Dearest readers, here in Canada election day is fast approaching. As the major parties compete for power and leadership, the typical election and politics topics pop up as they usually do. One of those has to do with the idea that it's all the same, no matter who you vote for so it's almost pointless, or that governments are powerless because corporations and secret organizations run everything etc. Based on the title of my article, however, you may realize that I believe in the power of elections and that not every candidate is the same, as well as that who wins absolutely matters. Sure, there is a direction in which a country goes long term, but to most of us humans the 4-8 years cycles matter the most.
So, without further delay, I will share with you a few things important to all of us that elections could directly influence or bring about in a 4-8 years period.
One obvious area that needs improvement in Canada is healthcare. A lot of our medicine is socialized. We pay the government a lot of money in taxes, and then the government figures out how sick we are in the short and long term, and they offer medical services and invest into medical infrastructure and staff accordingly. This could not be further from personalized medicine than it already is, and that's a bad thing. On top of that, private clinics and hospitals are highly discouraged; for example, whether you can pay or not to get your MRI done faster or not, good luck- the government wants every sick person to be treated the same- somewhere in the middle. Sounds great, doesn't it? No, actually it doesn't; it's horrible. Let me give you one example, because one is all I need. Diagnostic imaging such as MRI or CAT scan improves complex illness diagnosis and treatment immeasurably. It is the difference between having an acute problem and having a chronic one a difference between being able to work versus sitting at home collecting disability cheques that come from taxpayer money. It is the difference between treatable and metastatic cancer. It is the difference between fibromyalgia and timely diagnosed arthritis before it's too late for the patient's cartilage in the joints. Here, I have a graph for you from a 2017 Statista entry about the number of MRI units per million inhabitants, by country:
So, without further delay, I will share with you a few things important to all of us that elections could directly influence or bring about in a 4-8 years period.
One obvious area that needs improvement in Canada is healthcare. A lot of our medicine is socialized. We pay the government a lot of money in taxes, and then the government figures out how sick we are in the short and long term, and they offer medical services and invest into medical infrastructure and staff accordingly. This could not be further from personalized medicine than it already is, and that's a bad thing. On top of that, private clinics and hospitals are highly discouraged; for example, whether you can pay or not to get your MRI done faster or not, good luck- the government wants every sick person to be treated the same- somewhere in the middle. Sounds great, doesn't it? No, actually it doesn't; it's horrible. Let me give you one example, because one is all I need. Diagnostic imaging such as MRI or CAT scan improves complex illness diagnosis and treatment immeasurably. It is the difference between having an acute problem and having a chronic one a difference between being able to work versus sitting at home collecting disability cheques that come from taxpayer money. It is the difference between treatable and metastatic cancer. It is the difference between fibromyalgia and timely diagnosed arthritis before it's too late for the patient's cartilage in the joints. Here, I have a graph for you from a 2017 Statista entry about the number of MRI units per million inhabitants, by country:
The source is available if you click here. As you can see, The United States top the chart. Yes, I know healthcare over there is different and many people may not have access to MRI at all, but I think the same might go for some parts of Canada as well. Also, for those who can get MRI done, the waiting time is often too long, and if you get it done too late it's like you didn't get it done at all. Now, let's have a look at what countries are above Canada. We have South American countries, former socialist and former Soviet countries, even Greece... The point is, a single government could change this in a 4-8 years period. For a country with Canada's GDP, this is entirely doable in such a short time period. Faster diagnosing would also keep people healthier, more productive and could benefit the economy in general, thereby making it easier to afford such a move as well. Finally, for people whose health is suffering in the current system, this could be reason enough to come out and vote.
Another major change a government can achieve in a short period of time is to lighten population swell in major cities, give incentives to large companies to hire more people, and help improve outlook across the entire country- all in one move. I am talking about the idea to give every company (though large ones would use this more) a tax break for every single employee they set up to telecommute (real remote work, not the whole come to the office once per week thing), whether they are newly hired or already an employee. Let's face it- for many jobs, working remotely from a home office makes all the sense in the world and should be a non-issue. However, it does require certain tech infrastructure to be put in place or upgraded so that most companies can have larger numbers of remote employees. This, dearest readers, costs money- money that the companies have to spend. Without something like a tax break, companies have no real incentive to do so. A single government can give them that break, starting a tsunami of remote workers that would see the labor market change in as little as 4-8 years. Actually, let me bullet point benefits this could bring:
Finally, the right government can transform the entrepreneurial landscape in Canada in as little as 4-8 years by cleaning up its act concerning small business loans and grants, both provincially and federally. The way all of it is set up is very old school. If you are a member of a, let's say, niche group of one sort or another, you can get some sort of a small business loan or grant to start a company or to grow it to the next level a lot faster than you would on your own. This does not hold water any more. Look at it this way. When someone graduates from college or university, their knowledge and skills begin to fade within months. If there are no jobs for them, and they want to start a company but can't get a loan, they likely can't even pay off the student loan they got from the government in the first place. That, to me, looks like a vicious cycle. The government understands that young people often cannot possibly qualify for a bank loan to finance their studies, even though they are excellent students. So, we have government student loans. Now, why doesn't the government realize the same goes for many young and skilled would-be entrepreneurs? That is why I believe that a government could create a robust evaluation and approval system for people who want to start a business but cannot get a bank loan due to legitimate life circumstances. Also, it should be open to EVERYONE. A business loan revamp like this one would not have to take multiple administrations and a quarter century to get done- seems definitely like a 4-8 years project.
There we have it, dearest readers- three major points that will hopefully convince you that elections matter, as well as who we choose because some major changes really can happen in 4-8 years. Food for thought :)
Another major change a government can achieve in a short period of time is to lighten population swell in major cities, give incentives to large companies to hire more people, and help improve outlook across the entire country- all in one move. I am talking about the idea to give every company (though large ones would use this more) a tax break for every single employee they set up to telecommute (real remote work, not the whole come to the office once per week thing), whether they are newly hired or already an employee. Let's face it- for many jobs, working remotely from a home office makes all the sense in the world and should be a non-issue. However, it does require certain tech infrastructure to be put in place or upgraded so that most companies can have larger numbers of remote employees. This, dearest readers, costs money- money that the companies have to spend. Without something like a tax break, companies have no real incentive to do so. A single government can give them that break, starting a tsunami of remote workers that would see the labor market change in as little as 4-8 years. Actually, let me bullet point benefits this could bring:
- People could live in cheaper cities or small towns and work a Toronto Downtown job, building their career.
- Out of control population swell in cities like Toronto would slow down; not everyone wants to live here, some people do not have a choice because they want to be close to a hot job market. Telecommuting solves that.
- People can stay in their home towns where they grew up. Where you live, you pay taxes. If you live your province, your provincial tax money goes with you. This means less money for local infrastructure, social support etc.
- People can get married, buy property and have kids more easily outside of Toronto and other overpriced urban hubs. I just saw a Downtown Calgary waterfront large two bedroom condo for like 535K, which is basically nothing- and the building is from 2016! A person telecommuting from Calgary to Toronto can easily buy that condo with a significant other and it's big enough to raise at least one kid. How cool is that?
Finally, the right government can transform the entrepreneurial landscape in Canada in as little as 4-8 years by cleaning up its act concerning small business loans and grants, both provincially and federally. The way all of it is set up is very old school. If you are a member of a, let's say, niche group of one sort or another, you can get some sort of a small business loan or grant to start a company or to grow it to the next level a lot faster than you would on your own. This does not hold water any more. Look at it this way. When someone graduates from college or university, their knowledge and skills begin to fade within months. If there are no jobs for them, and they want to start a company but can't get a loan, they likely can't even pay off the student loan they got from the government in the first place. That, to me, looks like a vicious cycle. The government understands that young people often cannot possibly qualify for a bank loan to finance their studies, even though they are excellent students. So, we have government student loans. Now, why doesn't the government realize the same goes for many young and skilled would-be entrepreneurs? That is why I believe that a government could create a robust evaluation and approval system for people who want to start a business but cannot get a bank loan due to legitimate life circumstances. Also, it should be open to EVERYONE. A business loan revamp like this one would not have to take multiple administrations and a quarter century to get done- seems definitely like a 4-8 years project.
There we have it, dearest readers- three major points that will hopefully convince you that elections matter, as well as who we choose because some major changes really can happen in 4-8 years. Food for thought :)