Health care without the nationalism
CALGARY—Public finance of health care is considered emblematic of Canadian values. Our public health system is what makes us Canadian. Any attempt to increase the private sector’s role in delivering health care is un-Canadian. This is the argument advanced by many public healthcare advocates. The trouble with this brand of health care nationalism is not […]
Global immunization efforts save millions of lives every year, new vaccines being developed
Immunization is generally thought to be the best and most cost-effective way to protect children from several life-threatening infectious diseases. Global immunization efforts save millions of lives every year, and new vaccines are being developed that promise to save many more. For example, new vaccines against rotaviruses, the leading cause of severe diarrhea in infants […]
Making medicare better
REGINA—We continually hear journalists and commentators say that public health care in Canada is unsustainable, often assuming the problem will be solved by moving costs from public budgets to household budgets. But over the past two decades, spending on private health care has grown far more rapidly than the cost of Canadian medicare—those insured services […]
‘An extraordinary year for health,’ says Aglukkaq
The following is a speech Health Minister Leona Aglukkaq delivered before the House Health Committee on Dec. 2 when the committee discussed Health Canada’s supplementary estimates. It was edited to fit the page. OTTAWA—This has been an extraordinary year for the health portfolio. Since I appeared before you on the main estimates in May, we […]
Time to tackle Canada’s productivity challenge
The global economy is experiencing the biggest downturn since the Great Depression, and according to the IMF, this is the first time in 60 years that it will shrink. The federal government reacted swiftly by implementing Canada’s Economic Action Plan, providing $40-billion over two years in stimulus. When combined with provincial funds, the total stimulus […]
Key to robust innovation lies in effective matchmaking between scientists and stakeholders
WATERLOO, ONT.—When budgets are tightened in industry and government, research laboratories are traditionally the first to feel the effects. I believe that knowledge transfer between research and its beneficiaries, advocates, and stakeholders is essential to protect project development and stimulate innovation at a time when it is most needed. But efficient knowledge transfer and uptake […]
Canada needs a scientific advisory board to Parliament to help formulate science policy
WATERLOO—Who speaks for science? The naive answer to the question would be “scientists.” Don’t psychologists speak for psychology? Don’t chemists speak for chemistry? Don’t physicists speak for physics? Well, yes—but which physicists? Speaking to whom? About which subjects? Answering what questions? Proposing what policies? These fundamental questions make it clear that finding the right spokespersons […]
Reconceptualize science to reduce violence in our world
TORONTO—Albert Einstein used to say that “science without religion is lame, religion without science is blind.” We can also add that: “Science without democracy is arbitrary, as democracy without science is ignorant.” The interface between democracy and science has always been a complex and problematic one, which, to be properly understood, must be situated in […]
Goodyear says feds’ top priority is economy, boosting innovation
The federal government is trying to stop Canada’s innovation decline through its science and technology strategy and by investing more than $5-billion in new S&T initiatives, says Science and Technology Minister of State Gary Goodyear (Cambridge, Ont.) in an email interview with The Hill Times for this week’s “Innovation Policy Briefing.” You were at the […]
Establish Canada as hub for next wave of knowledge industries and make it a national priority
VANCOUVER, B.C.—If you want to get into the mining business, you need an ore body. If you’re going into the oil business, you need oil. And if you’re a nation looking to build a knowledge economy, you need knowledge workers—and plenty of them. Therein lies the conundrum facing our governments as they seek to transform […]
