Why Canadians need to take digital disinformation seriously
On March 20, rallies to protest COVID-19 restrictions were organized worldwide. Several of these so-called “freedom rallies” took place in Canada, including in Calgary, London, Victoria, and Vancouver. The previous weekend, thousands took to the streets in Montreal to protest lockdown measures that have been put in place by the Quebec government. Many held signs […]
Following ‘scathing’ AG report, Canadians still looking for answers about pandemic preparedness, says MP, experts
The federal government’s public health system was “substantially poorly prepared for a global pandemic”—and the government has to tell Canadians why early alerts surrounding COVID-19 weren’t issued, says NDP MP Don Davies, his party’s health critic, after the auditor general released a report last week. A closer examination of the Public Health Agency of Canada’s […]
Time between pandemics might shrink, and feds must redefine health security, say influenza, intelligence experts
Canada needs better, smarter infrastructure to prepare for the spread of viruses that will “weaponize themselves on the pathways of globalization,” say a vaccine scientist and a security expert. The wreckage from the COVID-19 crisis includes tens of thousands of deaths, billions of dollars lost by businesses large and small, and incalculable harm to the […]
Pre-budget pitches, virtual ‘Hill days’ push February lobbying
The promise of the first federal budget in more than two years, planned legislation to address online hate, and pandemic-related health concerns drove the lobbying efforts in February of some of the busiest groups as Parliament returned for its first sitting of 2021. Last month, lobbyists filed 3,223 communication reports in the federal registry, a […]
Public Health Agency unprepared for pandemic, ‘underestimated’ COVID-19: federal audit
The Public Health Agency of Canada “underestimated” the impact of COVID-19 in the early days of the virus’ spread and was not “adequately prepared” to respond to the pandemic, failing to address long-standing issues before the outbreak, according to Canada’s federal auditor. In a report tabled Thursday, Karen Hogan’s office found PHAC had not completed […]
The time to act on EI sickness benefit reform is now
Under normal circumstances, the government’s task of deciding what items to include in a budget is incredibly difficult. With no shortage of aspirational goals to achieve and election promises to fulfill, the choices are difficult. This year, the federal budget is being decided during a time of utmost unusual circumstances. COVID-19 will no doubt be […]
Government efforts to fight COVID-19 misinformation get mixed reviews as ‘infodemic’ persists
The government has done a lot to fight the problem of COVID-19 misinformation, and while experts and MPs are positive on what’s been put in place, they say there’s still more to do, particularly in the area of vaccine hesitancy. Since the start of the public health crisis, false claims have circulated widely in what […]
‘Parallel pandemic of racism’: Asian-Canadian advocates call for House study on resurgence of anti-Asian hate
Asian-Canadian advocates are calling on Parliament to convene a committee study to examine the “disturbing rise” of racially motivated physical, verbal, and online attacks against Asians since the pandemic started. In a report released March 23, the Chinese Canadian National Council’s (CCNC) Toronto chapter found that a majority of those targeted reported it was because […]
Post-pandemic recovery plan must include national Indigenous entrepreneurship strategy
The pandemic has severely impacted Indigenous businesses and requires an whole-of-government to prevent further loss, and to support the prosperity and well-being of Indigenous people. In collaboration with leading national Indigenous organizations, Canadian Council for Aboriginal Business (CCAB) undertook two COVID-19 Indigenous business surveys to understand its impact. The first, conducted in spring 2020, suggested […]
House Health Committee MPs vow to continue to press for vaccine contracts
Opposition MPs on the House Health Committee say the committee has been essential to ensuring government accountability during the pandemic, and are pushing the government to release the vaccine delivery contracts, saying they won’t let be letting it off the hook. “We want to see the contracts,” said Conservative MP Chris d’Entremont (West Nova, N.S.). “We […]
