Canada can ill afford to be blasé about a weak, fractious government at centre
OTTAWA—In all the bickering around the idea of a post-election coalition, nobody is asking the only question that really matters. Political parties always ask "what's in it for me?" University professors ask whether it is politically prudent or constitutionally proper. Pollsters ask who would gain electoral advantage from it. The right question to ask, though, […]
The lost art of the apology
It may seem that apologies in politics today are as common as snowflakes in winter. But because the true significance of an apology has been lost, today’s acts of alleged contrition often end up exacerbating the problem rather than solving it. And the most important apologies never get made at all. When you consider how […]
New world order arrives in Middle East and West is playing catch-up
In the Middle East disappearing dictators signal the collapse of another piece of the Cold War’s architecture, more than two decades after the fall of the Berlin Wall sealed the fate of Communism and the Soviet Union. This is no mere historical oddity, however, for the unpredictable result may well profoundly reshape our world. Anyone […]
Back to the future: A guide to budget-making
OTTAWA—My grandpa always said to me that if you want to be best in the world at something, do something no one else is doing. Canada applied that advice to its economy in the 1990s, with impressive results. Other countries waded ever deeper into expanded social programs, higher taxes, bigger spending and more unionized public […]
Media speculation on Canada-U.S. agreement on a continental perimeter border premature
OTTAWA—The premature speculation in the media about a Canada-U.S. agreement on a continental perimeter border has already triggered predictable reactions. One columnist in The Toronto Star calls it, “another lose-lose deal. We give up much; we gain nothing.” Maude Barlow opines that such a deal would constitute an “outrageous attack on the rights of Canadians.” […]
Hydro power to continue to be important part of Canada’s clean energy mix
The following is a speech Christian Paradis delivered on Oct. 26 in Ottawa at the 2010 Annual Forum of the Canadian Hydro power Association. O TTAWA—Canada is the world’s second largest producer of hydro power in the world. [The] industry employs tens of thousands of people, such as engineers, geologists, construction workers, electricians, and mechanics, […]
Time for talk is over, Canada needs a climate-change energy strategy right now
Canada needs an energy strategy that contemplates future energy supply and demand, international versus domestic markets, energy security, alternative energy sources versus traditional sources, jurisdictional issues, international pressures and environmental issues. The proverbial elephant in this room is climate change. Of course, any energy strategy to be believable and operable must contemplate the impact of […]
‘Idea of a superpower’s rhetorically fun, but it doesn’t mean very much’ say energy stakeholders
While the government has touted Canada’s aim to become a “clean energy superpower,” some energy industry observers say it is a term more “rhetorically fun” than substantive and they question whether the government really wants to be a superpower. Prime Minister Stephen Harper (Calgary Southwest, Alta.) first spoke of Canada as an “emerging energy superpower” […]
Canada needs a national energy strategy to set framework for future, say stakeholders
Canada has an abundance and diversity of energy sources that greatly contribute to the country’s economic health, but as the energy industry moves to extract oil and gas from more difficult places and renewable energy sources gain more market share, everyone from environmentalists to petroleum producers say Canada needs a national energy strategy to set […]
Industry observers say Paradis taking back-seat role on energy files
While energy industry observers say former environment minister Jim Prentice did what he could to move forward with a difficult portfolio, they are generally more critical of Natural Resources Minister Christian Paradis (Mégantic-L’Érable, Que.) for taking more of a back-seat role on his file. Mr. Paradis started on the job in January, grabbing the baton […]
