Diplomacy disrupted: envoys adapt their work amid the COVID crisis
The pandemic has disrupted how diplomats do their work, but they say it’s also made clear the importance of local connections and information in response to a crisis. Gone are the days where diplomats mingle at large events hosted in their residences, the Château Laurier, parliamentary buildings, or on the sidelines of multilateral events. That’s […]
Canada needs a new ‘fiscal anchor’ and Freeland needs to share financial plans, says PBO Giroux
The federal government should make more details about its historic, multi-billion-dollar pandemic spending plan public, including information about money set aside for yet-to-be announced measures, the expected debt and deficit by year’s end, and what the Liberals will use as a new fiscal “anchor” now that a declining debt-to-GDP ratio is unreachable, says Canada’s Parliamentary […]
‘Six systemic crises’ confronting Canada, and politicians, policy-makers, health-care professionals need ‘systems thinking’ to tackle them, says public policy expert
Politicians, policy-makers, and health-care professionals have been too busy focusing on beating back the pandemic and trying to ensure Canadians are shielded from the worst of the economic fallout while there are six larger, systemic crises that have the potential to dwarf the trauma already experienced in this country if left unchecked, according to Irvin […]
The future of digital ID depends on earning the confidence of Canadians
Throughout this year, measures instituted to control the COVID-19 pandemic have placed a spotlight on the state of digital readiness and the ability—or inability—for citizens, businesses, and governments to access or provide key services, conduct business, and interact securely online. These events have exposed gaps in our system, revealing and emphasizing a disparity between organizations […]
Stronger social policies needed to boost resiliency, combat future pandemic threats, says Tam
Health inequities could impede Canada’s future pandemic preparedness, says the country’s top doctor, who urged political leaders to adopt stronger social policies to address such gaps. The foundation to stave off any future threats is increasing resilience in the population, said federal chief public health officer Dr. Theresa Tam. “Public health has tried quite hard […]
Reigniting the Canadian economy: the crucial role of technology in a time of monumental change
Looking back, COVID-19 has made the world of just a few months ago seem like a distant memory. Looking forward, it is very easy to be overwhelmed by what seems like a never-ending sea of uncertainty. The impact of disruptions to the Canadian economy will likely be felt for years to come as our governments […]
We are being cheap with our children
The COVID-19 pandemic has exposed deep flaws in our social policy. The most vulnerable amongst us have borne the brunt of the health, economic, and social crisis. This includes Canadian children who have seen their situation worsen, in the face of an existing crisis of their well-being before the pandemic. As we move towards relaunching […]
As hunger rises amidst pandemic, Canada can and should make an impact
“When we were home, we used to eat good things, now there is nowhere to farm—it is too dry,” said Martin, a refugee from South Sudan, living in Uganda’s Rhino Camp Settlement. By 2017, there were more than one million South Sudanese refugees in Uganda, forcibly displaced by violent conflict. Conflict, climate disasters, and economic […]
Economic inequality, COVID-19, and the butterfly effect
Back in 2013, when Beyoncé was Drunk in Love, Justin Bieber was breaking up with his pet monkey, and Donald Trump was still tweeting about Barack Obama’s birthplace, a literary phenomenon was born. The book Capital in the Twenty-First Century by French economist Thomas Piketty was published in the original French in August of that year. By May 2014, […]
Better history lessons could stave off false pandemic claims
OTTAWA—During last week’s vice-presidential debate in Salt Lake City, Utah, U.S. VP Mike Pence made a rather outlandish reference to the swine flu epidemic of 2009. In defence of President Donald Trump’s current handling of the COVID-19 crisis, Pence claimed that the Democrats had done a worse job of handling the swine flu. “When Joe […]
