Despite its obvious benefits (ending the current vaccination monopoly, accelerating the global inoculation rate, and speeding up a worldwide economic recovery) and its widespread support, including from more than 100 national governments, the implementation of the TRIPS waiver for COVID-19 vaccines is still being held up by a handful of wealthy countries—including Canada.

Considering the low likelihood of the federal government harming the interlocked interests that benefit from asset price inflation, the political path to more social housing is fraught. But even within the confines of the market, there is another solution that can be undertaken by municipalities without the support of the federal government: cities can establish their own real estate development corporations that build market housing.

The Canadian Prairies remain a sprawling example of disproportionate incarceration rates and profoundly troubling conditions for inmates—made only worse by the COVID-19 pandemic. As a result, a vast enclave of organizations have found solidarity under the banner of the Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Alberta Abolition Coalition, which aims to address and correct the abuses and systemic racism that are widespread in these provinces’ justice systems.

The call to defund the police was put on the political agenda in Canada as well as in the United States in the wake of the killing of George Floyd last year, and its importance has not diminished. The vast resources that have been poured into bloated police budgets urgently need to be diverted into the public services to meet the needs of vulnerable communities under attack.

Erin O’Toole’s childcare strategy misses the mark: it contains no plan to bring more women into the workforce, create new daycare spaces, or provide more equitable pay to childcare workers. And while there’s little doubt providing more cash to parents would help with affordability, the Conservatives’ planned tax rebate gets nowhere close to reducing the accessibility gap, particularly in underserved communities or cities with a high cost of living.

Recent polling shows that more than ever, Canadians cite housing affordability as one of their top election issues—especially young Canadians. This should come as no surprise: years of political inaction has led us to a desperate housing emergency in which speculators and developers reap massive profits, while working class Canadians pay record amounts of their income just to have a roof over their heads.

There is no shortage of actions to be taken going forward. The recent awakening of the mainstream to anti-Black and anti-Indigenous racism should be a wake-up call to Canadian universities to catch up on their decades of inaction. In June of 2020, institutions across the country issued public statements condemning anti-Black racism. The question now is whether institutions are committed to translating their words into action.

The 44th federal election is well underway, and Canadians and Indigenous peoples alike are concerned about the many issues contributing to the genocide of Indigenous peoples. In fact, the majority of Canadians said that reconciliation with Indigenous peoples will influence their vote this election. So, where is the urgent action on genocide in the federal party platforms?

Refusing to be vaccinated has real and terrible consequences and it is not possible to view it as a personal choice that we must come to terms with. However, while measures taken by the state to increase levels of vaccination are something we must support, the last thing I want to suggest is that we should trust those in political power or leave it to them when it comes to the response to the pandemic.

It is no accident that health care is Canada’s best-loved social program, even though it has become increasingly meaner and leaner. But we have failed to learn from its success and have so far fallen short in our efforts to build a universal public system for today. We need a new national plan that goes beyond hospitals to include pharmacare, homecare, dental and long-term residential care.