Canada does not do enough to recognize its role in high-flying history
They threw a small party the other day in Clifden, on the west coast of Ireland. You might have missed it. The party was the kick-off to the 100th anniversary of the flight of Alcock and Brown in the Vickers Vimy from St. John’s, N.L., to near Clifden in June of 1919. Canadian Ambassador Kevin […]
It’s time Canada re-engage with the UN Industrial Development Organization
It’s true that the world needs more Canada, especially the developing world. Attempts to not only alleviate the worst aspects of poverty, but to also provide a path to prosperity have been somewhat hit and miss. Governments, non-governmental organizations, faith-based groups, and billionaires all have their own programs and philosophies; the results are generally positive […]
Why Canada needs a cyber security foreign policy
War or peace in cyberspace? This basic question was the theme of a recent gathering of cyber security experts held at the Balsillie School of International Affairs in Waterloo, Ont. Unlike many such meetings, the focus was on international policy and the status to be accorded this vital, if vulnerable, environment. There has been a […]
What happens if Ontario makes good on plan to scrap cap and trade?
With the election of Doug Ford as Ontario’s next premier, the carbon market is in danger. The Quebec government plans to turn on the charm in order to keep its neighbour in the game. But what will happen if Ontario’s new Conservative government follows through with its intention to withdraw from the cap-and-trade system? Between […]
Data is the next frontier for environmental entrepreneurs
More than 150 Canadian entrepreneurs and other senior leaders in business and government recently gathered in Ottawa at Sustainable Development Technology Canada’s annual summit to discuss the changing global competitive environment for clean technologies. Not so long ago, the discussion would have been dominated by talk about money—or the lack thereof—and the challenges of starting […]
Dilemma over electricity rates and innovation
For over 100 years, Canadian electricity companies had a very simple mandate: provide reliable, safe power to all. Keep the lights on, as some would say. And they did just that. Today, however, they are expected to also provide a broad range of energy services through a data-driven, customer-centric system operations platform that can manage, […]
Kinder Morgan deal reminds us we’re still hewers of wood, drawers of water
OTTAWA—I remember well the afternoon in 2010 at what used to be called the Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade when our policy team was invited to listen to one of the so-called “geniuses” in the Asia division. He detailed a plan to export unprocessed bitumen to China and Japan for refining. The rationale […]
Bill banning marketing of unhealthy food and drink faces final hurdle
There is an obesity crisis in Canada and a look through the lobbyist registry helps explain why. My bill, the Child Health Protection Act, passed the Senate in September. Since then—and I’m borrowing a phrase that has too often been used to describe bills being considered by the Senate—it has languished in the House of […]
Snatching defeat from the jaws of victory: why the government’s Copyright Board plans threaten to spark another lobbying battle
OTTAWA—Copyright reform has long been viewed as one of the more contentious policy issues on the Canadian agenda, pitting creators, education groups, innovative companies, and a growing number of individuals against one another in processes that run for years and leave no one fully satisfied. Indeed, the copyright review currently underway before the House Industry, […]
The politics behind the PM’s pipeline gamble
To understand the counterintuitive political calculus behind Justin Trudeau’s controversial decision to buy the Trans Mountain pipeline, one has to go back to the fundamental equation that has governed this prime minister’s energy and climate change policies since his days in opposition. That Trudeau had no choice but to take over the pipeline if he […]
