Dedicated B.C. regional development agency to bring bigger focus to tech sector, innovation: MPs and stakeholders
Parliamentarians and stakeholders from British Columbia are welcoming the government’s efforts to establish a new regional development agency for the Pacific province, saying it represents a shift from viewing the West as a “monolith,” will benefit the province’s flourishing tech sector, and will help spur innovation in more traditional resource-based industries. “The tech sector has […]
The latest case of police racism is yet another travesty of justice
MONTREAL—Montreal is a great place to live. Unless you are a person of colour. Mamadi Fara Camara, a 31-year-old PhD student and instructor from Guinea, found this out on the evening of Jan. 28. He had been stopped by Montreal police for using a cellphone while driving, an offence he says he did not commit. […]
Cross-country COVID response too easily swayed by political winds of change
CALGARY—The Weeknd walking deliriously through a candescent, mirrored hallway in his Superbowl halftime performance is a metaphor for Canada’s COVID response. The incompetence delivered as a train wreck is breathtaking and frankly, globally embarrassing, yet easy to see coming. This week, Alberta, Quebec, and Ontario are lifting COVID-19 restrictions, which will only be reversed in […]
Pleas to U.S. to share vaccine supplies with Canada unlikely to ‘resonate’ in short term, say lobby groups
Ottawa could have luck down the line appealing to the United States to share some coronavirus vaccine doses with Canada, but as a short-term fix, it’s unlikely with little evidence the U.S. has a “surplus” to go around, say some lobby groups and health experts. The reality is that production capacity “is tight everywhere and […]
Second COVID wave, vaccine issues rapidly unwinding any and all political assumptions
OTTAWA—Politically, everything we have surmised about the impact of COVID-19 is no longer applicable. Last year, the tragedy of the pandemic assumed a fairly linear political narrative. For Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, this revolved around his government’s unprecedented rollout of financial aid to keep the economy on life support and help millions of individuals—plus the […]
Rick Hillier’s double duty doesn’t pass the smell test
OTTAWA—From the outset, I wish to state that I have the utmost respect and admiration for retired General Rick Hillier. He is a natural leader; a charismatic public speaker and he earned the loyalty of those troops which he commanded. Hillier parlayed those attributes into a stellar military career, which culminated with him serving as […]
Get ready for a dose of vaccine populism
OAKVILLE, ONT.—Populist politician Donald Trump may no longer be in power, but that doesn’t mean populist tactics will suddenly become unfashionable. Like it or not, populism is to politics what fighting is to hockey—the two just naturally go together. Indeed, even the COVID vaccine rollout, currently in its initial stages, could very well trigger a […]
‘Dumbest thing I’ve seen’: Miller slams wealthy couple who flew to Yukon to skip vaccine queue
Indigenous Services Minister Marc Miller condemned the decision of a wealthy Vancouver couple who chartered a plane to Beaver Creek, Yukon, in January to get the Moderna vaccine, saying it left him “disgusted.” Mr. Miller (Ville-Marie-Le Sud-Ouest-Île-des-Sœurs, Que.), who spoke to reporters in a press conference Wednesday morning, said it was “idiotic” of them to […]
Payette resigns after report found toxic work environment at Rideau Hall
OTTAWA—To sack or not to sack, that is the question. Three current cases, two federal and one provincial, give us some insight into differing approaches to a firing offence. Conservative Member of Parliament Derek Sloan was tossed out by a majority vote of caucus, allegedly for accepting a donation from a white supremacist. His toxic […]
Carr’s cabinet post praised by Prairie stakeholders, but experts and MP wary of road ahead
After recovering from a blood cancer diagnosis that forced him out of cabinet after the 2019 election, Jim Carr is back in the new post as the special representative to the Prairies. The title is old—Mr. Carr has held it since the election—but the spot in cabinet is new. Prior to re-joining cabinet, Mr. Carr was […]
