Canada slow to come clean on removing fossil fuel subsidies
A few weeks ago, researchers in Hawaii found our atmosphere’s concentration of carbon dioxide is the highest it’s been in three million years. Back then, humans didn’t exist. Earth was significantly hotter. Sea levels were 15 metres higher. We’re heading toward a similarly unrecognizable world. The need to take bold climate change action could not […]
Lobbyists increasingly target Senate as Liberals make final legislative push
With all eyes turned to the Upper Chamber as the government tries to stickhandle its final pieces of legislation through Parliament, lobbyists also increased their attention to the Senate this spring. In the first four months of 2019, the volume of lobbyists targeting the Senate has increased by nearly one-third over the same time period […]
Scheer’s fiscal policy reveals a Conservative Party stuck in the past
With some fanfare, the Conservative Party not long ago announced that its leader, Andrew Scheer, would engage Canadians with a series of speeches outlining how his party would govern, should it win the upcoming federal election. But if Canadians had been hoping for creative and bold new thinking to address the big challenges facing the […]
House may need to sit in summer to pass new NAFTA deal, says Trade Committee chair
With U.S. tariffs on Canadian steel and aluminum now lifted, MPs say the door is open for Washington to make the first move to ratify the renegotiated North American trade pact. And while the ratification process in Canada could be complicated by Parliament’s scheduled summer break next month, the House Trade Committee chair says the […]
Senate on a spending ‘slippery slope,’ says Sen. Marshall, as Senators review office-expense rules
Controversy over a Senator’s use of her office budget to conduct a public opinion poll is the latest irritant for members of the Upper Chamber who say the way Senators spend is treading uncomfortably familiar ground, as Senators prepare to take a deeper dive into the rules that govern their expenses. On May 16, members […]
Lobbying czar has ‘concerns’ for her office’s budget, warns court decision could widen workload
Federal lobbying commissioner Nancy Bélanger says she has “concerns” about her office’s budget, which hasn’t changed in 14 years—especially if a recent court decision that broadens Canada’s lobbying law is upheld. She appeared before a committee last week to discuss this year’s main spending estimates, which sets out a $4.8-million budget for her office of […]
Bold new measures are in place to protect Canadians’ cybersecurity
Canadians now work, play, shop, bank, do business, and keep in touch online every day. Yet the same digital infrastructure that has contributed to our prosperity, our education, and our social lives can also enable those who seek to do us harm. While our most sensitive personal and financial information floats in a cloud, hackers […]
Skilled trades sector in need of labour boost
Recent government policies, including infrastructure investment and tax modifications that encourage capital investment, have spurred growth in the Canadian construction industry. Consequently, many Associated Equipment Distributors (AED) members—the companies that sell, rent, service and manufacture construction equipment and related supplies—are expanding and creating well-paying jobs. Unfortunately, these jobs largely remain unfilled, hindering further growth, due […]
A lesson for the boys in short pants: the war on data hurts us all in the end
OTTAWA—In a few short months Canadians will head to the polls to elect our next government. But before they do, voters need to appreciate that their ballots will have lasting effects for years to come—well beyond a single government’s mandate, and in ways exceeding the imaginations of election platforms. Following nearly 10 years of Conservative […]
‘A diversity of thought, experience, background, breeds great research’: Duncan trumpets equity in science and research
With increased diversity, equity, and inclusion, Canadian research improves, says Science Minister Kirsty Duncan. In a wide-ranging May 3 phone interview, Ms. Duncan (Etobicoke North, Ont.) pointed to the impact that changes in Canada Research Chairs have had. She said for the first time in Canadian history, half of those nominated for Canada Research Chairs […]
