Innovation is the talk of the town
Innovation is the talk of Ottawa, with the government having made it the centrepiece theme of its last budget, and currently preparing to roll out billions of dollars in innovation-enhancing policy programs. Yet while artificial intelligence, augmented reality, autonomous vehicles, and other fields are getting the lion’s share of attention, it is critical we not […]
Down under is on top when it comes to cyber security strategy
Everyone these days is aware that the internet’s immense benefits come with significant cyber threats. Be these the scourge of scammers or sophisticated state-sponsored cyber attacks, there is a recognized need for enhanced defences. As a major public-policy focus, cyber security impacts on a wide array of domestic and international interests. Governments in their policies […]
Power & Politics in search of new host as Barton signs off
Rosemary Barton made her last appearance as host of Power & Politics on Sept. 8, two days after CBC created a job posting for her position on the CBC job board. “I was part of the original team that created this program nine years ago now,” Ms. Barton said during her last episode. Holding back […]
Canada’s aging cyber-security strategy needs update
The time for Canada to renew its cyber-security policy is long overdue. But despite the completion of Public Safety Canada’s months-long public consultation process on cyber-security in January, the government is still yet to act. Over the course of this summer, two of the most devastating cyber-attacks in a decade have taken place: the WannaCry […]
Public Safety Canada, CSE set to start cyber-threat sharing pact with private sector
With threats like cyber-espionage and ransomware targeting businesses and governments across the world, cyber-security has never been a more stark reality for Canadian businesses. Examples like the ransomware attacks that devastated the United Kingdom’s National Health Service (NHS) earlier this year, or the more recent attack on container shipping giant Maersk, which cost it nearly […]
Public-sector expert recommends government technological overhauls be done in smaller increments
Governments should not waver from pushing ahead with technological changes to improve the way they operate despite several examples—such as the Phoenix pay system for federal employees—turning into disasters, says a U.S. public-sector expert who was in Ottawa last week. The Phoenix pay system, turned on last year, was supposed to bring efficiencies to the […]
Defence-policy review results will become irrelevant
VANCOUVER—Months after the government released its long-awaited defence-policy review (DPR) statement, questions swirl on a number of key areas—from whether an interim fleet of aircraft will be acquired to challenges facing its frigate replacements. Even the ongoing crisis with North Korea has generated concern about the ballistic missile threat facing Canada. With this in mind, […]
Is technological change a huge, dark cloud threatening to create a jobless society?
TORONTO—Is technological change—the digital world of robots, artificial intelligence, the Internet of Things—a huge dark cloud threatening to create a jobless society? Or at least an uneven world where a small percentage of highly paid, high-skilled workers and a similar percentage of low-paid, low-skill servant workers co-exist, with no need for a middle-skills world? Or […]
Defence policy review to acknowledge need for ‘proper’ funding and investments in personnel: Sajjan
Defence Minister Harjit Sajjan started in his position in the fall of 2015 with some pretty hefty instructions. The former soldier was told that was one of his first tasks as minister would be to embark on a sweeping review of the country’s defence policy—a review that would lead to the creation of a new strategy that […]
Preparing Canada’s military for 21st century goes beyond battlefield
The job of defending Canada must evolve to respond to the changing nature of conflict in the 21st century. Since April 2016, the federal government has been conducting consultations aimed at renewing Canada’s defence policy. As deputy chair of the Senate Committee on National Security and Defence, I had the opportunity to hear from experts […]
