On improving dialogues between scientific illiterate and politically clueless
GATINEAU, QUE.—The interactions between politicians and scientists are undergoing more scrutiny these days. And well they should as science underpins much of what constitutes public policy. It is also a two-way street. Science needs to better grasp the oft-complex context behind policy and the polity needs to better understand the growing knowledge agenda. Thirty years […]
Next steps toward a more innovative Canada
Canada is poised to raise its innovation game, a job that calls for a multi-faceted approach merging the creativity and cooperation of industry, government, academia, and all other players. Last October, the Coalition for Action on Innovation in Canada (CAIC) released its report, “An Action Plan For Prosperity,” which offered a series of practical recommendations […]
Innovation: Canada’s entrepreneurs must show us how
Canada’s economic prosperity depends on us becoming a more innovative and productive nation. Innovation makes businesses and societies more competitive and prosperous. But Canada is weak in innovation. Legions of studies have investigated the issue, including a February 2010 Conference Board of Canada report that assigned the country a “D” for innovation and ranked it […]
New ideas open doors for women around the world
Canada’s Innovation Strategy, launched in 2002, is based on a simple premise: Our prosperity depends on investments in science, technology, and innovation (STI). In economic terms, innovation means converting knowledge into value. Put more simply, it means improving people’s lives by finding ways to do things better than before. STI is as critical in the […]
Private-sector innovation: investing in universities and colleges makes good business sense
When the University of British Columbia licensed a novel drug technology to a leading global provider of healthcare products at the end of last year, it highlighted the Centre for Drug Research and Development’s role in closing the gap between discovery research and commercial opportunity in Canada. The technology, which allows potentially toxic drugs to […]
Feds’ approach to internet regulation disastrous for consumers
When you look at the Conservative government’s approach to internet regulation what you get is a confusing maze of announcements, reversals and half-measures all resulting in disastrous outcomes for consumers. Canadians pay more than most other OECD countries for internet service while receiving a comparatively lower level of service, particularly with respect to download speed. […]
CRTC in controversy mode these days
The CRTC appears to be in controversy mode these days and there’s lots of fodder for the curious and critical. I teach a course in communications policy at Carleton University and every year I have students discuss the CHOI-FM case at the first class, because it’s easy to identify the key issues at stake and […]
Walking the talk: negotiating a more effective Canada Health Transfer
The current federal-provincial accord governing the Canada Health Transfer expires in 2014 and early preparations for the next round of negotiations are underway. At this stage, signs are not encouraging. The Harper government appears to want to get Ottawa out of the health sector as much as possible, so its primary objective is likely to […]
Health care has gone ‘beyond the minister,’ Cabinet must move forward on policy changes, say experts
Health care is not at the top of the federal government’s agenda and the Conservatives are not showing leadership on tackling the important issues Canadians face when it comes to the healthcare system by being silent on the renewal of the 2004 health accord, say opposition MPs and stakeholders. “I don’t believe there’s any leadership […]
Time to build next generation of health care for Canadians
Canada’s universal public health-care system has been the pride of our country for many years. Since its introduction in Saskatchewan by former NDP leader Tommy Douglas, it has become the most important component of our social support network. It is the tool with which we look after one another, and is the great equalizer. However, […]
