social programs are the efforts made by the Canadian government to make our economy more equal remember that word socialism that was discussed in the previous videos socialism is the idea that the society will work together to help promote a Cooperative economy Canada's mixed economy has several social programs that show the value of cooperation we often call it the social safety net probably the most obvious is healthc care and public education other programs include government pensions like the Canada Pension Plan and programs like old age security which provide funds to prevent seniors from living in poverty we also have income assistance daycare assistance affordable housing programs we have programs like family social services and mental health facilities for people who are struggling and there's Employment Insurance to help people who've lost their jobs by making sure they can provide the basics for themselves and their families there are many other programs that the government has to make our society more equal there's a lot of debate about these programs those who support social programs point out that Canada is one of the wealthiest per capita nations in the world that means we have a lot of money compared to other countries and if we're so rich then why can't we share some of that wealth with our fellow citizens this is a moral argument that it's right for us to help each other a more logical argument is that when we help people who are less fortunate to be able to buy goods and services those people are participating in the economy and therefore are helping everyone else think about it if we give a family money to purchase food and pay for their apartment then the owner of that store and apartment building can make a profit for themselves when people experience serious levels of poverty they often become more ill which costs us more in health care services their children don't do as well at school which means we have a less skilled labor force and often people who feel helpless will become disillusioned and will turn to things like crime because they don't feel the social pressures to conform in a society that seems to have left them behind but what about the other side opponents point out that because of government programs we've become more dependent on the government since Canada introduced mandatory retirement programs like the Canada Pension Plan Canadians have saved less for their retirement polls show that we are at an all-time low for saving because people know the government will take care of them in some provinces where unemployment benefits are higher employers say that they have higher rates of people quitting their jobs if there's no government support would you dare quit your job government run programs are often less efficient remember we talked about that in a previous video with millions of dollars wasted on bureaucracy that's all the people you have to hire to make the program work and government workers are usually unionized which means they get paid very well part of that inefficiency comes from the fact that government own programs don't have the initiative to improve the way a private company does when it's competing with other companies our Healthcare System is a good example of this there is a high level of bureaucracy and waste and too many people are not getting the treatments they need in a timely manner I can illustrate this with my own family experience I have relatives that live in the United States the US has mostly Private health care meaning that people have to pay for it themselves usually by buying Insurance just like how we buy insurance for our car my aunt has pretty good healthc care coverage but it costs her and her husband about $500 a month when she developed cancer her treatment was quick and effective she had top-notch treatment because the United un States has one of the best medical systems in the world and groundbreaking Technologies and discoveries because it's a capitalist system and doctors and scientists want to find the best new ideas because they know they can make a profit off of it they are motivated to innovate so they can attract patients who are willing to pay more for better Services here in Canada we also have an excellent system but that motivation to innovate is lower because you can't make a major profit from it doctors in Canada are paid by the government not by their patients although they're often paid by the number of patients they see which is why many doctors double book appointments now my own mother discovered she had cancer around the same time as my aunt for the first year my mom's treatment was also quick and effective but when the cancer came back the doctors told her she would have to wait a month to get the treatment she needed she died a few days before that appointment my aunt commented later that this would have never happened with her health care coverage however her own daughter living in the same state doesn't have very good health coverage cuz she can't afford it when she and her husband found that they were having trouble getting pregnant they had to wait a year to see a specialist not because there was a long waiting list like we see here in Canada but because the visit would cost her $1,000 and she needed that time to save the money in Canada it may take a year to see a fertility specialist but you don't have to pay anything for that consultation so you can see there are pros and cons to a more socialized medical system this is why many albertans would like to see what is known as a two-tier system this would have those who can afford it pay for their own treatment that would not only save the government money by not having to pay but it would make the weight time shorter for those who do depend on the government because those who can afford it have gotten out of the line but one key aspect of our Healthcare System is that it's Universal that means everyone has access and that access should be equal if I can afford to pay for my health care right now and you can't and you have to wait doesn't that mean I'm getting better health care than you are thus no longer Universal and equal talk to people around you see what they think would be the best system try and find people who support privatized Healthcare and those who support universal healthcare so that you can make up your own mind after listening to both sides let's finish off by talking about how we pay for all these programs the more programs we demand the more we'll have to pay through taxes don't forget the government doesn't have a magical pot filled with money our taxes pay for programs this is why it's an issue when people don't pay their taxes known as tax evasion people can do this when they say pay cash for good or Services that's not declared to the government let's say your neighbor's a plumber and you need your sink fixed normally he charged $200 but for you he'll only charge $100 as long as you pay in cash we often say that we are paying under the table if that plumber doesn't tell the government he made that money he won't have to pay taxes on it but that means the government's not getting the tax dollars it depends on to pay for things like roads and public buildings the government has what is called the tax base that's essentially what the government expects to make from taxes every year but then every year the government loses millions of dollars to the underground economy or black market that's people selling goods or services but not claiming their income it can seem like it's a harmless thing to did not pay the full amount of taxes we owe but Canadians demand a fairly high level of government services shouldn't we also expect to pay our fair share of the cost for