Legislation
Politicians, tear down these trade walls
By Dwight Newman Dec. 12, 2018
Elected officials should follow the Constitution on breaking down trade barriers and getting resource products to other provincial and international markets.
Intergovernmental Affairs Minister Dominic LeBlanc is pictured in the House foyer in October. The federal government has the power to regulate matters of international and interprovincial trade if the provinces can’t sort it out, writes Dwight Newman. The Hill Times photograph by Andrew Meade
Too often, Canadians think of the Constitution as something that only judges work with and use. But that attitude is a recipe for endless anemic failures of policy. The Constitution is not just for the courts, but provides fundamental guidance on the responsibilities of Canadian governments. We need to demand that Canadian governments carry out their constitutional roles.
Related Stories
Politics This Morning
Your email has been added. An email has been sent to your address, please click the link inside of it to confirm your subscription.
More in News
SNC-Lavalin affair capturing Canadians’ attention, but no sign of shifting votes, pollsters suggest
MPs and pollsters say the issue could contribute to greater voter cynicism, which could lead to lower turnout at the polls in October.Feds funnel another half-billion dollars into fixing public service pay in 2019 budget
Here are six takeaways for public servants, politicos, media, and policy wonks from the Liberals’ final, pre-election fiscal plan.Liberals propose national school meal program as Canada remains back of pack on children’s nutrition
In yesterday’s federal budget, the government announced its 'intention to work with provinces and territories' toward the creation of the program, though no money was earmarked for it.Ottawa allows Maduro loyalists to run Venezuelan Embassy despite calling his government ‘illegitimate’
Canada has also recognized a representative of interim president Juan Guaidó, who says the ‘complicated’ situation shouldn’t be ‘rushed.’Tory MPs push for loosening rules to allow more partisan mail-outs
‘If it is slanderous or defamatory, then we will be held accountable for that, and we will be held accountable by our electorate, in whether they vote for us again,’ says Conservative House Leader Candice Bergen.PSAC, Treasury Board inch closer in contract talks as election looms
Meanwhile, the Professional Association of Foreign Service Officers filed for binding arbitration March 11 in hopes of striking its own pre-election deal.NDP ‘under the gun’ to name candidates, say politicos, as they trail Grits, Tories on campaign slate
Nearly a third of the NDP caucus elected in 2015 have opted not to return to Parliament, part of the reason the party has only named 12 per cent of the candidates expected to run in 2019.Liberals speed up deficit reduction track with help of buoyant tax revenues
Big-ticket items in the last federal budget of this majority Liberal government include more than $6.2-billion to expand federal financing of rental construction, $1-billion for increasing access to drugs for rare diseasTrudeau Liberals’ final budget features measures for skills training, rural broadband, border security
Whereas last year’s budget was largely pitched at women, this year, Finance Minister Bill Morneau’s final budget is focused on skills training to help older workers and youth adapt to a rapidly changing workforce.Trending Stories
