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Gillian Petit

@gillianpetit.bsky.social
3.3K followers 1.2K following 221 posts

Economist PhD from Ucalgary. Researching Canadian taxes, income and social supports, and municipal policy/regulation. Co-author of "Basic Income and a Just Society". Public policy thinker. Ultra-runner. Mom

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Gillian Petit @gillianpetit.bsky.social · 01/09/2026
Upping this article after a new claim yesterday by Danielle Smith that "For every $1 of taxes a guest worker generates, taxpayers are covering $10 in services. ". Alberta's Premier Claims Immigrants Are a Burden. Where's the Proof? via @thetyee.ca thetyee.ca/Analysis/202...
thetyee.ca
Alberta’s Premier Claims Immigrants Are a Burden. Where’s the Proof? | The Tyee
Danielle Smith’s referendum pitch ignores tax revenues and reliance on temporary foreign workers.
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Gillian Petit @gillianpetit.bsky.social · 17/06/2026
Single adult AISH clients with no employment income are currently $525/month below the poverty line. When ADAP launches July 2026, they will be $725/month below the poverty line. This will put persons with disabilities deeper into poverty. #ABpoli #ADAP #AISH open.substack.com/pub/gillianp...
open.substack.com
ADAP and AISH: Benefit Levels for Single Adults
Starting in July 2026, most Albertans receiving Assured Income for the Severely Handicapped (AISH) will move to a new program called the Alberta Disability Assistance Program (ADAP).
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Gillian Petit @gillianpetit.bsky.social · 17/06/2026
Single adult AISH clients with no employment income are currently $525/month below the poverty line. When ADAP launches July 2026, they will be $725/month below the poverty line. This will put persons with disabilities deeper into poverty. #ABpoli #ADAP #AISH open.substack.com/pub/gillianp...
open.substack.com
ADAP and AISH: Benefit Levels for Single Adults
Starting in July 2026, most Albertans receiving Assured Income for the Severely Handicapped (AISH) will move to a new program called the Alberta Disability Assistance Program (ADAP).
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Gillian Petit @gillianpetit.bsky.social · 17/06/2026
The contradictions in the @albertaucp.bsky.social is fascinating. On the one hand, they are cutting disability assistance to "encourage those on disability supports to find employment, and provides less financial support" while doling out Danidollars to everyone. calgary.citynews.ca/2026/06/15/f...
calgary.citynews.ca
Fear and anxiety in Alberta’s disability community over ADAP
As the province’s Alberta Disability Assistance Program comes into effect in July, many in the disability community are anxious and worried.
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Gillian Petit @gillianpetit.bsky.social · 16/06/2026
In a country as prosperous as Canada, I am appalled by this. We're walking back recognition that First Nations have a right to clean drinking water after years of boil-water advisories. First Nations have waited long enough. This bill should recognize the right, not erase it.
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Gillian Petit @gillianpetit.bsky.social · 26/05/2026
The transition from AISH to ADAP represents a significant restructuring of income support for Albertans with disabilities. #abpoli #DisabilityBenefits #ADAP #AISH open.substack.com/pub/gillianp...
open.substack.com
ADAP and AISH: Benefit Levels for Single Adults
Starting in July 2026, most Albertans receiving Assured Income for the Severely Handicapped (AISH) will move to a new program called the Alberta Disability Assistance Program (ADAP).
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Dr Lindsay Tedds @lindsaytedds.bsky.social · 18/05/2026
If you are going to be at the CRDCN Evolving the Data Landscape Conference later this week in Lethbridge, be sure to catch @gillianpetit.bsky.social presenting our work on Property tax regressivity in Alberta. She is presenting on Thursday May 21 at 2:30. crdcn.ca/crdcn-2026-c...
crdcn.ca
Conference Program - Canadian Research Data Centre Network
[...]Read More...
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Dr Lindsay Tedds @lindsaytedds.bsky.social · 08/05/2026
84% of working-age Canadians with disabilities lack Disability Tax Credit certification — meaning most can't access the Canada Disability Benefit or 12 other federal supports the DTC has come to gate. New report by @gillianpetit.bsky.social: inclusiecon.ca/announcement-broken-links.html
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Matthew Mendelsohn @mendelmatt.bsky.social · 26/04/2026
Great work from @gillianpetit.bsky.social and @hscoffield.bsky.social www.thestar.com/business/opi...
thestar.com
Ottawa's 'broken links' keeps majority of Canadians living with a disability out of luck on tax credit
About 8 million Canadians live with a disability — and often in poverty — writes Heather Scoffield, and yet only 16 per cent qualify for the disability tax credit, an
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Social Capital Partners🇨🇦 @scpartners.bsky.social · 22/04/2026
The Cdn Tax Observatory and @gillianpetit.bsky.social did a deep dive into the #DisabilityTaxCredit. It’s supposed to be a gateway to 13+ income support programs but 84% of people w disabilities don’t qualify. Many of them are living below the poverty line. 👇Read more #Disability #CdnPoli
canadiantaxobservatory.ca
Canada's Disability Tax Credit stymies 84% of those it’s meant to help | The Canadian Tax Observatory
A new report authored by Dr. Gillian Petit takes a detailed look at the Disability Tax Credit (DTC) and its role in channeling support for those who need it most.
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Gillian Petit @gillianpetit.bsky.social · 30/03/2026
Out in print! Some great articles in here including one by myself and @lindsaytedds.bsky.social on designing cash transfers for inclusion in Canada. #CdnPoli
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Gillian Petit @gillianpetit.bsky.social · 16/03/2026
I'm super excited to see this out in the world. #INCLUSIecon --> examining the full system of taxes, transfers, and income supports - how policies/programs, incl. their design, implementation, governance, and institutions shapes who has resources, who doesn't, and why, and what can we do about it
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Dr Lindsay Tedds @lindsaytedds.bsky.social · 16/03/2026
@gillianpetit.bsky.social and I have built something we're proud of. INCLUSIECON is our research home — rigorous work on tax and transfer policy, designed from the start to be used. Take a look 👇 inclusiecon.ca
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IRPP @irpp.org · 11/03/2026
New commentary by @gillianpetit.bsky.social & Selvia Arshad: Canada's new budgeting framework puts most social programs in a fiscal category that makes them easier targets for cuts & harder to justify. This has real consequences for households facing affordability pressures. irpp.org/research-stu...
irpp.org
From Cost to Investment: Reframing Social Spending in an Affordability Era - IRPP
Affordability pressures in Canada remain elevated. In 2024 — the most recent year for which there is comprehensive data — food insecurity reached record highs, nearly half of Canadians reported diffic...
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Dr Lindsay Tedds @lindsaytedds.bsky.social · 10/03/2026
Proud of my @gillianpetit.bsky.social and PhD student Selvia Arshad — new @irpp.org piece out today Classifying social spending as an "operating expense" quietly sets it up to be cut. They make the case for evaluating it as investment using MVPF #inclusiecon irpp.org/research-stu...
irpp.org
From Cost to Investment: Reframing Social Spending in an Affordability Era - IRPP
Affordability pressures in Canada remain elevated. In 2024 — the most recent year for which there is comprehensive data — food insecurity reached record highs, nearly half of Canadians reported diffic...
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Gillian Petit @gillianpetit.bsky.social · 10/03/2026
New piece from myself and Selvia Arshad on why reframing social spending as an investment is important for recognizing the long-term value programs that support people’s well-being, reduce inequality and strengthen the economy. #CDNpoli @irpp.org irpp.org/research-stu...
irpp.org
From Cost to Investment: Reframing Social Spending in an Affordability Era - IRPP
Affordability pressures in Canada remain elevated. In 2024 — the most recent year for which there is comprehensive data — food insecurity reached record highs, nearly half of Canadians reported diffic...
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Reposted by Gillian Petit
Dr Lindsay Tedds @lindsaytedds.bsky.social · 03/03/2026
How a program is designed IS what it does. Benefit levels, clawback rates, eligibility rules, appeal rights — not fine print. The policy. Short TLDR video below. Full open access paper with @gillianpetit.bsky.social 👇 onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10....
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Gillian Petit @gillianpetit.bsky.social · 02/03/2026
**PUBLICATION NEWS** Mine and @lindsaytedds.bsky.social article "Income and Social Supports: An Inclusive Systems-Based Approach to Cash Transfers" is now available for early viewing at Canadian Public Administration. #CdnPoli onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/...
onlinelibrary.wiley.com
Income and Social Supports: An Inclusive Systems‐Based Approach to Cash Transfer Program Design
This article presents a systems-based framework for the inclusive design of cash transfer programs in Canada. Grounded in the goal of enhancing inclusion through an intersectional lens, the framework...
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Dr Lindsay Tedds @lindsaytedds.bsky.social · 02/03/2026
Thrilled to share my lasted publication with @gillianpetit.bsky.social Income and Social Supports: An Inclusive Systems‐Based Approach to Cash Transfer Program Design - Petit - Canadian Public Administration - Wiley Online Library onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/...
onlinelibrary.wiley.com
Income and Social Supports: An Inclusive Systems‐Based Approach to Cash Transfer Program Design
This article presents a systems-based framework for the inclusive design of cash transfer programs in Canada. Grounded in the goal of enhancing inclusion through an intersectional lens, the framework...
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Gillian Petit @gillianpetit.bsky.social · 24/02/2026
Look what came in the mail today! I’m excited to dig in! Lots of fabulous contributors including myself, @lindsaytedds.bsky.social and Wenshuang Yu. Special thanks to Christopher Cotton for putting this together. #cdnpoli
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Gillian Petit @gillianpetit.bsky.social · 23/02/2026
In a new piece for @irpp.org Policy Options, @shaimaayassin.bsky.social, @rsamson.bsky.social and I examine some of the most persistent myths surrounding income supports in Canada — and what the evidence actually shows. policyoptions.irpp.org/2026/02/inco...
policyoptions.irpp.org
Slaying myths about income support
Rising food insecurity shows Canada’s affordability crisis is real. Income supports fuel inflation or discourage work.
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Policy Options / Options politiques @policyoptions.irpp.org · 20/02/2026
Related: Slaying myths about income support. Latest piece by @rsamson.bsky.social, @shaimaayassin.bsky.social and @gillianpetit.bsky.social policyoptions.irpp.org/2026/02/inco...
policyoptions.irpp.org
Slaying myths about income support
Rising food insecurity shows Canada’s affordability crisis is real. Income supports fuel inflation or discourage work.
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Reposted by Gillian Petit
IRPP @irpp.org · 19/02/2026
Groceries & essentials are straining lower income household budgets.The CGEB could reach 12M+ Canadians.Who qualifies? How much will people receive? Who will benefit the most? @gillianpetit.bsky.social & @shaimaayassin.bsky.social break it down in their new IRPP commentary: irpp.org/research-stu...
irpp.org
Expanding the GST/HST Credit: How the Canada Groceries and Essentials Benefit Helps Canadians and Why Design Choices Matter - IRPP
The federal government announced the Canada Groceries and Essentials Benefit (CGEB) on January 26, 2026. The benefit is an expansion of the existing GST/HST Credit aimed at easing affordability pressu...
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Gillian Petit @gillianpetit.bsky.social · 19/02/2026
New out today by myself and @shaimaayassin.bsky.social with @irpp.org: on the expansion of the GST/HST Credit and why design choices matter. irpp.org/research-stu...
irpp.org
Expanding the GST/HST Credit: How the Canada Groceries and Essentials Benefit Helps Canadians and Why Design Choices Matter - IRPP
The federal government announced the Canada Groceries and Essentials Benefit (CGEB) on January 26, 2026. The benefit is an expansion of the existing GST/HST Credit aimed at easing affordability pressu...
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Gillian Petit @gillianpetit.bsky.social · 11/02/2026
Robert J. Currie: Alberta’s separation from Canada would be illegal policyoptions.irpp.org/2026/02/albe...
policyoptions.irpp.org
Alberta’s separation from Canada would be illegal
Alberta separatism is gaining attention, but Canadian constitutional law and international law make independence virtually impossible.
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Gillian Petit @gillianpetit.bsky.social · 05/02/2026
Are you a person receiving AISH or living with a disability in AB? I'm leading a research study on the economic well-being of AISH clients/PWDs and would welcome your participation. Please click the link below to learn more & sign up #Alberta #AISH #ADAP #disability docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1F...
docs.google.com
Indication of Interest in Participation in UCalgary Study
Study title: Evaluation of Income Supports and Employment for Persons with Disabilities in Alberta On February 4, 2025, the Alberta Government announced the creation of a new income support program—...
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Gillian Petit @gillianpetit.bsky.social · 30/01/2026
What will the distributional effects of the new Canada Groceries and Essential Benefit (CGEB) be? In both 2026 and 2027, families/persons in the 3rd and 4th income deciles will receive the largest additional benefits. #CDNpoli #Canada
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Gillian Petit @gillianpetit.bsky.social · 30/01/2026
I've been analyzing the new Groceries and Essentials Benefit which basically increases the GST/HST Credit - and I have some numbers. These are based on Bill C-19 and are calculated for the 2026 calendar year using SPSD/M (v. 30.3). #CDNpoli A 🧵....
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Dr Lindsay Tedds @lindsaytedds.bsky.social · 27/01/2026
@gillianpetit.bsky.social wrote about doing such a thing in more detail back in 2024 here policyoptions.irpp.org/2024/04/welf...
policyoptions.irpp.org
How to help Canadians struggling on welfare
Increase the GST/HST credit to $100 per month for struggling working-age adults or $150 a month for those in deep poverty. Pay it monthly.
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Jennifer Robson 🇨🇦 @jrobson.bsky.social · 26/01/2026
As promised -- something quick on the GST Credit revamp and today's announcement on food affordability. open.substack.com/pub/robsonj/...
open.substack.com
Something quick on the GST/HST Credit enhancements and today's federal announcement on food affordability
About a year ago (almost exactly to the day), I posted a long and data heavy blog about the various ways that the Trump administration and changes in Canada-U.S.
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IRPP @irpp.org · 26/01/2026
Le programme d'abordabilité annoncé s'aligne avec les recommandations de l'IRPP + @affordabilityac.bsky.social sur l'accessibilité financière et l'insécurité alimentaire: restructurer et élargir le crédit pour la TPS/TVH pour soutenir les ménages à faible revenu. 🔗 irpp.org/fr/research-...
irpp.org
Allocation pour l'épicerie et les besoins de base : Aider les personnes à faible revenu à combler leurs nécessités quotidiennes
Le Conseil d’action sur l’abordabilité propose de transformer le remboursement de la TPS/TVH en une allocation pour l’épicerie et les besoins de base.
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Gillian Petit @gillianpetit.bsky.social · 26/01/2026
Today's announcement by Mark Carney & François-Philippe Champagne on a Groceries and Essentials Benefit is welcome news. Targeted income supports are one of the most effective tools for helping households manage rising costs. www.theglobeandmail.com/politics/art...
theglobeandmail.com
Carney unveils hike to GST credit, other measures targeting affordability
Ottawa to boost credit by 25 per cent annually for five years, with one-time top-up in June
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Gillian Petit @gillianpetit.bsky.social · 21/01/2026
Note that caretakers and those with legal authority are encouraged to help eligible potential participants in this research study (if requested/required). It is an online survey.
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Gillian Petit @gillianpetit.bsky.social · 19/01/2026
We are launching a new research study on the economic status of persons on income assistance and/or persons with disabilities in Alberta. Link if eligible/interested: docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1F...
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Gillian Petit @gillianpetit.bsky.social · 19/01/2026
We are launching a new research study on the economic status of persons on income assistance and/or persons with disabilities in Alberta. Link if eligible/interested: docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1F...
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Gillian Petit @gillianpetit.bsky.social · 16/01/2026
What is happening in AB? Since Dec. 31, 2025, the Family Violence Death Review Committee has been eliminated, AISH is being dismantled, and now the ALB. Not to mention all the unrest in education and health. Any more specific examples of cuts to social spending I'm missing? #abpoli
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Gillian Petit @gillianpetit.bsky.social · 07/01/2026
Canada’s 100 highest paid CEOs received $1.6B in 2024 albertaworker.ca/news/canadas...
albertaworker.ca
Canada’s 100 highest paid CEOs received $1.6B in 2024
Alberta saw 11 CEOs make the top 100 list, compared to just 14 in 2023. And most of them were in the energy sector.
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Gillian Petit @gillianpetit.bsky.social · 07/01/2026
As a mediocre runner in Alberta, this resonates. The Government of Alberta and its Fairness and Safety in Sport policy single out, exclude and harm transgender people. It doesn't protect athletes. No one has human rights until and unless everyone has human rights calgaryherald.com/opinion/colu...
calgaryherald.com
Opinion: Alberta's new gender rules sink one woman's participation in swim club
Swim Alberta now requiring club participants to declare sex at birth and gender.
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Gillian Petit @gillianpetit.bsky.social · 04/01/2026
Some thoughtful charts in this years Globe and Mail Charts to Watch 2026 - including one of my own. www.theglobeandmail.com/business/eco...
theglobeandmail.com
Seven economic charts to keep handy as Carney presses Canada to build big in 2026
Economists, analysts and business leaders look at key factors at play for policy makers
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Frances Woolley @frwoolley.bsky.social · 04/01/2026
Happy to appear in the 2026 Charts to Watch with @lindsaytedds.bsky.social @gillianpetit.bsky.social @viet.bsky.social and more www.theglobeandmail.com/gift/915a4b6... #giftlink
theglobeandmail.com
Seven economic charts to keep handy as Carney presses Canada to build big in 2026
Economists, analysts and business leaders look at key factors at play for policy makers
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Kim Siever @kimsiever.bsky.social · 16/12/2025
The Alberta Worker is on track to hit almost $27,000 in donations and subscriptions for all of 2025. With your help, it could pass $30,000. But there are only 2 weeks left. Please donate. Or become a monthly subscriber. Every dollar helps. albertaworker.ca/support
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Gillian Petit @gillianpetit.bsky.social · 11/12/2025
In "Poverty segmentation: The challenge of the 'working poor'," I challenge the misconception that poverty doesn't happen to people who work. The reality is that the largest group of people living in poverty in Canada are working or live in families who work. maytree.com/publications...
maytree.com
Poverty segmentation: The challenge of the “working poor”
Employment doesn't guarantee financial security: 42% of those in poverty are "working poor." Read Gillian Petit’s report on a modern definition for policymakers.
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Gillian Petit @gillianpetit.bsky.social · 03/12/2025
Please consider writing to your MLA and asking them to vote against Bill 12. Please also consider signing the open letter asking the government to cancel ADAP. actionnetwork.org/petitions/8d...
actionnetwork.org
Open letter to the Government of Alberta – Cancel the ADAP program: Protect the dignity and livelihoods of Albertans with disabilities
Dear Premier and Members of the Legislative Assembly, We write with urgent concern. As former leaders in Alberta’s disability programs or members of the Premier’s Council on the Status of Persons w...
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Gillian Petit @gillianpetit.bsky.social · 03/12/2025
Today is the International Day of Persons with Disabilities. Today, Bill 12, introduced the Alberta UCP government, will be voted on (second reading). Bill 12 proposes changes to AISH. #abpoli #ableg #disabilities docs.assembly.ab.ca/LADDAR_files...
docs.assembly.ab.ca
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Gillian Petit @gillianpetit.bsky.social · 26/11/2025
The UCP tabled Bill 12 today. Among other things, it sets out the new legislation for the new Alberta Disability Assistance Program (ADAP). I'm still skimming but I'll note the big changes. #abpoli #Alberta #ableg docs.assembly.ab.ca/LADDAR_files...
docs.assembly.ab.ca
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Beth Popp Berman @epopppp.bsky.social · 13/11/2025
Really smart piece on how to think about democracy amidst the failure of shared knowledge.
blog.apaonline.org
The Problem is Epistemic. The Solution is Not. | Blog of the APA
Doubts about the wisdom of the masses are as old as philosophy itself. Yet interest in democracy’s “epistemic” merits has surged in the last decade—and it is no mystery why. Democracy is collapsing ar...
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Matthew Mendelsohn @mendelmatt.bsky.social · 10/11/2025
Check this out! New website and great piece from @gillianpetit.bsky.social in @policyoptions.irpp.org Automatic tax filing: Welcome news for lower-income Canadians, but there’s more to do | The Canadian Tax Observatory canadiantaxobservatory.ca/automatic-ta...
canadiantaxobservatory.ca
Automatic tax filing: Welcome news for lower-income Canadians, but there’s more to do | The Canadian Tax Observatory
By Gillian Petit, senior research associate at the University of Calgary’s department of economics, writing for the Institute for Research on Public Policy.
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Gillian Petit @gillianpetit.bsky.social · 07/11/2025
I recently joined We Advocate to discuss Alberta’s new Alberta Disability Assistance Program (ADAP) and what it could mean for people currently on AISH. We dug into the numbers, the government’s promises, and the realities for Albertans with disabilities. #ABpoli open.spotify.com/episode/1gvw...
open.spotify.com
004. ADAP, ‘Empowerment,’ and the Math: A Conversation with Dr. Gillian Petit
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Gillian Petit @gillianpetit.bsky.social · 07/11/2025
Out today with @irpp.org: Automatic tax filing: Welcome news for lower-income Canadians, but there’s more to do. irpp.org/research-stu...
irpp.org
Automatic tax filing: Welcome news for lower-income Canadians, but there’s more to do - IRPP
Budget 2025 built on a previous announcement to transition to “automated federal benefits” to make it easier for Canadians to file tax returns and access financial benefits. Starting in the 2026 tax y...
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Dr Lindsay Tedds @lindsaytedds.bsky.social · 07/11/2025
Great analysis by @gillianpetit.bsky.social irpp.org/research-stu...
irpp.org
Automatic tax filing: Welcome news for lower-income Canadians, but there’s more to do - IRPP
Budget 2025 built on a previous announcement to transition to “automated federal benefits” to make it easier for Canadians to file tax returns and access financial benefits. Starting in the 2026 tax y...
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