COVID-19 crisis offers hope for a clean energy transition
WATERLOO, ONT.—Although the final pages on the unfolding human tragedy of the COVID-19 pandemic have yet to be written, the ‘tsunami-scale’ of economic disruption has led to responses by the federal and provincial governments that the most acclaimed of futurists could not have predicted even six weeks ago. If the adage, ‘Do not let a […]
Canada and Ontario tell Trump to buzz off
HALIFAX—What do the governments of Canada and Ontario have in common with a coalition of states from both U.S. coasts and the Midwest? They have all told Donald Trump to go to hell. It was done on Canada’s behalf by Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland. Freeland, who has been doing most of the heavy lifting for […]
Next federal election a referendum on Trudeau’s management of COVID-19, say pollsters, ‘a crisis like no other’
With the country deep in the throes of a deadly global pandemic, veteran pollsters are predicting that the next federal election will be a referendum on how Justin Trudeau’s minority government managed COVID-19 and its impact on Canadians after this global crisis is over. “We won’t know until the very end how much damage this […]
We need a bold new nation-building strategy
TORONTO—If we are to successfully transition from the current pandemic to future prosperity we need a bold new nation-building strategy. This is quite different from hoping that once the pandemic is over we will go back to where we were before the pandemic hit. That won’t happen. The world will be different and we will […]
COVID-19 invades and compromises our privacy
OTTAWA—COVID-19 puts privacy rights under attack. Zoom-bombers, COVID-19 scammers, and cellphone trackers are gaining ground as Canadians self-isolate. With the necessity of greater cyberspace interactions, the crisis continues to introduce or enhance more grounds for privacy invasion. Contact tracing, for instance, is important for tackling the COVID-19 virus. Using wireless smartphones to identify people’s movements […]
Where does Canada go post-COVID-19?
As the COVID-19 crisis unfolds, Canada will engage in fundamental debates about its future—health care, economic strategy, the role of government in the economy, and Canada’s international relations. In many ways, these debates will not only be between differing viewpoints on any one issue but on those who look to the past for inspiration and […]
Parliamentary accountability or pandemic pandemonium?
CHELSEA, QUE.—In theory, a healthy democracy needs a vigorous opposition. In reality, there’s Question Period. That may be why Conservative Leader Andrew Scheer appears to be having trouble rousing public opinion to his cause. His cause, essentially, is more face time for the official opposition. Or, as he puts it, more “accountability.” He has already […]
Toddler-in-chief in the White House is frantic to reopen the economy
LONDON, U.K.—Wuhan, the Chinese city where it all started, was locked down for 79 days before the restrictions on movement were finally lifted last week. A bit over-cautious, perhaps, but in China the coronavirus does really seem to be under control—not totally eradicated, but controllable without extreme measures. If Donald Trump “reopens” the United States […]
Canada’s chief electoral officer Perrault consulting provincial counterparts regularly on how to hold an election if one is called in the midst of COVID-19
While it’s highly unlikely that an election will be called in the midst of a global pandemic, Canada’s Chief Electoral Officer Stéphane Perrault is still consulting with his provincial counterparts regularly to plan for the possibility if one is called in this minority government. “The chief electoral officers from the various electoral management bodies across […]
Fundraisers face tough challenge
OAKVILLE, ONT.—We all know how the COVID-19 “lockdown” has decimated the entire world’s economy. But what’s less appreciated is how the pandemic will negatively impact on the bottom line for Canada’s federal political parties. After all, as long as the virus crisis is in full swing, the Liberals, Conservatives and NDP are going to have […]
