Public Health Care: born out of struggle

Sixty years ago, North America’s first socialist government, in the heart of the Canadian prairies, Saskatchewan, enacted one of the demands outlined in its manifesto: a free, public health care system. This new program was enacted on July 1, 1962. However, this was not without a struggle, as on the first day of its enactment, […]

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Canada’s Fossil Fool

A joke currently doing the rounds: “Definition of a fossil fool — A politician who spends $9.1 billion on an emission reduction plan while spending twice as much to expand a tar sands pipeline.” No prize for identifying the fool in question. The foolishness is underlined by the recent report from the Intergovernmental Panel on […]

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Polarization Comes to Canada

The “freedom” convoy has faded into the background. The war in Ukraine, inflation, and warmer weather are top of mind. But the convoy provoked a decisive change in Canadian society and politics that will not go away. The right wing is pumped as they successfully spurred a section of society to the right. Tory MPs […]

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Socialist Alternative Magazine #21

No to War! Build an Anti-War Movement Revolutionary Youth Ontario: Kick out Ford Workers Need a Real Pay Raise Polarization Comes to Canada Quality Childcare Needed … and much more from Canada and abroad! For printed copies, please send us an e-mail to [email protected] Please consider making a donation to help with our costs and […]

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Liberals’ Budget: for Bay Street, Not Workers

The Liberal government’s 2022 budget is a budget for Bay Street, not for working-class Canadians. It’s full of incentives and subsidies for big business, including fossil fuel companies and private developers. It has a housing program that will leave thousands without homes, and a weak and slowly implemented dental program that won’t cover everyone. The […]

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Liberal-NDP Pact: A Small Step Forward, A Big Step Back

It would be a grave mistake for the NDP and union leaders to assume that everything is back to normal now that the convoy has ended. It isn’t. The convoy provoked a decisive change in Canadian politics, with the alt-right pumped after the successful encampment and US border blockades. But more importantly, these actions have […]

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Evaluating the Convoy — Was It Fascism?

The “freedom” convoy has come and gone. It has had a major politicizing impact on Canadian society as well as having repercussions internationally. Unfortunately, it has disoriented some on the left — some have claimed it to be a working-class uprising aimed at the ruling-class elites while others have denounced it as a manifestation of […]

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Police, Military and the Convoy

While the convoy has been cleared from the streets of Ottawa, many questions need to be asked both about the role of former police and military personnel within the convoy, and the response of the police to the convoy and blockades. The police’s general motto is “to protect and to serve.” Ottawa’s police department expanded […]

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Trudeau Invokes Emergencies Act

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has invoked the Emergencies Act in response to the ongoing anti-vaccine-mandate “convoy” protests in Ottawa and elsewhere. Socialist Alternative opposes the right-wing convoy protests and also condemns Trudeau’s over-reaching move to impose this anti-democratic Act, which is being implemented for the first time since its passage in 1988. The effects of […]

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BC Liberals – New Boss, Worse than Old One

The BC Liberals have a new leader — Kevin Falcon. The nearly year-long campaign for the leadership ended on February 5. After the 5th ballot Kevin Falcon took in 52 percent of the votes; however, this result was largely inevitable from the first ballot where he led decisively with 47 percent. The leadership race came […]

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