Parliamentarians were right to pass law against genetic discrimination
One consequence of the Human Genome Project was a vast increase in the variety and availability of genetic tests. In response, governments in most Western countries passed laws to protect their citizens from genetic discrimination. On May 4, Canada caught up, when the Genetic Non-Discrimination Act (Bill S-201) received royal assent. Your genetic information has […]
To diffuse technology or not to diffuse: that’s the question
Let me give you a choice between two compelling narratives on the topic of diffusion—efforts to make technologies available by means of government policies. The first is an argument for the broad diffusion of biotechnologies, including synthetic biology and CRISPR (a genome editing tool). The other is an argument for a slow-down or clamp-down. You be […]
Biotechnology
Latest plan won’t stunt marijuana black market
Canada is edging closer to the July 2018 target date for the legalization of marijuana in a haze of political smoke. With every new development, the gap between the political narrative attending the initiative and its actual implementation is harder to bridge. Take the federal government’s talking points. They have greatly evolved since Justin Trudeau […]
Ontario: dope dealer extraordinaire
OTTAWA—While I know the chances of anyone shedding any tears for me is akin to a snowball in hell, it is hard not to feel like in Central Canada these days governments are out to stick it to the business community. You’ve read my laments about the federal Liberals’ plan to change the way private […]
Huge Health Canada branch could be moved to new ministry, unions blindsided
Unions representing most of the employees in Health Canada’s Indigenous services branch have lambasted Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s government for announcing that the branch would be moved under the jurisdiction of a new minister and likely a new department without consulting them ahead of time. The branch makes up nearly three-quarters of Health Canada’s total […]
New health minister praised by rivals and Liberals, but has a steep learning curve ahead, says critic
Canada’s new health minister has a personal connection to one of the first items on her to-do list: implementing a national strategy for Alzheimer’s disease and other dementias, as called for in a bill passed in June. Ginette Petitpas Taylor (Moncton-Riverview-Dieppe, N.B.), declined a pitch to enter provincial politics in 2010 in part because of […]
Setting aside differences, Liberals and Tories strategized to pass dementia bill
Conservative MP Rob Nicholson set aside political differences and crossed the floor to gain support for his private member’s bill to create a national dementia strategy. Mr. Nicholson (Niagara Falls, Ont.) knew how important a framework for dementia was; his father suffered from the disease. “It was inexplicable, he had always had a very healthy […]
B.C.’s addictions and mental health ministry taking on a daunting, and worthy, challenge
OTTAWA—John Horgan, the new premier of British Columbia, made history last week when he took office. He fulfilled a campaign promise and created a full ministry responsible for mental health and addictions. Establishing a stand-alone department like this one was welcomed by many mental health advocates, not just in British Columbia but across the country. […]
Provincial ministers’ summer gabfest hands Trudeau a gift he could not refuse
OTTAWA—The pot thickens. The provincial ministers annual summer gabfest handed the prime minister a gift he could not refuse. A political pot fight is just what Justin Trudeau needs to shore up his left flank. Traditional New Democratic voters across the country fled their party to support the Liberals in the last election. Some simply […]
