Parties yet to discuss throne speech, confidence vote plan as pandemic puts wrench in usual pomp and circumstance
With less than a month until the Liberals put forward a new plan for governance, the parties have yet to deliberate on how a confidence vote on that plan can occur in the midst of a pandemic. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau (Papineau, Que.) stated his intention to have a vote on the throne speech when […]
Refugee access to health care during COVID-19 should not be an afterthought
As the COVID-19 pandemic continues to evolve and spread across the world, so will its disproportionate impact on refugees. With the majority of refugees coming from Syria, Venezuela, Afghanistan, Somalia, South Sudan, and Myanmar, they are among the world’s most vulnerable populations and are facing unimaginable hardships and barriers to keep safe from the coronavirus. […]
Contact-tracing app just ‘one layer’ of COVID response, says top doc, as Quebec shelves plans for rollout
Canadian health officials say the feds’ COVID-19 alert app is just one measure in Ottawa’s toolbox for fighting the pandemic, as the Quebec government opts to tell its residents not to download that app, at least for now. Speaking to reporters Tuesday afternoon, Canada’s deputy chief public health officer Dr. Howard Njoo said it’s “encouraging” […]
Black Caucus still waiting for government action on racial justice
As the end of summer approaches, members of the Black Parliamentary Caucus say they are still waiting to see how the government will act on their call for racial justice reforms, released in June after protests against anti-Black racism swept the world following the killing of African-American George Floyd by a police officer in Minnesota […]
Carney’s informal advisory role on recovery could pose ‘unusual’ dynamic, but some say it’s ‘complementary’ match with Freeland
Chrystia Freeland’s elevation to the plum post of finance minister while Mark Carney is advising the government on the pandemic recovery has created an “unusual” dynamic in the political centre, says one Liberal MP, but he joined others in saying the former Bank of Canada governor would complement Ms. Freeland’s strengths. Ms. Freeland (University-Rosedale, Ont.) […]
Contact-tracing app faces big technological problems in urban environments, studies say
A pair of research studies from June suggest there could be serious flaws in the COVID-19 exposure notification app promoted by Canada’s federal government. COVID Alert has been out for nearly one month and has been downloaded by some two million Canadians, according to a spokesperson for the Canadian Digital Service. The app, which is based […]
Directive for prosecutors to apply leniency for some drug-possession cases gets nod from Canada’s top doc
Canada’s chief public health officer is voicing her support for a directive that federal prosecutors are following to prosecute only the most serious cases involving drug possession amid a spike in the number of deaths by overdose. “We know that you cannot arrest your way out of an opioid crisis. It is escalating as we […]
Reimagining Canada: ideas for a bold throne speech
OTTAWA—So, the architect of the myriad bold but essential COVID-related programs has resigned, and we have a new finance minister. Where the outgoing minister Bill Morneau designed most of the seventy-five measures (with some cajoling from the Prime Minister’s Office we are told), his successor Chrystia Freeland will have the job of deciding which ones […]
Bills targeting Indigenous women’s rights the ‘culmination’ of career for retiring Senator Dyck
Senator Lillian Dyck says that when she retires from the Senate later this month, she’s ready after having achieved more than she could have dreamed at the beginning of her surprise appointment 15 years before. The neuroscientist and Saskatchewan Senator has a number of historic moments tied to her name. Appointed in 2005, she became […]
South Korean scholar-turned-diplomat sees posting as front-row seat to ‘virtual diplomacy era’
As a longtime political and foreign policy professor, South Korea’s new ambassador to Canada will be taking notes as he engages in bilateral relations to document what new normal emerges in the era of virtual diplomacy. Already, with about a month on the job, Chang Keung Ryong said he’s discovered many things contrary to his knowledge […]
