The Council of Canadians is working with the Canadian Labour Congress and Common Causes to support lobby days and demonstrations against the Harper government's cutbacks to Employment Insurance and other key programs and public services.

Numerous activities will be taking place during a Week of Action this coming April 26 to May 1. The growing list of actions can be read at www.commoncauses.ca in the 'Upcoming Events' section of this web page. Information is also being posted to the Common Causes Facebook page.

Finance Minister Flaherty's budget says newly announced spending cuts will amount to $600 million over six years.

On the revenue side, budget 2013 promises that a variety of tax measures, including closing loopholes and cracking down on tax cheaters, will yield an additional $7.9 billion over the next six years.

That sounds like a lot of new money coming in, versus spending reductions.

But we may have to wait for the fine print in the budget implementation bills to find out how it will all really shake out.

Impact on public service jobs is (deliberately?) vague

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Common Causes is an assembly of social movements dedicated to defending democracy, social justice, the environment and human rights in the face of an all-out assault by the Harper government. This is the third extract we have published from Maude Barlow's report on the goals and aims of Common Causes. For an overview, see this article or check out our special rabble.ca Common Causes page. 

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Progressive activists may not agree on much, but there is a broad consensus that capitalism and its attack on the earth and its people has to be stopped. To do this, we have to organize differently. Somehow.

In the wake of global social uprisings that have emerged over the past three years, old models relied upon by progressives are being re-imagined by new and old activists alike.

Occasionally, opportunities emerge for activists to get together: individuals mix with union presidents; sectors interact; regions break apart.