Books with author Richard Staton

No matter where they live, Canadians expect and receive equal benefits from their government when it comes to old age pensions, consular services when travelling abroad, and airline safety. Canadians also expect the same quality of education, medical care, and social benefits anywhere in the country. But when government services come from provinces and not Ottawa, differences in the quality of services can be enormous. Canada's provinces have equal responsibilities but very unequal means to pay for those responsibilities.Equal citizenship for all Canadians is an idea that has a long and distinguished pedigree in Canadian life. When differences between the provinces grew dramatically in the early twentieth century, politicians crafted a response that sought to equalize services across the country. They called these measures "equalization," and the idea was deemed so fundamental that it was embodied in the 1982 Canadian constitution.But Canada has changed. The centre of wealth has been shifting from Ontario toward the resource-rich provinces. The wealth gap between provinces has grown -- and with it disparities in taxes and services available to citizens. Regionalism and neoconservative ideas have undermined support for equal citizenship.In this compelling new book, Richard Starr traces the history of this idea. He tracks how it has been undermined and attacked, and proposes how it can be reframed in a twenty-first century context to attract the support of most Canadians.

An unexplained drowning...a muddy fall. A chain of unexpected events, a discovery and an ancient secret threaten the future. The story begins with a rainy funeral in Dublin in 1912. It tells how a very traditional, Western Irish sheep raising family learn of a secret holding them to their land and to an ancient promise. In the process of unexpected discovery they must put aside personal insecurities and failings and open up their lives to defend themselves. A devious plan hatched by a greedy academic attempts to reveal their secret to the world for his own gain. This they must prevent at all cost. Their good humored manner of removing obstacles, both figurative and solid, reminds the reader that not all sources of strength are apparent. Despite loss and fear, they learn that help can come from sources seen and unseen, as they discover their place in the greater world. Listed as an Awesome Indie title, and recipient of the 2013 Book Reader's Appreciation Medallion. Be sure to follow the O'Deirg family's adventures in The Gatekeepers, the sequel, published 2010