Is there a war on the immigrant family?
Revoking the citizenship of a Canadian citizen and worse, deporting a Canadian-born person is the most aggressive anti-immigrant act seen in recent times. It’s like there was a war on the immigrant family. It really casts a line between “old stock” Canadians and new Canadians, because it’s not just about people who willingly have dual […]
‘A more active role for government in the competitive market’ is needed
For the election, the timing couldn’t be better. A report by three economists, led by former senior Finance Canada official Don Drummond, highlights why economic growth has to be the big priority and why active government is needed to make this happen. Conventional reliance on the free market economy won’t cut it, the report says, […]
Biotechnology
Party leaders’ campaign promises don’t align with Canada’s biggest challenges
TORONTO—In many respects, our election is like Christmas. Each political party is handing out ‘presents’—a tax cut, low-cost day care, bigger tax savings for education, and so forth. Apparently we are supposed to vote for the party that hands out the biggest and best ‘presents’ by the end of the campaign. But there is nothing […]
Recession or not, Canada’s economy is underperforming
TORONTO—Whether Canada has been, is, or will be in recession is not the issue. The important reality is that, recession or not, Canada has an underperforming economy and that is what should concern us. It is why we should worry less about a budget deficit and focus more on why we need a public investment […]
Branding Liberals as economic managers
Thanks to Jean Chrétien, Paul Martin and Stephen Harper, the Liberal Party of Canada’s economic brand just got stronger. Aug. 25 was when this became clearer. Bear with me. Going back 50 years, strong economic credentials were not the defining characteristic of the governments led by Lester B. Pearson and Pierre Trudeau. Rather, their focus […]
Changing nature of jobs is what’s ailing middle class
Much of the election debate is focused on the plight of the middle class. The Conservatives are reluctant to acknowledge there’s a problem. But it’s doubtful whether NDP or Liberal plans—more money for child care, higher benefits to families with children and middle-class tax cuts—will seriously improve prospects for the middle class. This is especially […]
Balanced budget should not be first priority
Is the NDP trying to be more conservative than the Conservatives? Former Saskatchewan Finance Minister Andrew Thompson, a star candidate for the NDP who is running against Finance Minister Joe Oliver in a Toronto riding, argues that the top NDP priority is to balance the federal budget. “There’s no doubt that the first thing that […]
U.S. politics will push TPP onto Canadian election agenda
Politics—American politics—will make the Trans-Pacific Partnership an election issue in Canada. U.S. President Barack Obama wants to make the TPP one of his signature accomplishments. But to do this he needs to get an agreement before the U.S. Congress soon—with September now the goal. That means Prime Minister Stephen Harper will have to make some […]
Parties shed little light on how to revive and recharge the economy
TORONTO—The first election 2015 TV leaders’ debate must have been a huge disappointment to Canadians who hoped it would shed fresh light on how each of the political parties would revive and recharge Canada’s faltering economy. The Conservative position is best known—the Harper government has, after all, produced a budget. The problem is that it’s […]
