A forgotten anniversary approaches
In less than a month, it will be the two-year anniversary of the arbitrary imprisonment of Michael Kovrig and Michael Spavor by China. In this time of sadness associated with the remembrance of the sacrifice of thousands of Canadians in various parts of the world over the past two centuries, we might pause and add […]
Mental health key to economic recovery, but we’re running out of time
When COVID-19 forced us all to shut down our way of life as we knew it last spring, the Canadian Mental Health Association warned that Canada had to act quickly to prevent an echo pandemic of mental illness. That echo pandemic is already reverberating. This year was supposed to be the year we made real […]
Are the CRTC and the CBC fair-weather friends?
The notion of a global village has been driven home this year, as a worldwide pandemic has had an impact unprecedented in the living memory of Canadians. Through lockdown, gradual reopening, and further setbacks, and as concerns mount over what comes next, we have watched as countries the world over continue to deal with this […]
Lay groundwork now to avoid potential vaccine panic
Earlier this week, the world opened its eyes to some hopeful news. A glimpse into a future where our long, collective nightmare might finally be over, and where a flicker of optimism burned after much suffering. On Nov. 9, Pfizer and BioNtech announced they had seen some success with Phase 3 clinical trials for a […]
Why Canada should sustain its COVID-19 aid to Myanmar through the border areas
If Canada were to end its direct funding to Indigenous civil societies working in areas outside of the Myanmar government control, it would have an enormous impact on Indigenous communities served by Canada’s life-saving assistance. The way COVID-19 support to Myanmar—including to the 600,000 Rohingya living in refugee camps in Bangladesh—was handled by the central […]
A COVID-busting fiscal plan should put nature first
When Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland delivers her fall economic statement—widely anticipated in the coming days—most expect a first-time glimpse of Canada’s long-term plan to battle back the pandemic gloom. Many hope the outlook will echo the COVID-focused message from a special summit of the UN General Assembly a few weeks back: one antidote to the […]
‘He’s an extremely strategic thinker’: new PHAC president steps into key role in midst of pandemic, must prioritize better data collection efforts on vaccine registry, say top experts
The new head of the Public Health Agency of Canada, Iain Stewart, who stepped into the top post in the middle of the global pandemic six weeks ago, should focus more on improving overall data collection across the country, better coordinate efforts on finding a vaccine for COVID-19 and more effectively consult front-line workers who […]
Canada’s ‘most abnormal recession’ requires continued federal support for households, says top economist, but the longer we’re stuck, the worse it gets
Following hundreds of billions of dollars of government spending with the second wave of COVID-19 in full force, a number of leading experts and economists are saying that although government support needs to remain available to Canadians, economic recovery becomes more difficult to achieve the longer slowdowns continue—and that the development and deployment of a […]
Feds’ COVID-19 debt hits $278.8-billion, but government debt payments are falling
The federal government borrowed nearly $279-billion to battle the COVID-19 pandemic in just the first half of this fiscal year, but actually spent less money than it did last year on debt-related interest payments, according to two recent reports from Finance Canada. The government borrowed $293.8-billion between April 1, the beginning of the current fiscal […]
Health Committee punts Hajdu’s appearance after ‘conveniently’ scheduled vote eats into testimony
Members of the House Health Committee tangled over procedure after learning Health Minister Patty Hajdu would be testifying for an hour less than had been agreed to. The two-hour meeting on Friday was delayed due to a scheduled vote in the House, leaving committee members with just an hour with the minister and government officials, […]
