‘I was a kid in a GM household, I thought it was going to survive’: Oshawa-area MPs in disbelief at GM’s looming closure
General Motors’ decision last week to halt operations in Oshawa, Ont., within the next year sent shockwaves throughout the community, with the move deeply felt by two area MPs who once worked for the auto giant. Like many people in the Oshawa-Durham community in Ontario, Conservative MPs Colin Carrie and Erin O’Toole have a personal […]
Lost in Space? Sector awaits long-promised national strategy as delays continue
As the Canadian space sector eagerly awaits a promised and overdue national strategy from Innovation Minister Navdeep Bains, stakeholders say they’re looking to the federal government for certainty on future funding and a firm commitment to re-establish Canada’s reputation as a key contributor on the global stage. The Trudeau Liberal government, as with past governments, […]
Budget bill’s Copyright Act changes undermine committee’s ongoing review, say critics
The Liberals’ decision to include changes to the Copyright Act in the year’s second budget implementation bill has effectively “castrated” the ongoing statutory review of the law, says NDP MP Brian Masse, vice-chair of one of the two committees engaged in the study. Bill C-86, clocking in at 854 pages, includes changes to intellectual property […]
Here’s Taiwan’s trailblazing digital minister’s advice on how the feds can boost service to Canadians
Audrey Tang is not your typical cabinet minister. First off, she’s not really a politician. Ms. Tang, who has called herself an “anarchist,” was asked to be a minister in Taiwan’s government in 2016 after taking part in a protest movement that occupied its Parliament two years earlier. While some cabinet ministers are adept at […]
Why is Health Canada thwarting Parliament’s will?
The problem of regulators becoming captives of the regulated is not new. It’s the idea that a regulator is basically an instrument of the industry it’s meant to regulate. Former Alberta Liberal leader Kevin Taft wrote about it in his book Oil’s Deep State. I see it all around us—in the National Energy Board approach […]
Liberals’ approach to the North is people-driven
Our government’s approach to the North is very much people-driven. Since coming into office in the fall of 2015, the government has made a substantial increase to the Northern Residents Deduction, targeted the Canada Child Benefit to those who need it most, and changed the rules around the Canada Workers Benefit to make it more […]
N.W.T., Canada can work together for sustainable northern development
A year ago this week, I was in Ottawa to call for a national discussion on the future of the Northwest Territories. My red alert was motivated by the continued stagnation of the Northwest Territories economy, compounded by concerns that federal decisions and policies could create roadblocks to meaningful economic development and cut our people […]
The best way to boost high-tech jobs for Canadians? Have government lead by example
The recent revelation the city of Calgary, the Alberta government, and Ottawa are contributing $2.5-million to help American companies find expert talent in this country was nothing short of depressing. It shows how thinking about the relationship between the state and industry has stalled in this country. Let’s be blunt: Canada’s future prosperity will depend […]
Time for action on neglected Naylor report advice
OTTAWA—As the Trudeau government gears up for the coming election year, recommendations from the 2017 expert panel on Canada’s Fundamental Science Review, chaired by former University of Toronto president David Naylor and commissioned by the federal science minister, are coming to the fore. In the past few weeks, federal ministers have fanned out across the […]
Support innovation in remote regions to build on Canada’s strengths
Since 2016, the government has taken essential and reassuring steps that demonstrate its commitment to transforming Canada into an innovative society. By unmuzzling federal scientists and establishing the chief science adviser of Canada’s office, the government sent a clear signal: science must be a pillar of federal government decision-making. The 2018 budget subsequently implemented the […]
