‘Dumbest thing I’ve seen’: Miller slams wealthy couple who flew to Yukon to skip vaccine queue
Indigenous Services Minister Marc Miller condemned the decision of a wealthy Vancouver couple who chartered a plane to Beaver Creek, Yukon, in January to get the Moderna vaccine, saying it left him “disgusted.” Mr. Miller (Ville-Marie-Le Sud-Ouest-Île-des-Sœurs, Que.), who spoke to reporters in a press conference Wednesday morning, said it was “idiotic” of them to […]
Canada cannot afford a knowledge recession
As countries around the world continue to grapple with new dangers presented by COVID-19, Canada must also work to stave off a danger of a different kind: a knowledge recession. Last year ended with more hope than we have had in a while. With vaccines starting to roll out, it was possible to imagine a […]
New Haitian envoy pushes for direct aid and investment, away from NGOs
The new Haitian ambassador is trying to encourage more direct investment in the Caribbean country away from the orbit of non-governmental organizations. Ambassador Weibert Arthus says he wants the Canadian government and businesses to have “more direct” dealings with Haiti instead of working through NGOs. “Haiti is one of the countries that are receiving a […]
Horrible bosses, too: women can perpetuate toxic masculinity when they get the power to do so
CALGARY—“We have an excellent Governor General right now,” Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said in September 2020. There is never a good time to support an abuser, especially publicly. Last July, CBC broke the story of how the governor general, Julie Payette, created—and presided over—an allegedly abusive work environment: “The sources say Payette has yelled at, […]
Lessons from federal spending on COVID-19
As Canada weathers its second wave of COVID-19 cases surging, it’s important to take stock of the lessons from governments’ first round of COVID-19 measures to see how it can inform the upcoming $70- to $100-billion in federal spending. I reviewed all costed federal and provincial measures to deal with COVID-19’s impacts announced in 2020 […]
2021 holds promise, despite challenging start
This year—marking the 45th anniversary of the European Union diplomatic mission in Canada—will be a defining time in transatlantic relations. Canada and the European Union weathered the first year of the pandemic together. We joined forces to keep vital supply chains open, support the World Health Organization (WHO) and lead international efforts to develop COVID-19 […]
Pandemic puts twist on Canada’s oldest legislative program as parliamentary interns adapt to new ways of working
Working through the pandemic has offered a unique window into the government’s emergency response, say parliamentary interns who are the first in the 51-year program to have their vantage into political proceedings made hybrid. The Parliamentary Internship Programme has adapted through a lot of trial and error, especially in the early months after the coronavirus […]
Our economic recovery needs a strategy to get Canadians back to work, business can provide solutions
Any true economic recovery from the pandemic will inevitably be led by business. Just as every downturn is first felt on Main Street when the lights begin to go out, every recovery starts when the ‘open’ signs begin reappearing in shop windows. Getting where we need to be won’t happen overnight. It will require both […]
Former innovation minister Bains was most-lobbied minister in 2020
As COVID-19 changed the course of history and the government’s agenda, former innovation minister Navdeep Bains emerged as the most-lobbied minister in 2020, taking the top spot from Agriculture Minister Marie-Claude Bibeau, who was the most sought-after minister in 2019, according to a Hill Times analysis of all monthly communication reports filed with the lobbying […]
The long-lasting impacts of lobbying during COVID
As we look back on a tumultuous year, simply put, lobbying has changed dramatically. Just as every industry and business had to adjust, the lobbyists who represent them showed the depth of their adaptability. The changes thrust upon us in such a short period of time created many challenges and gave us all a crash […]
