Broad perspectives breed great science
On Nov. 2, Science Minister Kirsty Duncan addressed the Canadian Science Policy Conference to discuss the federal government’s plan to boost fundamental research in Canada. The following text is an edited excerpt of her speech. I’d like to share my vision of science. It is a vision that sees Canadian science as a re-energized, forward-looking, […]
Liberals talk a good game, but science is still struggling
Many credit the Trudeau Liberals with ending the war on science, after years of funding cuts and muzzling by the Harper Conservatives. Nothing seemed to demonstrate this more than the fundamental science review report (chaired by former University of Toronto president David Naylor) commissioned by the Liberals and released in April, followed by the appointment […]
University and College Research
Internet as an act of reconciliation
It’s been 897 days since the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada (TRC) outlined its 94 calls to action towards reconciliation with Indigenous Peoples, and to say we’re progressing at a snail’s pace would be generous. Canada’s human rights challenges with regard to Indigenous communities are numerous and not simple to fix. Among them, more […]
Canada must defend supply management
Supply management is vital to the food sovereignty of Quebec and Canada. This system enables our dairy, poultry and egg farmers to strike the best possible balance between the supply of and demand for their products. Supply management therefore prevents waste and provides more stability to producers, who would otherwise be very vulnerable to the […]
NAFTA turmoil an opportunity for Canada to strike on agriculture
As North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) negotiations appear to teeter on the brink of failure, now—counter intuitively—is the best time for Canada to make new demands at the bargaining table. Specifically, it is an opportunity for the seemingly ignored agricultural sector. There are two reasons for this. The first is something that has gone […]
Too much of a good thing: Canada’s consultation crisis
After years of often feeling excluded from the policy-making and legislative process, many civil society groups were excited by the prospect of a new government committed to public consultations and feedback. The Liberal government moved quickly to consult on all manner of issues, providing hope that an emphasis on participatory democracy would lead to better […]
Canada must rethink trade strategy after a half-century of U.S. special access
OTTAWA—On Jan. 16, 1965, prime minister Lester Pearson sat next to U.S. president Lyndon Johnson at an outdoor table at Johnson’s ranch in Texas to sign the papers bringing the Canada-U.S. Auto Pact into existence. Old footage shows Johnson looking vague about the whole thing while Pearson exuded satisfaction. At the time, there appeared to […]
Investing in wireless technology is the key to innovation in Canada
Necessity is the mother of invention. Given Canada’s vast territory and large land mass, our need to find ways to stay in touch has been the driver of many a Canadian innovation, from the telephone to the first transatlantic wireless signal to mobile email. Today, telecommunications is a vital thread of our social fabric, and […]
Canada’s most-lobbied staffers drive policy tied to federal purse
Canada’s top-lobbied political staffers have “panache,” and are “affable” and “rigorous,” according to those who’ve sat down with the men who are the government’s most-sought officials based on communications reports filed in the federal lobbying registry this year. The three most in-demand staffers are all policy advisers to ministers in important departments connected to Liberal […]
