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Popular ideas Here are the latest commented ideas about Canada Brainstorm.

Government prorogues parliament in two consecutive years  
Written by rammer the 7 Jan 10 at 21:47. Global category: Government. New
Proroguing parliament shuts down all committees and legislative work. When the parliament resumes, all committee and legislative work has to start from the beginning again. Allowing a sitting government to prorogue parliament without limiting conditions erodes the faith of Canadian citizens in the democratic process of their own government, wastes resources derived from taxes paid by citizens and corporations, and disrupts any government policy efforts to adapt to evolving social and economic conditions. Canada's long-term global economic competitiveness and reputation may be hampered by short-term political interests of any sitting government.
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Solution #1: Legislate limits on the number of prorogues allowed
Written by rammer the 7 Jan 10 at 21:47.
Prorogation of parliament is part of the parliamentary cycle of our government and should not be eliminated without extensive debate. However, setting a limit to a single prorogation for an elected government will work towards limiting the disruption of parliamentary activity for short-term political interests of the sitting government.
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Solution #2: Loss of MPs salaries during proroguation
Written by sal the 7 Jan 10 at 23:39.
Agree with solution 1 that prorogation is an important part of the parliamentary process and it does fill a specific role. However, if we the people revoked our elected officials salaries during a prorogue (or put them on reduced salary), it would hopefully force it to be used for those specific reasons, and keep it brief.

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Canada needs to enhance entrepreneurial culture through education and awareness  
Written by rammer the 14 Sep 09 at 03:29. Global category: Government. New
With the decline of traditional manufacturing and the fall of Nortel Networks, Canada needs to develop a more entrepreneurial environment and culture to grow innovative new businesses that will create the jobs of the future.

This article published in the Globe and Mail on August 14, 2009 describes the problem in more detail:

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/technology/industry-awaits-ottawas-high-tec h-plan/article1238365/
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Solution #1: Develop a focused campaign to increase entrepreneurship through education
Written by rammer the 14 Sep 09 at 02:29.
Introduce high school level introductory programs in entrepreneurship with courses on how to develop a business plan, bootstrapping concepts, and sources of financing.
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Solution #2: Bankruptcy protection for first-time entrepreneurs
Written by rammer the 14 Sep 09 at 02:31.
Create a mechanism for bankruptcy protection for first-time entrepreneurs under the age of 35 to encourage young educated professionals to start new ventures and mitigating the financial consequences of failure
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Solution #3: Annual national business plan competition
Written by rammer the 14 Sep 09 at 03:49.
Create an annual national business plan competition with $1M in start-up capital as a prize for the winner
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Solution #4: Flow through shares for high tech firms
Written by sal the 14 Sep 09 at 16:21.
this idea relates more to the conservative nature of financial institutions in this country. it would be to extend the existing 'flow through share' provisions for resource companies to high tech firms. these firms often have deep capital requirements through research and no taxable income to offset. by 'channeling' these expenses to investors in capital markets, they would be able to raise money more readily.

See the 1 comments or propose a solution (latest comment the 14 Sep 09 at 18:48) >>

Canadian Copyright Law  
Written by Fazibear the 25 Jul 09 at 19:48. Global category: Media. New
Concern over the copyright laws regarding personal use of legally obtained media: e.g. ebooks, music, software etc ... Why should it be illegal to have more than one copy for your own use? By definition having a DRM mp3 on your computer and one on your mp3 player is already two copies, and if things were according to the proposed laws, then it would be two copies you'd have to pay for. This doesn't seem to make sense.

It gets more complicated when you start seeing the proposed implementations regarding wider use of copyright laws within the general public: Books, Education materials etc. Its bad enough that the textbooks and scientific journals cost an exorbitant amount because of these laws. For example, part of our tax dollars go towards the universities and another part to agencies such as the NRC. A segment of NRC is CISTI (the library basically). Yet the public nor especially programme participants or Universities have access to it without cost. Does this make sense? does it not sound like double dipping? and yet it is in place due to the copyright demands placed by the publishers.
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Solution #1: Public demand
Written by Fazibear the 25 Jul 09 at 18:48.
"In an ideal world everything would be fair" ... famous last words. We don't!

So either the public allows for enterprises to enforce draconian copyright laws in order for them to gain revenue, or the public demands to be allowed an unencumbered flow of information, particularly in the research community. This includes small businesses, universities and research institutes.

There is an ongoing forum http://copyright.econsultation.ca regarding this issue so please voice your opinion.

Another good place to start reading about some of the issues surrounding Canadian copyright laws is: http://www.michaelgeist.ca/

My proposal is that the whatever copyright law revisions that are made, are to be done bearing in mind its impact on the flow of information without cost. Afterall there have been other licensing schemes that allow entities to obey copyright laws without cost to other users. For example GPL or the Creative Commons. DRM on media should be discouraged and not promoted as it does infringe on our privacy ... Sony's root kit DRM is a good example.

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Toronto Garbage: Restructure and Privatize  
Written by rammer the 22 Jul 09 at 20:03. Global category: Government. New
Toronto garbage is not being collected as a result of the CUPE strike. Neighbourhood sites have been designated as garbage collection locations where residents can drop of their home garbage. However, the refuse is piling up increasing the likelihood of animal infestations and health risks. The municipal government and the CUPE union are at a standstill in negotiations with no end to the strike in sight.
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Solution #1: Restructure and Privatize Neighbourhood Collection
Written by rammer the 22 Jul 09 at 19:03.
Gwyn Morgan from the Globe and Mail has written about a possible solution here.

A solution can comprise of the following:
Grant the union their request for a pay raise on the condition that they accept a smaller garbage collection staff
Convert temporary garbage depots into more permanent waste processing facilities
Process organic waste at neighbourhood depots to create compost
Utilize fewer large garbage trucks to service the depots
Contract small private operators to service each neighbourhood


This standstill seems to be a good time to restructure the garbage collection system. Employing steam reforming technology at local garbage depots (see EnQuest Power Corporation) will help reduce the amount of waste needed to be transported over large distances, provide power for local neighbourhoods,
and require less labour to process waste.

See the 1 comments or propose a solution (latest comment the 25 Jul 09 at 18:52) >>

High School graduates are lacking in basic everyday life skills  
Written by rammer the 5 Jun 09 at 19:14. Global category: Education. New
High School graduates are not prepared with basic life skills such as money management, rights as an employee, and basic trade skills.
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Solution #1: Introduce compulsory 12th grade courses in basic life skills
Written by rammer the 5 Jun 09 at 18:14.
Introduce compulsory 12th grade courses to prepare the students for life after high school. Teach them how to manage their money and avoid getting into trouble with debt. Teach them how to budget and set money aside for long term investments.

Educate them on their rights as employees with some basic case studies on what to do about working conditions, wage negotiation, and what an employer can or cannot do.

Finally, every high school graduate in Canada should know how to use a hammer, saw, and drill to do basic projects that would be useful when living on their own. Also basic knowledge about what to look for when buying a home in terms of inspection documents, build quality, and common issues that could lead to major problems.

See the 4 comments or propose a solution (latest comment the 30 Jun 09 at 01:45) >>

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