Second wave of virus could cut GDP by nearly 10 per cent, experts looks to future of relief programs
A recent Léger poll suggests the public is picking up on what public health officials have been warning for months: a second wave of the COVID-19 pandemic is possible, even likely, if existing preventative measures aren’t kept in place. Fear of a second wave is widespread, with 76 per cent of respondents to the poll […]
What’s wrong with a Great Rebuilding of the economy post-COVID-19
The extraordinary increase in government spending and deficits in response to the coronavirus pandemic apparently does not deter some from seeing an opportunity to restructure Canada’s economy. After all, it is tempting to ask, if we can command the huge resources needed to contain the pandemic, why not use the occasion to make fundamental changes […]
More pandemic help for seniors coming this summer: Seniors Minister Deb Schulte
Seniors in Canada have experienced some of the most negative impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic. For many, staying safe at home has meant added expenses. Deliveries come at a premium and some groceries are costing more. Prescription dispensing fees have increased in many provinces. The Government of Canada responded early. In April, more than four […]
To protect our privacy rights, COVID-19 surveillance measures need a squeaky wheel
OTTAWA—In a bid to enforce COVID-19 quarantines and isolation measures, governments around the world are turning to increasingly intrusive surveillance measures. These include, most notably, laws that allow them to track people through their phone data, as well as measures granting them access to private medical records. Among the governments considering such measures are not […]
Mapping the road to recovery: nine key challenges
In the middle of a once-in-a-century pandemic, it is difficult for Canadians, our families, businesses and governments to look beyond confronting the immediate effects of COVID-19. However, even as Canadians continue supporting each other today, we must also begin looking over the horizon to the post-COVID-19 world to start planning how our country and economy […]
Why would COVID-19 play out differently?
Article 25 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, which underlines social and economic rights, states: “Everyone has the right to a standard of living adequate for the health and well-being of himself and of his family, including food, clothing, housing and medical care and necessary social services, and the right to security in the […]
In learning to live with COVID-19, a look at the least crummy solutions
We need to find the middle ground in our fight against COVID-19. Lockdown is unsustainable and will undermine the very foundations of our population’s health. But simply letting the virus run its course could well cause many more deaths. There are no good choices, so we need to find the least bad solutions. Protecting the […]
Intelligence and the next pandemic
OTTAWA—When you work in intelligence you take your direction on what to collect or investigate from the government of the day. This applies differently depending on the organization in question. CSIS’ marching orders are spelled out in the CSIS Act. CSE’s tend to shift. CSIS’ directions take the form of ‘intelligence requirements’ and they do […]
Parallel lessons from COVID-19 and climate change
A common thread that runs through the many opinion and editorial articles that emerged following the onset of COVID around the world is the insight that the pandemic has exposed the extent of social vulnerabilities and inequalities that surround us. As it turns out, the slogan that “we are all in this together” has not […]
Open and honest dialogue with Indigenous communities guide COVID-19 response
First Nations, Inuit, and Métis face unprecedented and unique challenges during the COVID-19 pandemic. Significant socio-economic and health gaps put them at greater risk during these hard times. Regular, open, and honest dialogue with Indigenous leaders has guided and strengthened Canada’s approach to this pandemic, starting with the National Health Emergency Management Network, which was […]
