How do you want your tax dollars spent?

 

Image credit: barrie.ca

Why are Canadian taxpayers still subsidizing the oil and gas industry which is making handsome profits?

According to CSIMarket (csimarket.com), in the second quarter of 2022, the net profit margin for the oil and gas production industry was 31.43%, significantly above the industry average; and the gross margin for the industry was 86.46% in the same period.

Both the federal and provincial governments provide financial support to fossil fuel companies through various means, such as tax breaks, direct funding, and public financing. A report by Environmental Defence estimated that in 2023, the federal government provided at least $18.6 billion in support to the fossil fuel and petrochemical industries. This includes $8 billion in loan guarantees for the Trans Mountain pipeline and $7.4 billion in public financing through Export Development Canada.

Here are a few ideas for a more compassionate and less environmentally harmful use of $18 billion from the federal government than lining the pockets of fossil fuel company shareholders:

• Affordable housing
• Childcare subsidies for single parents
• Education
• Healthcare, Pharmacare and Long Term Care
• Improved Disability Benefits
• Universal Basic Income (UBI)

Discrimination Against the Homeless Population

 

Image credit: https://thecanadaguide.com/basics/money/

In the spirit of our founder, Blessed Frederic Ozanam, the Society of St Vincent de Paul has a two-fold mission in assisting those in need:

• charitable works
• advocacy for social justice when the poor are hindered from advocating for themselves.

It is being widely opined in the public media that the Ontario Government will be sending out cheques for $200 to Ontario residents, tax free, with a total cost of $3.2 Billion. If true, this will discriminate against the entire homeless population, and even many of the housed will fall through the cracks. Without a registered mailing address and up-to-date tax records with the Canada Revenue Agency, they will get nothing, regardless of their desperate circumstances.
If the Ontario government really wants to help all their citizens, they would have been better advised to put that $3.2B into health care, education, affordable housing, and the environment.

No doubt many of the people who will receive the $200 will be grateful because they really do need it, but most of us will not need it as desperately as those without homes and some of the families who come to our Society for food and other assistance. 

Charitable donations will reduce your taxable income. Please consider donating some or all of your $200 to a charitable cause as a way to protest the injustice and share with the poorest who will, yet again, be discriminated against with this latest round of Provincial Government largesse for the middle class. Just as importantly, do talk about it with your family and friends.

The Cry of the Poor - Laudato Si'

 

Image credit: https://institucionteresiana.org/en/focal-points/the-cry-of-the-earth-cry-of-the-poor

I asked Meta AI, "What does Laudato Si' say about 'The Cry of the Poor'?" 
Laudato Si' is an encyclical written by Pope Francis and released on May 24, 2015. It addresses the interconnectedness of environmental and social issues. Here is the response from Meta AI...

Laudato Si' emphasizes the intimate relationship between the cry of the Poor and the cry of the Earth. Pope Francis stresses that we're facing a single, complex crisis that's both social and environmental ¹. The encyclical highlights how the Earth's degradation disproportionately affects the world's most vulnerable populations, particularly the poor.

The Cry of the Poor

In Laudato Si', Pope Francis identifies two significant injustices experienced by the poor due to the climate crisis. Firstly, they're usually the first affected by extreme weather events, losing their livelihoods and facing displacement ². Secondly, despite contributing minimally to climate change, they bear the brunt of its consequences.

Key Points

- Ecological Debt: The global north owes an "ecological debt" to the global south due to commercial imbalances and disproportionate resource consumption ².

- Vulnerable Groups: The encyclical emphasizes the need to protect human life in all forms, with special attention to indigenous people, migrants, unborn children, and children at risk of modern slavery ³ ⁴.

- Spiritual Crisis: The ecological crisis is also a spiritual crisis, requiring a spiritual conversion to address the root causes of environmental degradation ⁴.

Pope Francis urges us to listen to the cry of the poor and respond with solidarity, advocating for eco-justice and defending human life ¹ ³. By doing so, we can work towards a more equitable and sustainable future for all.

Here are the references for follow up:

1 https://www.jpic-jp.org/en/a/the-cry-of-the-poor-laudato-si-2nd-goal

2 https://ssnd.org/shalom-laudato-si-laudato-si-reflections-response-to-cry-of-the-poor/

3 https://laudatosiactionplatform.org/listening-to-the-cry-of-the-poor/

4 https://laudatosiactionplatform.org/response-to-the-cry-of-the-poor/