Youth Issues
Drywall tariff harms businesses, must be lowered
On Sept. 6, a provisional tariff of up to 277 per cent was imposed on gypsum board coming in to Western Canada from the United States exclusively, with disastrous consequences. This came as a shock to businesses in the construction sector, their employees, and clients in the process of building schools, major infrastructure projects, and […]
What a difference a year makes
A year ago, Canadians were enthused and relieved to have joined forces to elect a new government and turn the page on a decade of Stephen Harper. In Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, the country had chosen a young, charismatic leader determined, unlike Harper, to focus on bringing out the best in Canada by appealing to […]
Getting more from federal transportation infrastructure investment, Canada’s opportunity to be a leader
Finance Minister Bill Morneau’s fall economic statement along with announcements made in the 2016 budget bring total federal infrastructure investment commitments to more than $180-billion. These commitments include the creation of a new Canada Infrastructure Bank which will leverage federal dollars to attract private investment in infrastructure. As noted in its report Unleashing Productivity Through Infrastructure, the Minister’s […]
Canadian defence spending, at home and abroad
DEFENCE SPENDING IN THE 2016-17 BUDGET Total funding available to National Defence for large-scale capital projects is $84.3-billion over almost 30 years to 2044-2045. $3.716-billion has been reallocated for large-scale capital projects from the 2015- 16 to 2020-21 period to future years. $1.6-billion over three years, starting in 2016- 17, is budgeted toward security, stabilization, […]
Government must live up to its promises to properly staff and equip CAF, invest more in Navy
The Liberals ran on a platform of “Real Change” making a number of key defence commitments, including these commitments in supporting Canada’ Navy: “We will make investing in the Royal Canadian Navy a top priority. We will be able to invest in strengthening our Navy, while also meeting the commitments that were made as part of […]
Morneau’s 2017 budget may be most important in Trudeau’s four-year mandate
TORONTO—Finance Minister Bill Morneau’s budget this coming spring may be the most important budgetary exercise in the four-year mandate of the Trudeau government. The reason is the time lag between the announcement of new initiatives and when they begin to have any real impact. With not quite three years before the next federal election, even […]
House Finance Committee could ask all Commons committees to hold pre-budget consultations next year
PARLIAMENT HILL—The House Finance Committee, which has been holding private post-mortem meetings on its pre-budget consultations for the 2017 federal budget, is considering asking all the Commons committees to help conduct pre-budget consultations next year in an effort to improve the process. “We already did have one post-mortem meeting on it, actually,” said eight-term Liberal MP Wayne Easter (Malpeque, P.E.I.), […]
Twelve cabinet ministers and PM Trudeau dipped into exclusive gift bank in Liberals’ first year
Natural Resources Minister Jim Carr, Defence Minister Harjit Sajjan, and Justice Minister Jody Wilson-Raybould were the most frequent customers at the federal government’s high-end gift shop during the Liberals’ first year in power. Mr. Carr (Winnipeg South Centre, Man.) picked up 32 items valued at $3,567 from the official gift shop between November 2015 and November 2016, […]
Boost aid budget in 2017
As developed nations around the world turn away from globalization and look inwards with a contrived version of false nationalism, Canada has done just the opposite. We have embraced immigration, welcoming more than 35,000 Syrian refugees since Nov. 4, 2015, and played a crucial role in the Global Fund replenishment to end extreme poverty. Moving […]
