From staffer to minister: the rise of Mary Ng
Despite claims of favouritism levelled by opponents, Mary Ng says it’s her 20 years of government and political experience that propelled her to the Liberals’ front bench in the 16 months between her election to the House of Commons and her cabinet appointment. “What you get is you get a grounding—you get a grounding in […]
Minister Bibeau’s Sierra Leone visit highlights need to invest in quality education
This past Saturday, Sept. 8, International Literacy Day was celebrated around the world with the theme ‘literacy and skills development,’ reminding us all that literacy is a fundamental human right essential for human capital development and the creation of equitable and sustainable societies. It also reminds us that literacy—long recognized as a lever to attain […]
Canada’s research stars should get a shot at same funding as foreign scholars
Outstanding scholars in diverse fields are entering the Canadian academic community from abroad thanks to the Canada 150 Chairs initiative, a $117.6-million program first announced in the federal budget a year ago. Talented researchers from New England to New Zealand have taken up newly created positions in Canadian universities from coast to coast. The Canada […]
Universities wrong to accept so many foreign medical students, leave us holding the bag when they leave
The tension between Canada and Saudi Arabia has exposed backroom deals by universities with rich foreign nations for admission to medical schools that didn’t put Canadians’ interest first. As a result we are now left in limbo, and lives could be put at risk due to the possible shortage of medical professionals in hospitals if […]
Bill C-69: Is anybody thinking about how to implement it?
In a recent piece for The American Interest, political scientist Francis Fukuyama laments that public policy schools are failing because they train students to conduct policy analysis, but completely ignore implementation. The kids are designing ever-more elegant policy proposals, but not how to actually implement them. One wonders if Bill C-69, the federal government’s sweeping […]
There’s no one-size-fits-all sex-ed policy
OTTAWA—Ontario’s hot, steamy summer just got warmer, as Ontario Premier Doug Ford fulfilled his campaign promise to cancel the sex-education curriculum that was introduced in 2015 and to revert to a dated, 20-year-old version. That reversal lasted one entire weekend because as of Monday the Ford government had flipped to a 2014 plan. The Ford […]
Pay your copying bill, or pay a much bigger bill
In a recent op-ed in this paper, Glenn Rollans from the Association of Canadian Publishers called on government to encourage educators to come back to the negotiating table for copyright licensing. One simple change at the Copyright Board would go a long way toward that outcome —an increase in statutory damages. Nothing encourages payment like […]
Parliament should consider U of O model to support staff
I have read many articles in your publication about a lack of resources or knowledge of resources for parliamentary and political staffers to help them with problems regarding their roles, health, workloads, goals, harassment, professional responsibilities and relationships, stress, and other important matters. While obviously a different context, I wonder if it might be worthwhile […]
Amidst chaos, G7 Summit unleashed a quiet, yet powerful force
Families ripped apart, children detained: these tragic images are flooding our timelines and televisions. Halfway around the world, a boat of migrants travelling from Libya is turned away by Italy. One after the other, more boatloads of people in search of safety are left lingering on the open seas, in limbo and unsure if or […]
Trudeau government’s promise on Indigenous education gets a failing grade
What would you do if education officials in your children’s school board falsified graduation rates or failed to track why so many children were unable to pass basic literacy tests? What would you do if, year after year, education officials covered their tracks by ignoring orders to compile useable data to ensure better education outcomes? […]
