

Ottawa claws back $82M from health transfers to 8 provinces charging private fees​

From link.

Health Minister Jean-Yves Duclos says he is clawing $82 million in federal health transfers to the provinces for charging patients for services that should have been covered by the public purse.

Eight provinces will see reductions in their next health transfer from the federal government over fees charged to patients in 2020 and 2021.

Most of the deductions are related to fees for diagnostic services such as MRIs and CT scans.

Chart showing clawbacks in federal health transfers to the provinces.

“There should be no fees for medically necessary healthcare services wherever people may live in this country,” said Duclos.

Duclos says concerns are being raised about more fees for patients, particularly around virtual healthcare and other changes that were forced on by the pandemic.

“Working together I believe we can all better address those challenges and ensure that in Canada for the years to come, despite the changes that we’ll see in technology and delivery of healthcare, we will make sure that Canadians get access to free medically necessary services.”

The federal Liberal government enacted a new policy on diagnostic services in 2020 ensuring fees for such tests were covered by the Canada Health Act’s single-payer policy.

The Canada Health Act allows the federal government to reduce health transfers when provinces charge user fees for medically necessary health services.

Duclos has also written to every province and territory to warn them about an increase in private fees being charged for other services, including virtual patient visits.

 

[picard102]

Are they going to send the money to those who were charged?

 

[DSC]

Are they going to send the money to those who were charged?

How would they know who to send it to ? The only recourse the Feds have is to claw-back $$ from the Province and I have no idea how they actually know how much to claw.

 

[Admiral Beez]

The government is content to spend the absolute bare minimum to have a token submarine capability. It does not see the need for a real subsurface capability to counter specific threats. And since it doesn't see such a need, or at least does not consider it a priority, it is not willing to spend substantially for an upgrade. And a new fleet would be more expensive. It's not just about buying boats. There's training, infrastructure and support costs as well. A life extension largely avoids those expenses.

It looks like some decisions on submarines are coming due.

MSN

 

[Admiral Beez]

No matter their age, the Victoria class do look to be in good condition.

 

[lenaitch]

It looks like some decisions on submarines are coming due.

MSN

I wouldn't be reading a lot into that. There is a lot of racetrack between the Navy forming a study group and the government committing to an expenditure, and even more between approval and commissioning. Even if we had a functional government procurement system - which we don't - and assuming the government approved, it would still be at least a couple of decades.

 

[kEiThZ]

Opinion: Why I blew the whistle on Chinese interference in Canada’s elections

My decision to reveal secret and top-secret intelligence documents to The Globe and Mail did not come easily. Here is why I did so, all the same

www.theglobeandmail.com

 

[afransen]

Opinion: Why I blew the whistle on Chinese interference in Canada’s elections

My decision to reveal secret and top-secret intelligence documents to The Globe and Mail did not come easily. Here is why I did so, all the same

www.theglobeandmail.com

Of course, the reaction from both the government and the opposition has completely missed their point. There is a lot to be concerned about with foreign governments exerting influence on Canadians (not just elected officials). It happens in the private sector, too. Better share those trade secrets, after all, how is your mother doing in Guangzhou?

Instead we get to choose between "Trudeau is a puppet of the CCP" and "Nothing to see here, folks".

 

[kEiThZ]

I've said before that AUKUS is about more than just submarines. It's becoming more clear now that is a co-mingling of the industrial and research bases in an effort to build something where the whole is greater than the sum of the parts. Canada missing out will have major impacts in the decades to come.

AUKUS Is About Far More Than Submarines

For AUKUS to matter, it will need to move from conception to reality at full speed.

nationalinterest.org

An interesting example is Australia bringing Hypersonics expertise to the alliance.

Pentagon chooses Australian firm to build hypersonic test aircraft

The aircraft, which will support efforts to increase the cadence of hypersonic flight testing, is scheduled to fly for the first time in early 2024.

www.c4isrnet.com

 

[kEiThZ]

Instead we get to choose between "Trudeau is a puppet of the CCP" and "Nothing to see here, folks".

Bonus points. We get a Liberal Senator who said we shouldn't call out Chinese treatment of Uighurs because of our history with residential schools, suggesting that a foreign agent registry is racist:

Senator fears 'modern Chinese exclusion' but some redress activists reject link

Senator Yuen Pau Woo questions whether a foreign influence registry might become "a modern form of Chinese exclusion," and says angry reaction to his suggestion proves his point about racial profiling and stigmatization.

www.ctvnews.ca

Any bets on how many of his friends would end up on the registry?

 

[Towered]

Bonus points. We get a Liberal Senator who said we shouldn't call out Chinese treatment of Uighurs because of our history with residential schools, suggesting that a foreign agent registry is racist:

Senator fears 'modern Chinese exclusion' but some redress activists reject link

Senator Yuen Pau Woo questions whether a foreign influence registry might become "a modern form of Chinese exclusion," and says angry reaction to his suggestion proves his point about racial profiling and stigmatization.

www.ctvnews.ca

Any bets on how many of his friends would end up on the registry?

Certainly is suspicious.

 

[afransen]

Except Canada acknowledges that residential schools were a terrible thing done to a minority population, unlike China's current thinking on policy toward Uighurs. It's like saying Germany can't criticize fascism in other countries.