U.S. Army soldiers are pictured in 2011 working with Afghan security forces to build stability in Wardak Province in central Afghanistan. The Biden administration has said America's nearly 20-year mission will end in September. Photograph courtesy of the U.S. Army/Sgt. Victor R. Everhart
Planned U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan leaves questions over Canada’s ability to provide international assistance
The security situation in Afghanistan 'will have the effect of us having to reassess all our programming in Afghanistan,' says Chris Kilford, who served as deputy military attaché in Kabul.
‘Do the right thing’: prison segregation oversight ‘inadequate’ report finds as author, watchdog call for new law
CSC says the external reviewers act as a ‘key safeguard’ to the new ‘structured intervention unit' approach, but the researchers say it's precisely that ‘legitimacy’ the oversight lends that makes its failure a problem.Budget investments not enough to replace need for new round of COVID student benefits, says Green leader Paul
Liberal MP Julie Dzerowicz says the market has recovered enough to replace the benefit with actual employment, but students advocates say the jobs aren't there yet.Politics This Morning
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U.S.-backed vaccine waiver should force Canada to support initiative, say politicos
Pressure is mounting on the Canadian government to back the waiver as it has received support from the U.S. and more than 30 Liberal MPs are calling on Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to champion the initiative. Feds’ appointee to address military sexual misconduct aims to have mandate approval at ‘end of May’
The lieutenant-general says one of her first assignments is to ‘issue guidance’ for military leaders ‘in the next few weeks’ on how to lead with inclusivity in mind.Rollout of infrastructure money ‘lagging indicator’ of effort to spur economic activity, says deputy minister
A ‘real impetus’ in earmarking funds for infrastructure projects is getting it approved, says one bureaucrat, but one MP adds there may still be gaps in how Ottawa allocates such dollars.Senate, House report at least 30 COVID-19 cases in Parliamentary Precinct since pandemic’s early days
On April 29, PSPC launched a rapid testing program after a 10-case outbreak among Centre Block construction workers, the most reported cases among workers on the Hill, according to new data.
‘You are walking on eggshells’: infectious disease docs say ‘trust in vaccines is fragile,’ NACI guidance unhelpful
The federal government has been urging Canadians to get the first vaccine available. Bill C-10: how closing the YouTube ‘loophole’ created a political firestorm
The partisan finger-pointing that has defined the debate around Bill C-10 over the past two weeks is rooted in an attempt by the government, and a few MPs, to make sure that influential streaming companies that rely on uploaded content, such as YouTube, are bound by rules designed to promote Canadian cultural content, and protect Canadian broadcasters. Bill to entrench new Senate leaders for good has arrived
Bill S-4 would give better pay and official status to the leaders of the new groups in the Senate.U.S. Army soldiers are pictured in 2011 working with Afghan security forces to build stability in Wardak Province in central Afghanistan. The Biden administration has said America's nearly 20-year mission will end in September. Photograph courtesy of the U.S. Army/Sgt. Victor R. Everhart
Planned U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan leaves questions over Canada’s ability to provide international assistance
The security situation in Afghanistan 'will have the effect of us having to reassess all our programming in Afghanistan,' says Chris Kilford, who served as deputy military attaché in Kabul.
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Europe Day 2021
While no longer a daily spectacle, Trump still has U.S. democracy on the ropes
If current trends continue in the U.S., it is problematic for Canada, which has a great deal to lose from inward-looking, nationalist leaders in Washington with no regard for alliances or diplomacy.It’s time for Canada to show it believes in Newfoundland and Labrador
The times are thin, paper thin, these days in Newfoundland and Labrador. Joey Smallwood, worts and all, believed in Canada. It is time for Canada to show it believes in Newfoundland and Labrador.How to benefit from electoral royal rumbles
The lesson here is, in political campaigns you’re going to have lots of enemies, so why not make the most of it?
Constitutional challenge to sex work laws ‘succeeded before’ and will succeed again, says advocacy group
The current set of laws prohibit working together as well as safely advertising, puts sex workers at undue risk and potentially violates their charter rights.Committee jurisdiction unresolved as MPs await study on privacy bill
Conservatives say sending the bill to the Ethics Committee is an attempt to distract the committee from its ongoing work on the WE Charity controversy, while Liberals say Ethics is the natural spot for a privacy bill. Time for widespread gender-neutral language in federal policy, legislation, say advocates
Justice Canada has more recently been using ‘they’ as a singular gender-neutral pronoun on a piecemeal basis, but the gendered nature of the French language requires study, with a review currently underway. 
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Canada’s oil sands industry, a partner in the energy transition
Why Netanyahu, Hamas are ‘objective allies’
The Hamas-Netanyahu 'objective alliance' is based on the fact that Netanyahu hates the idea of a two-state solution just as much as Hamas does. Controversial parade not the way to honour Ukraine’s contribution to Second World War
While I can understand that Ukrainians are proud of their heritage, I cannot fathom why young nationalists seek to glorify those who took up arms to enforce the Nazis' ideology.If we can’t do better, we will not be able to afford the Canada we want
So despite Industry Canada claims of success, much more heavy lifting—and much bolder thinking—is needed. Modest gains will not be enough. 
New quarantine measures won’t affect hotel industry’s bottom line, but may create more stress, say stakeholders
'I don’t really see this as a benefit to hotels because of the incredible applications in logistics that would have to occur,' says Conservative transport critic Stephanie Kusie.Former innovation minister Bains was most-lobbied minister in 2020
Mr. Bains, who was lobbied 214 times in 2020, took the top spot from the 2019 leader, Agriculture Minister Marie-Claude Bibeau. Finance Committee chair Easter top non-cabinet-MP target for lobbyists in 2020
Non-cabinet MPs were lobbied nearly 10,000 times in 2020. 
Come walk with me: Sen. Simons leads tour of ‘glories’ and ‘absurdities’ of hometown park
Plus, a past political staffer is the new head of the aerospace association, and Brandon Gonez snags an exclusive with Justin Trudeau.
‘Certainly in the B range’: Dr. Tam grades Canada’s pandemic response so far in YouTube interview with Brandon Gonez
Plus, a Queen's Park reporter is heading to Ottawa to cover the federal government, and we get an idea of what Statistics Canada employees might have been listening to over the years.
Former senator Sinclair will soon join Queen’s University as chancellor
Plus, Isabelle Hudon is set to become the next chief executive officer of the Business Development Bank of Canada and former senator Murray Sinclair has another new gig.
David Hurl named policy director to Innovation Minister Champagne
Plus, Janick Cormier has left the national revenue minister’s office, and Kendra Wilcox is now director of operations to Women and Gender Equality Minister Maryam Monsef.John Brodhead, Cyndi Jenkins among recent PMO additions
With Cyndi Jenkins now acting as executive director of operations in the PMO, Immigration Minister Marco Mendicino has made Mike Jones his acting chief of staff. Lead, don’t lecture: Greens’ Paul takes aim at Ottawa’s COVAX supply as PM readies speech for concert
Plus, a reporter who helped highlight the treatment of racialized reporters in what is a predominantly white industry is coming to Ottawa, and a former Liberal aide is headed to Crestview Strategy.
In 2021, motherhood is breaking us
We rely on mothers and family caregivers to take care of us. So much of our communities, society, and economy rests on them. It’s no wonder that the weight is becoming too much to bear.
A duty to protect: Canadian Senators stepping up for the planet
Senators have a unique opportunity to step up as leaders in Canada’s all-of-society response to the climate change imperative.
Navigating the politics of basic income
Some advocates are wondering whether the Trudeau Liberals, having ignored it in their free-spending spring budget, might be canny enough play the basic-income card in the upcoming election.
Motion to establish House Science and Research Committee has cross-partisan support
The motion would create the first standalone House Science and Research Committee in Canadian history. 2017 Naylor Report recommendations just as relevant now as ever, panellists say
The 2017 Fundamental Science Review made a number of recommendations. Some were enacted, others only partially so, and panelists from the report say they could've played an important role in the fight against COVID-19. 
The definitive history of Canada’s role on the United Nations Security Council
The first definitive history of Canada's time on the UN Security Council is a must read for anyone interested in Canadian foreign policy.
Harold Johnson’s book Peace and Good Order is among five shortlisted books for this year's Shaughnessy Cohen Prize for Political Writing. 
'I kind of just go ahead and do what I feel I should do, and get myself into situations where I’m thinking, "Oh, everybody here knows more than I do. But anyway, here goes." It served me very well,' says former Supreme Court chief justice Beverley McLachlin.
Patterns of interference, intimidation, and harassment of individual Canadians by the Chinese Communist Party ‘demand a response’ from the Canadian government, says veteran journalist Jonathan Manthorpe in his 2019 book. 
COVID-19: economic impacts and prospects
There are some potential game changers for outcomes—a vaccine; and a resurgence in international leadership and cooperation. Closer to home, we need a Canadian economic recovery plan that will boost confidence in the future with strategic and measured investments in long-term challenges and adjustment support for Canadians and businesses left behind by the coronavirus.
In what was supposed to be a period in which backbenchers and the opposition could wield more influence over the political debate, power and influence is arguably even more concentrated among a narrow cast of mostly familiar figures.
If we want to really honour Shannen Koostachin and the many children like her—we need to speak up, keep talking until government takes immediate action to end the inequality. If they don’t—vote them out because kids like Shannen are worth the money. The time for patience is over.
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Politics This Morning: Ministers Alghabra, Garneau set to address feds’ response to Iran’s downing of flight PS752
Plus, ISG Senator Yuen Pau Woo will join panelists to discuss ways to defeat anti-Asian racism.
In this month of mental health awareness, I hope we can say that some steps were made to get us back to a healthier place.
Ford cannot get past the anti-worker mentality born of his years as a rich, entitled business owner with little use for notions of government-promoted good.
Having a stable and competitive business environment in which the health and biosciences sector can innovate is essential to ensure that future major outbreaks are effectively and efficiently contained.
Thanks to its robust health system, rigorous testing strategies, information transparency, and public-private partnerships, Taiwan’s response to COVID-19 has been one of the world’s success stories. Take this year's survey
The Top 100 Most Influential 2021
Pandemic edition: Top 100 most influential people to watch in 2021
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How will C-10 actually affect social media and broadcasting in Canada?
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Canada should immediately adopt a national approach that prioritizes patients with rare diseases in the COVID-19 vaccine rollout.
The experts at Finance must be tearing their hair out, even if they know this budget is designed to get the Trudeau Liberals re-elected. So much for the 'wisdom' of minority governments.
Organizations, social enterprises, governments, and communities must retool to better understand and create conditions for meaningful engagement with diverse youth.
Within a year we will see pleas from Alberta workers for a Green New Deal-style transition plan and the next Alberta government post-Kenney will join with CAPP in agreeing to a regulated wind down of production.
Ocean-based climate solutions have been identified as a major opportunity for mitigating global emissions.
It will be a complicated task to build an effective and harmonized database of beneficial ownership of federal and provincial/territorial corporate shareholdings.Jaccard offers up solid advice on what citizens can do to fight climate change
The following an excerpt from Mark Jaccard's The Citizen’s Guide to Climate Success: Overcoming Myths That Hinder Progress, one of five books nominated for this year’s Donner Prize for the best public policy book of the year.Ramin unpacks opioid crisis response in The Age of Fentanyl
The following is an excerpt from Brodie Ramin’s Donner-nominated book The Age of Fentanyl: Ending the Opioid Epidemic.Natural Resources Minister O’Regan adds policy adviser to team
Plus, Ana Krstanovic recently left Liberal Whip Mark Holland’s office, and the Hill at large, and is now a senior consultant with Hill + Knowlton Strategies. New press secretary on board in Defence Minister Sajjan’s office
Floriane Bonneville, who had been press secretary to the defence minister since January 2020, is now a communications adviser to Economic Development Minister Mélanie Joly.
Conservative MP Jansen under fire for comments on LGBTQ2 community
Plus, the 2020 shortlist for the Donner Prize has been announced, and The Toronto Star's Ottawa bureau welcomes two new reporters.Doctor tweets ‘immunized the coolest MP in our family practice’: Jagmeet Singh gets his AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine
Plus, politicos and reporters gave us a sneak peak of their budget day fashion, and opposition lobby staffers pay homage to a local Indian restaurant.Federal cybersecurity workers heading for strike votes following bargaining impasse
With the two sides having been at the bargaining table for almost two years following the expiry of the most recent collective agreement, strike votes are scheduled to run from Feb. 11 to 24.
As union members face COVID-19 pandemic ‘head on,’ PSAC calls for feds to return to bargaining table
Treasury Board spokesperson Martin Potvin says the government's goal is to take 'constructive steps to keep meeting and to prepare for negotiations when they resume.'No more Hill parties, after coronavirus pandemic forces Parliament Hill to shut down
'Politics and the Pen is probably the exact opposite of social distancing. We cram so many people into the ballroom that you can barely keep one to two inches away,' says Jim Armour. Sorbara makes ’em howl at the Métropolitain
Pat Sorbara's new book, Let 'em Howl, offers lessons learned over a more than four-decade career in federal and provincial politics as a high-ranking Liberal backroomer. New consul in Nunavut even more essential without ability to travel to the North, says Danish envoy
'It's important for us to have boots on the ground,' says Danish Ambassador Hanne Fugl Eskjær of the appointment of Navarana Beveridge as Denmark's honorary consul in Iqaluit. Protocol became ‘even more important’ in a world of virtual diplomacy, says Canada’s chief
Stewart Wheeler says Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's virtual meeting with new U.S. President Joe Biden was a way to use technology to start building a relationship with the new administration. 
Sen. Woo, Minister Ng talk defeating anti-Asian racism at May 13, May 17 events
ISG Senator Yuen Pau Woo will take part in a webinar on ‘We Rise Together: Stopping Anti-Asian Racism,’ hosted by Carleton University on May 13. International Trade Minister Mary Ng will take part in a discussion on ‘Confronting Anti-Asian Racism in Canada,’ hosted by the Empire Club of Canada on May 17. The Hill Times photographs by Andrew Meade
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, pictured April 27, 2021, makes his way to the Sir John A. Macdonald Building for a pandemic briefing, where he announced Canada is sending $10-million to help India, which is struggling to respond to the pandemic as new infections continue their steep climb. The money will be sent to the Canadian Red Cross' counterpart so it can 'everything from ambulance services to buying more PPE locally.'
