‘Massive majority’ of Liberal caucus wants Trudeau to drop federal COVID mandates, say Liberal MPs
With provincial and international jurisdictions easing COVID restrictions, some Liberal MPs say the vast majority of their caucus want the federal government to drop travel vaccination requirements, allowing unvaccinated Canadians to board domestic flights. Several Liberal MPs interviewed for this article said that most caucus members want all federal pandemic restrictions dropped as soon as […]
Budget’s anti-vaping measures a breath of fresh air, but more must be done
Teenagers are notorious for hearing what they want to hear and ignoring the rest. They’re also notorious for believing they’re invincible. So perhaps it’s no surprise that even government messages as clear as “vaping is less harmful than smoking, but it’s still not safe,” can get taken out of context. In recent years, because of […]
PSAC declares impasse in negotiations with feds over wages, as unions, feds navigate inflation, ‘hybrid work’ model
The Public Service Alliance of Canada (PSAC), the country’s largest federal public service union, has declared an impasse in collective bargaining negotiations with the government on behalf of 120,000 workers, with national president Chris Aylward honing in on the government’s wage offer as the “tipping point” leading to the standoff. The government’s offer was an […]
The economy leaves COVID behind as a make-or-break political issue
OTTAWA—We knew how to stop the economy to slow Canadians’ interactions during the pandemic, but restarting it is a lot harder, Bank of Canada Governor Tiff Macklem has pointed out. The central bank, which is expected to raise interest rates again this week, now finds itself at the centre of the firestorm over affordability and […]
‘It’s only right’: Senate weighs options to support mental health of committee witnesses
The Senate is weighing options to formalize a system to provide committee witnesses with mental health and counselling support, a move Senate Human Rights Committee chair Salma Ataullahjan says is “only right” for witnesses being asked to bare their personal stories. “It’s only right that we cover that cost [of any needed mental health or […]
Unfiltered: the case for banning cigarette filters for people and planet
More than 20 billion cigarette butts will end up in a landfill or polluting the environment in Canada this year. Smoking has long been a major public health concern, but it’s also a rapidly growing planetary health concern. The intersection of human and environmental health risks associated with tobacco products presents an obvious opportunity for […]
It’s time Canada recognizes the importance of self-care
The fact that Canada’s health-care system is being strained nearly to the breaking point has been noted so often in recent years, it has become almost cliché. Canada’s universal health-care system is a key pillar of our economy and our identity as Canadians. However, its vulnerability has never been clearer than in the months since […]
Pope sets itinerary for formal apology to residential school survivors in July visit to Canada
Pope Francis is scheduled to visit Canada later this summer to deliver a formal apology from the Roman Catholic Church for its decades-long role in operating residential schools. Scheduled from July 24 to 29, the visit will include stops in Edmonton, Quebec City, and Iqaluit. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau tweeted on May 13 that the […]
Too soon to gauge staying power of ‘freedom’ theme in Conservative politics, now at fore of leadership race, say strategists
Conservative strategists are in agreement that while there has always been a campaign for more freedom and smaller government at the heart of conservatism in Canada, the COVID-19 pandemic has made the theme particularly relevant today—most notably in the ongoing Conservative Party leadership race. But some argue that it’s too early to say whether or […]
Industry lobbying under guise of pandemic stimuli pressing own interests behind closed doors
The pandemic emergency has been used by business interests to gain access to government officials to present corporate demands while claiming that they want to help out during this health crisis. Here are a few major examples that come from recent access to information requests or from leaks. Natural Resources Canada was receptive in 2020 […]
