Canada remains without a universal pharmacare program
Canadians are proud of our universal health care, and rightfully so. But many would be surprised to hear that of the countries with universal health care, Canada remains the only one without a universal pharmacare program. This is to our detriment. Canadians pay some of the highest drug prices in the world, and many simply […]
MPs alarmed by Radio-Canada/CBC report on cellphone spying around the Hill
The revelation that someone may be using a device to track and spy on cellphones around Parliament Hill, and the subsequent RCMP and CSIS investigations it prompted, was the result of shrewd sleuthing by Radio-Canada investigative reporter Brigitte Bureau who, with CBC News colleague Catherine Cullen, broke the story last week. But it has created […]
Pakistani icon for female education to address House this week
Malala Yousafzai, who captured the world’s respect by fighting for the rights of girls to be educated, getting shot, and then continuing the fight, will address a joint session of Parliament in the House of Commons on Wednesday, April 12. At 19, she will become the youngest person ever to address Canadian Parliament. Ms. Yousafzai […]
Government needs to deal with technology’s effect on future job market
TORONTO—Will robots and artificial intelligence take our jobs? One of the greatest uncertainties as we face the future is what kind of jobs, if any, will many of us have as technology continues to take over many tasks that once only humans could do. Investment superstar Warren Buffet has even suggested we tax robots and […]
Ottawa’s innovation strategy should focus on cities
TORONTO—There was plenty of good news for Canadian tech companies in the Liberals’ innovation-heavy budget. There was $400-million for the Business Development Bank of Canada to invest in late-stage companies, a package worth $2.2-billion to support clean technologies, and new investments in talent development to help Canada attract the best and brightest. One of the […]
Budget criticized for lack of public-service investment, no Phoenix fix
“Meh,” was how one public service union leader reacted after the federal government’s budget was unveiled last week, though there were positive reviews coming from educational interest groups, mixed reaction from the health sector, and a range of other assessments from those who had some interests riding on this federal budget. Chris Aylward, national executive […]
Bains most lobbied cabinet minister since Trudeau won power in 2015, hands down
Navdeep Bains, Canada’s minister of Innovation, Science and Economic Development, is, hands down, the most lobbied member of the Trudeau cabinet since the government came to office in 2015. Since the Liberals took over in November 2015 until earlier this month, a total of 245 communication reports outlining contact with Mr. Bains (Mississauga-Malton, Ont.) have […]
Feds want innovation, just not right now
TORONTO—If there is a core innovation message in the 2017 budget it is that we want and need a much more innovative Canada—but not right away. Increasing our capacity for innovation is critical for Canada’s future, as Finance Minister Bill Morneau said, over and over again, in his budget papers. So why not move on it? […]
Europe-Canada trade deal’s investment court faces tough road, but ‘the mood is shifting’
The heavy lifting is done for proponents of the Europe-Canada trade deal, but the future of the investment protection system that fuelled the toughest opposition to the agreement remains up in the air. Business leaders are also concerned about how the government will fill in the details of the agreement with regulations, particularly when it […]
Want to stop populism? Try universal basic income
LONDON, U.K.—There’s a new idea that might be the solution to runaway populism. Well, it’s not that new, really—it has been kicking around in left-wing circles for a least a quarter-century—but it has suddenly gone mainstream. It’s called universal basic income (UBI), and pilot programs to see if it really works in practice are being […]
