Innovation minister, Finance Committee chair, member top most-lobbied MPs of 2018
A committee chair, a minister, and a backbencher were 2018’s top-lobbied MPs, according to a Hill Times analysis that observers said made sense given the Parliamentarians’ close contact with budget planning and the Liberals’ much-touted innovation mandate. Chair of the House Finance Committee Wayne Easter notched 182 mentions in communications reports from registered lobbyists, followed […]
Trudeau needs to fight Facebook with more than just words
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau made headlines last week when he called out Facebook for reaping “extraordinary profits that do not go toward the defence of our democracy, but rather in the pockets of big companies that do not see this social responsibility as being primary for them.” Bravo! He is 100 per cent right. Unfortunately, the […]
Controversial pension changes ‘unlikely’ to proceed, say groups watching stalled bill
The pension bill that put Finance Minister Bill Morneau in the middle of an ethics probe is still languishing at second reading since being introduced in 2016, and one group says government officials have promised not to proceed. National Association of Federal Retirees executive director Jean-Guy Soulière said he continues to bring up its opposition […]
Green Party commits to full platform cost analysis by PBO, as others indicate piecemeal approach
Only one party so far has committed to having the Parliamentary Budget Office check the full cost of its 2019 platform, says spending watchdog Yves Giroux, but come October he expects the others to follow suit, at least for main election platform points. “The moment that one has the credibility of having a costed element…by […]
Digital businesses need to pony up their fair share
Digital companies are catapulting themselves from relative obscurity to global prominence. While these new entrants present new opportunities, they also open the door to unintended consequences. The pace of digital change is unrelenting, and our regulations have not kept up. International businesses can reap huge benefits without any obligation to reinvest in the communities they […]
Fighter jet fiasco best example of procurement system that’s cumbersome, bureaucratic, and beset by political interference
Canada was a founding member of the Joint Strike Fighter program—the U.S.-led consortium with Lockheed Martin to develop the F-35 fighter jet—back in 1997. The government of Australia joined the program five years later. On Dec. 10, 2018, two F-35s arrived at the Royal Australian Air Force’s Williamstown base. They go along with eight other […]
Defence industries, defence exports and the economy: complex challenges for challenging times
Few would dispute that Canada will require careful navigation through the national security, economic, and other challenges we will face in coming years. Allies, partners, competitors, and potential adversaries are stretching the rules-based international order in ways that are increasingly disruptive, and we will need steady, clear-sighted leadership to see the country safely through these […]
Will the populist bandwagon roll on in Canada?
OTTAWA—Populism in its various modern forms has been altering the global political picture for several decades. Its presence has grown rapidly in the last 20 years and has recently been the modus operandi of powerful office holders in about two dozen countries, according to a study by the Institute for Global Change. Once a phenomenon […]
Legalization lessons from the municipal front lines
Legalizing non-medical cannabis has been a significant challenge for every order of government. Municipalities’ practical experience with legalization also underscores the need to modernize how governments work together to benefit the Canadians we all serve. This is a big national commitment. And such commitments often require extensive local implementation. When Ottawa commits to generate growth […]
Feds should snuff out excise tax on medical cannabis
The legalization of cannabis is a remarkable accomplishment of the current government. Ending nearly a century of cannabis prohibition in Canada was a fundamental policy change. Although it was not universally supported, it was the right decision and it is precipitating an evolution in global cannabis policy. The classic advice given to new cannabis consumers […]
