The coronavirus pandemic has reshaped our world and lay bare the holes in our systems with devastating results. Long standing inequalities mean that the tragedy of this crisis, left unchecked, will fall much more heavily on some. That is unacceptable.
This unprecedented time demands new thinking and bold action.
The Broadbent Institute’s Essential Solutions Project from 2020-2021 brought together experts across multiple disciplines to generate innovative answers to the complex challenges we face right now, and chart a path towards a more equitable and resilient future for all of us.
A series of publications were produced to illustrate an alternative vision for Canadian social democracy, starting with the post-pandemic recovery.
Setting A New Normal through a Bold Recovery
By Andrew Jackson, Katrina Miller, and Alex Himelfarb
The pandemic reminds us of the need for collective action to achieve the common good, as it has starkly spotlighted long-standing cracks in our social and economic foundations. The next budget must focus on immediate needs—public health and income security—but it must also set a course for fundamental change based on a social democratic vision of a fair, green, and just recovery for all.
Addressing Economic Racism in Canada’s Pandemic Response and Recovery
By Dr. Arjumand Siddiqi, Dr. Ryoa Chung, Dr. Jeffrey Ansloos, and Paulette Senior
This report tackles a truth few have been willing to acknowledge: these worse health outcomes are rooted in economic racism, which is the long-standing economic inequality built from our nation’s history of colonialism and white supremacy.
Paying for the Recovery We Want
By Alex Himelfarb, Andrew Jackson, Katrina Miller, and Brian Topp
This paper makes the case for a recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic that is fair and inclusive by investing in core social supports and improving our tax system by establishing more balanced and sensible public revenue policies.
Medicare 2.0
By Dr. Danyaal Raza, Dr. Amina Jabbar, Dr. Jeffrey Ansloos, Kofi Hope, and Gregory Marchildon
This research paper urges the government to expand public health care and outlines why it is critical to do so now, during COVID-19, calling for establishing comprehensive mental health services, making long-term care part of medicare, and implementing universal pharmacare now.
Basic Income Guarantee: A Social Democratic Framework
By Angella MacEwen, Mark Rowlinson, Andrew Jackson, and Katrina Miller
This report seeks to clarify the problem that a basic income might solve, and outline principles to guide policy development from a social-democratic perspective.