Why Canada’s research excellence hasn’t translated into business innovation
Federal government funding for research has shifted significantly towards industry-academic partnerships at the expense of basic, or curiosity-driven, research. As an MP with three post-secondary institutions in his riding, I hear constantly from affected researchers. Industry-academic partnerships direct research in university and government laboratories to help businesses innovate and compete, but are they the […]
Moore faces high expectations following major ministerial promotion
A poor innovation record and a new consumer-focused government agenda are just a few of the policy challenges facing new Industry Minister James Moore. Mr. Moore (Port Moody-Westwood-Port Coquitlam, B.C.) was one of a select few ministers to receive a promotion when Prime Minister Stephen Harper (Calgary Southwest, Alta.) announced his Cabinet shuffle earlier […]
Tory rhetoric doesn’t match their record on innovation
Expert analysis continues to stress that weak innovation policies are putting Canada’s future economic growth and productivity at risk. Most recently, the World Economic Forum’s 2013-2014 Global Competitiveness Report underscored how we need to improve our innovation ecosystem and promote private-sector investment in research and development. Despite having advantages when it comes to global […]
Canadian manufacturing at a crossroads
The federal government and industry are banking that the recently-announced Canada-EU Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement will help revive Canada’s value-added sector, but critics of the government’s industrial policy say a more coherent strategy is needed to reverse a decade of manufacturing job losses. Whether CETA is going to help, hinder, or maintain the […]
Canada’s innovation record continues to lag in latest World Economic Forum report
Canada’s economic competitiveness has stalled according to the latest rankings by the World Economic Forum, but experts see progress in recent federal policies aimed at bolstering Canadian firms’ access to venture capital and encouraging public-private collaboration. If there was a silver lining in the World Economic Forum’s latest Global Competitiveness rankings, it’s that Canada […]
Health Policy Briefing
Why breastfeeding breaks for working moms pay off
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA—How many new moms in Canada and the U.S. will be able to participate in national breastfeeding week (Oct. 1-7)? In Canada and in the U.S., each for different reasons, it’s up to their employers. In most of the world, mothers and their children don’t need to rely on chance. Sixty-four per […]
Saving our health system means reining in costs for doctors, tests and drugs
OTTAWA—The Canadian Institute of Actuaries (CIA) recently painted a frightening portrait of Canadian health-care, with projected costs growing to the point where little money will be left in provincial budgets for anything else—roads, schools, jails. While the report is solid, it is gentle in identifying the real issues we need to tackle. The actuaries […]
Add healthy years to your life: stop acting like a man
VANCOUVER, B.C.—As November approaches, men across Canada will once again sport whiskered upper lips (perhaps to the chagrin of their companions) to raise awareness about prostate cancer and men’s mental health. The cause is a noble one—Prostate Cancer Canada estimates that 23,600 men in Canada will be diagnosed with the disease this year, and […]
A healthy strategy for kids
OTTAWA—Canadians are facing one of the most widespread health epidemics we’ve ever known. Among children, the incidence has doubled in a generation—and shows no signs of slowing down. In a much-lauded speech to the Canadian Medical Association in August, Health Minister Rona Ambrose focused on the federal government’s desire to ensure the long-term viability […]
