Citizens for Public Justice

Submission to the Standing Committee on Finance Pre-Budget Consultations

August 2016
Download the brief

CPJ believes that the Government of Canada must act on its commitments and develop policy that is grounded in the common good. We encourage the government to take a holistic perspective in the preparation of Budget 2017 – one that addresses the needs of the most vulnerable in Canadian society and contributes to the well-being of both people and the planet. 

July 2016

Read the Letter

CPJ wrote to John McCallum, Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship, asking that the federal government uncap the number of refugees from Israel that can be privately sponsored to Canada. 

From The Catalyst, Summer 2016
By Katherine Walsh

Fifteen of us from Montreal were on a “ski with the Cree” trip arranged by Kim Cheechoo, the Tourism Officer for the Moose Cree First Nation, and Bill Pollack, an 80-year-old forester and our intrepid organizer.

From The Catalyst, Summer 2016

By Mary Boyd & Jamie Swift

Two CPJ supporters explain their arguments for and against implementing a basic income, a system where the government ensures that everyone in Canada receives a certain level of income.

From The Catalyst, Summer 2016

The Invisible: What the Church Can Do to Find and Serve the Least of These

By Arloa Sutter

Wesleyan Publishing House, 2016

Reviewed by Darlene O’Leary

The Invisible is an exploration of Arloa Sutter’s experiences working in street ministry in Chicago.

From The Catalyst, Summer 2016

Out of the Cold: A History of Caring

By Michael Swan

Catholic Register Books, 2015

Reviewed by Zachary Grant

Community service in Canada is changing. A new model for assisting the disenfranchised has been built on a foundation of tough, performance-based funding requirements. Organizations look to make the biggest measurable change with the smallest amount of resources possible. And they compete against each other in a race for relevancy.

From The Catalyst, Summer 2016

Faith and Politics Matters

Edited by John Milloy

​Novalis, 2015

Reviewed by Joe Gunn

Some Christians grew up believing (with Abraham Kuyper) that “not a square inch of human existence stands apart from the sovereign claims of Christ.” But in John Milloy’s Catholic upbringing, “almost everyone’s parents told them that religion and politics were topics (along with sex) that never made for polite conversation.”

From The Catalyst, Summer 2016

The Right to Be Cold: One Woman’s Story of Protecting Her Culture, the Arctic and the Whole Planet

By Sheila Watt- Cloutier

Penguin Random House, 2015

Reviewed by Christine Boyle

For decades, environmentalists have worked to rouse people into compassionate action with images of suffering animals and denigrated ecosystems. The images were real, and important, but they only told a portion of the story.

From The Catalyst, Summer 2016

The Ultimate Guide to Green Parenting

By Zion Lights

Between the Lines, 2016

Reviewed by Karri Munn-Venn

Full disclosure: I am through the birthing and baby-wearing stages of parenthood. With kids aged 12, ten, and four, I’m looking for a different kind of guidance than what I found in The Ultimate Guide to Green Parenting. Though full of potential—and a few gems of information—this guide is quirky to say the least.

From The Catalyst, Summer 2016

Atmosphere of Hope: The Search for Solutions to the Climate Crisis

By Tim Flannery

HarperCollins, 2015

Reviewed by Miriam Mahaffy

Atmosphere of Hope gives us a clear and concise overview of the current climate crisis. Tim Flannery, the Chief Councillor of the Australian Climate Council, wrote this book before the Paris climate negotiations in December 2015. In it, he explains the technological solutions needed to meet our energy needs and reduce carbon emissions.