Will Trump lose the battle but win the war?
OAKVILLE, ONT.—Conventional punditry wisdom seems to be that U.S. President Donald Trump can’t possibly get re-elected in 2020. Globe and Mail columnist Lawrence Martin, for instance, likely spoke for many when he recently noted that, “Trump is running with a collapsed economy. … In addition, with the United States having suffered more losses in the […]
Planning for Canadian foreign and trade policy in post-COVID world
CALGARY—The actors and processes in the international system have undergone significant change over the last five years, including Brexit, the election of U.S. President Donald Trump, the rise of populism in Western democracies, the relative decline of the United States and rise of powers like China and Russia. In fact, there is an overall realignment […]
Transition to virtual sittings should be ‘staggered,’ former clerk tells PROC
The move towards increasing the frequency of virtual parliamentary sittings can take on a “staggered approach,” as MPs grow more accustomed to engaging with one another online as opposed to across the aisle, says a former House administration official. In an appearance before the Procedure and House Affairs Committee on April 23, Marc Bosc, former […]
Feds need to step up support for airports as it copes with revenue shortfalls
The travel bans and precautionary measures that governments have in place are designed to help to mitigate the spread of COVID-19 and form part of a global effort to flatten the curve and to prevent further outbreaks from overwhelming hospitals. A pressing concern for many airports, along with others in the global and Canadian aviation […]
Reckoning with the WHO’s handling of health crises
On April 16, U.S. President Donald Trump announced that he would halt funding for the World Health Organization. Many believe that this is a ploy to distract from American struggles to contain the COVID-19 pandemic. But a sober look at the WHO reveals that the organization is rife with alleged corruption, abetted apparent Chinese propaganda […]
House pandemic proceedings should be roadmap for the future
For better or for worse, there is finally an agreement for the House of Commons to have regular playdates for at least the next month of the coronavirus pandemic. On April 20, 37 MPs spaced themselves out in the House of Commons Chamber and voted on a government motion to adjourn the House until May […]
The pandemic has offered a chance for a reset on infrastructure—and we should take it
The COVID-19 pandemic has created an upheaval in Canada’s social and economic life—with everyone scrambling to figure out what our world will look like when we finally emerge from quarantine. Over the past few weeks, the federal government has responded with a series of funding initiatives to help Canadians stay afloat. Rightly, they have focused […]
Can we fix COVID-19 and climate change in one breath?
We are now trained to believe that being smart is to stay home, being socially connected is better online, and going to school is no more than rolling to the other side of the bed and turning on your computer, pyjamas optional. Smart is being redefined as we adapt to survive current circumstances. We didn’t […]
COVID-19 infrastructure stimulus needs short-term support for a long-term transformation
Infrastructure spending will play a big part in the economic recovery from COVID-19. Construction projects get people working, flow money to local economies, and create assets that serve communities for years. With the uncertainty caused by multiple daily announcements on COVID-19, any additional stability and certainty governments provide could be more impactful than committing significant […]
Presence of backbench MPs, cross-Canada representation restricted during in-person House sittings amidst physical distancing
With reduced numbers of MPs sitting in the House amidst the coronavirus pandemic, the presence of backbenchers and equitable geographic representation has been constrained in three sittings since the pandemic hit Canada. In normal times, backbench MPs make up the largest portion of the House of Commons, but in three sittings since the House was […]
