Public Interest Research Project
Investing trends in health care, education, social programs, crown corporations.
The BC Office’s Public Interest Project is a special research desk staffed by economist Iglika Ivanova, who investigates issues and trends in areas such as health care, education, social programs, and crown corporations. She also examines the relationship between taxation and government spending on public services, and the impact of public services on quality of life.
Creating the conditions for businesses and communities to thrive
- A decent minimum wage
- Improvements to seniors’ care
- A poverty reduction plan
- Reducing surgical wait times
- Investigating precarious employment in BC
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A BC poverty reduction plan is long overdue
As the BC government prepares to table its budget on February 21 and political parties try to convince British Columbians to vote for them in…
BC home to Canada’s second highest poverty rate
New report: Province must stop rejecting need for poverty reduction plan READ THE FULL REPORT HERE. VANCOUVER – BC’s poverty rate is virtually unchanged from…
Long Overdue
Why BC needs a poverty reduction plan Download 1.86 MB 44 pages BC is Canada’s only province without a poverty reduction plan. This report examines…
It’s time for a meaningful increase to BC’s minimum wage
Today, BC’s lowest paid workers get a 40-cent raise. The latest increase of the provincial minimum wage—now $10.85 per hour for most workers isn’t much…
Eliminating unfair MSP premiums doesn’t have to be complicated
In an interview with Vaughn Palmer earlier this summer, the Premier confirmed her government has changed its tune on the Medical Services Plan (MSP) tax,…
BC should eliminate the MSP. Here are two better options.
Download 1.07 MB12 pages This short paper offers two options for replacing the MSP in BC with a fairer system. It originally appeared as a post…
Replacing MSP with fair taxes would mean savings for most BC families: economist
READ THE FULL REPORT HERE. Vancouver–The majority of British Columbians would come out ahead under a plan to scrap MSP and replace the $2.5 billion…
Working Poverty in Metro Vancouver
Download 4.09 MB36 pages This study examines Metro Vancouver working poverty trends by neighbourhood pre- and post- the 2008 recession. We are often told that…
Working poverty on the rise in most Metro Vancouver municipalities
JUNE 29, 2016 (Vancouver) Contrary to stereotypes about poverty being concentrated mainly in Vancouver and Surrey, a new study finds the growing ranks of the…
The hidden epidemic of working poverty in Metro Vancouver
We are often told that the solution to poverty is for the poor to “get a job” or for various sectors to create more jobs.…
Infographics: Working Poverty in Metro Vancouver
Click to enlarge (files open in a new window). You can also download maps (PDF) via the links below. Read the news release here. Attachments Map…
Change in federal policy lowers living wage for first time despite rising costs
(Vancouver) A report released today finds that the wage needed to cover the costs of raising a family in Metro Vancouver is $20.64 per hour.…
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