We can do more to make Canada more accessible, inclusive
“The decency of a society is measured by how it cares for its least powerful members,” wrote Rabbi Harold Kushner. These words ring especially true when it comes to people with disabilities. While policy-makers have achieved progress in making Canada more accessible and inclusive, significant deficiencies remain. Last week, in an effort to address some […]
Reframing Canada’s global AI leadership: a realistic path to the top
All signs point to artificial intelligence (AI) being key to the new economy and perhaps even the 21st century as a whole. But in the world of policy, AI is an abused term that is subject to misinterpretation and political posturing, not to mention real confusion. In Canada, many decision-makers and commentators seem to agree that […]
New book for early-career civil servants meant to demystify how government works
Not sure what the bureaucracy’s hierarchy is? Never heard of a policy cycle? Not sure what you need to emphasize in your public-sector job application? Memorial University political science professor Alex Marland has a book for you. Teaming up with University of Alberta political science professor Jared Wesley, the two are trying to make sense […]
Here are the building blocks of a good digital strategy
Canada’s future competitiveness and growth prospects are inextricably linked to our ability to seize the opportunities created by the rapidly evolving digital economy. Evolving digital technologies create an opportunity for new products, technologies, services, business processes, societal tools, and organizations to generate new wealth, but they also challenge the existing system of production and our […]
How Canada is building a nation of innovators
The winds of change are powerful and persistent in the global economy. New technologies and new applications of data and digital tools are driving a fourth industrial revolution in economies and societies around the world. We can either put our heads in the sand and lose our opportunity for leadership, or we can take charge […]
We’ve got all the ingredients to make Canada an innovation leader. So why aren’t we?
If a Canadian innovates but no users benefit, did the innovation ever really happen? This “tree falling in the woods” analogy focuses on an important question: if we cannot reliably generate social benefits and economic opportunities (jobs and wealth, in other words) from our exceptional research capacity, are we putting our future investments in discovery […]
Innovation
Canada’s economy needs workers with global learning experiences
In a column published recently in The Hill Times, Perrin Beatty and Paul Davidson argued that Canada has to up its game when it comes to connecting post-secondary students with international learning experiences. “In our rapidly changing world,” they wrote, “Canadian employers need workers who are culturally aware, resilient, and adaptable—skilled in problem solving, communication, […]
Fiscal con game lives on while poor suffer
OTTAWA—In the next nine months, we’ll be hearing a lot about the current federal government’s budget deficit and alleged wasteful spending. So far, the deficit issue appears to pass for most of what the Conservatives would call a campaign platform, with leader Andrew Scheer suggesting, like United States President Donald Trump, that he alone can […]
Why Canada leads in global fight against exploitation of marine workers
While many of us returned to stable employment after the holiday break, 80 hard-working Australian seafarers returned to work only to find their employment contracts terminated. How could this happen? Why did it happen? Unfortunately, the Australian government has failed to protect the domestic maritime workers who dedicate their lives to this demanding work. Despite […]
