We made a voluntary decision to shut down our economy in order to save lives. We made the decision, without hesitation, that life is more important than money. As we restart our economy we have the opportunity to build it better than before. We know that many people will want to continue teleworking to cut down not only their carbon footprint, but the time they spend commuting. It is time to look at what people and businesses want and need so they don’t bounce back, but bounce forward.
We will also need to look at changes in how we perceive education. What is needed to support students and the future of learning? We want to hear from those in the arts, especially the performing arts, who are questioning what the future holds for live performances. We need to provide a level playing field for local journalism by ensuring digital giants like Google and Facebook are treated as publishers, not “platforms,” to abide by the same rules as newspapers.
University will likely be online in the fall. We need it to still be accessible to those who desire to study but must now do so from home. Being on campus is an equalizer in the world of post-secondary education as not everyone has the privilege of a home life conducive to studying. Ensuring quality internet access will help ease the burden for those with higher stress away from school.
- Reimagine the world of work by:
- providing shortened work weeks;
- encouraging people who wish to work from home to do so, or work flexible hours, and;
- supporting unions in a wider variety of work spaces and on issues of workers’ rights.
- Continue to support the arts by:
- dedicating funding for live performances;
- increasing support for the Canada Council for the Arts;
- creating an ad-free CBC; and
- creating a tax structure for Google, Facebook and streaming services that support local journalism and Canadian content creation.
- Increase high-speed internet access to all Canadians by:
- enacting a universal broadband strategy to give Canadians across the country and in remote areas access to reliable internet; and
- continuing to push for affordable, consistent rates for internet access.
- Increase the access all Canadians have to a quality education by:
- eliminating tuition;
- eliminating existing student debt above $10,000;
- removing taxes on sales of textbooks;
- ensuring students have access to tablets or computers in the home;
- ensuring high speed internet is available to every school; and
- exploring avenues to increase access to education and online learning, particularly in Indigenous and rural communities.