Russia travel bans treated as symbol of defiance and status
Getting banned from travelling to Russia is becoming a badge of honour, according to some who have been prohibited from setting foot on Russian soil, indefinitely, by the Russian foreign ministry. On April 28, Russia announced it had imposed entry bans on close to 600 Canadians, keeping them from travelling to the country for what […]
Let’s make sure we get Canada’s critical minerals strategy right
Given the context of this year’s federal budget—surging energy prices, post-COVID economic stabilization, and a war in Europe—the Government of Canada was understandably more focused than perhaps in any of the Trudeau government’s previous budgets. It was not Christmas morning with a bauble for everyone. It was a disciplined and focused approach to the challenges […]
Industry stakeholders, experts applaud feds’ critical minerals spending, as geopolitics loom large in supply chains
The federal government’s recent $3.8-billion budget proposal to develop Canada’s increasingly important critical minerals sector has been met with support from industry experts. But David Billedeau, senior director of natural resources and environmental sustainability at the Canadian Chamber of Commerce, says it’s still “the start of a very long journey—other countries are more advanced in […]
Politics This Morning: Debate continues on motion to expedite spring legislation
Good Monday morning, The Senate is not sitting today, but the House of Commons will continue its royal rumble on the Liberals’ motion to waive certain procedural steps and extend available sitting hours to midnight until June 23. The temporary changes would make it easier for the government to pass legislation before the summer break. […]
Federal budgets should target balance, not the inadequate fiscal anchor
Budget 2022 claims fiscal responsibility by adhering to the fiscal anchor of a declining debt-to-GDP ratio over the next five years, without ever projecting budget balance. Some commentators even contend the long-accepted objective of budget balance is now obsolete. But closer scrutiny reveals serious flaws with the budget’s fiscal anchor. The problem with the declining debt-to-GDP ratio […]
Growth is the new mantra
TORONTO—Get ready. We are going to be blitzed with growth summits, growth conferences, growth speeches, and growth strategies. The federal budget, enthusing that, “we can be leaders in the economy of today and tomorrow,” while adding reassuringly that, “as the global economy changes, Canada has everything we need to thrive,” was the launch pad for […]
Housing experts say budget doesn’t address needs of ‘the other missing middle’
Two experts on affordable housing say the federal government’s 2022 budget features incremental steps “in the right direction,” but without the scale or volume needed to make a real dent in the need for affordable housing. Ricardo Tranjan, a senior researcher with the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives, told The Hill Times the budget doesn’t […]
Boreal Wildlands project a model for combatting biodiversity loss and climate change
The Nature Conservancy of Canada has just announced plans for the largest private land conservation project in Canada’s history. When complete, Boreal Wildlands will protect 1,450 square kilometres of boreal forest near Hearst in northern Ontario. The project will encompass an area twice the size of the city of Toronto. As we celebrate Earth Day […]
Budget 2022’s employment strategy for people with disabilities not a replacement for income support, warn advocates
As MPs from all parties urge the government to fast-track legislation for a promised disability benefit left out of the budget, advocates say the employment strategy outlined in the federal government’s 2022 budget won’t work if people with disabilities lose access to existing benefits faster than they can replace that money with wages. The budget, […]
Pandemic heightens urgency for Canada Health Transfers reform
With the federal government having unveiled its spending plan for the coming year, the conversation between the federal government and the provincial and territorial governments over Canada Health Transfers (CHT) will be taking on a new urgency. The past two years of fighting the relentless COVID-19 pandemic have revealed real cracks in our health-care system […]
