Texting, sit-downs, and lots of waiting in hotel rooms: the ins and outs of NAFTA lobbying
Dozens of industry groups are dispatching executives to every round of the NAFTA renegotiation, and using texts, emails, and phone calls to try to talk to Canada’s negotiating leads about what is being discussed with representatives of Mexico and the United States. Lobbyists describe a scene with plenty of “sitting around in hotel rooms” waiting […]
Trudeau government must stand up to U.S. to protect Yukon caribou
VANCOUVER—Yes this tale involves Donald Trump but first we need a short history lesson. The Porcupine caribou herd, ranging between 100,000 and 200,000 animals, migrate annually 2,400 km between their winter range in the boreal forests of Alaska and northwest Canada over the mountains to their calving grounds on the Beaufort Sea coastal plain. That’s the longest migration […]
Alberta and B.C. man the trade barricades
The joke on social media following the Alberta government’s decision to boycott B.C. wine was British Columbians saying, “More for us!” But obstructing trade between Canada’s provinces is no laughing matter, and in the long run means less for all of us. The dust-up began Jan. 30 as the B.C. government announced its intention to […]
Human rights ombudsperson will bring long-awaited accountability to Canadian mining
Nenita Andes Condez risked her life to visit Canada last spring. She was part of a KAIROS tour of Philippine leaders seeking accountability for mining operations from Canadians and government officials. Nenita is an Indigenous Subanen leader from the Philippine island of Mindanao. She advocates for her people in the face of complaints of human […]
Trudeau should enshrine in legislation every Canadian’s right to a healthy environment
As scholars and advocates of environmental law, we write to call upon Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s government to recognize, protect, and fulfill every Canadian’s right to a healthy environment. Indeed, we believe there is an urgent need for statutory, constitutional, and judicial recognition of the right to a healthy environment in Canada. A robust body […]
Why the CRTC should endorse FairPlay’s piracy site-blocking plan
It’s time to have a fair and reasonable conversation about the issue of online piracy in 2018. Piracy has evolved significantly since the days of making bootleg copies of movies on VHS tapes. We live in a world where innovation has allowed us to access content from anywhere, anytime, on any screen; and where operators […]
Collaboration in health care is essential in bringing important opportunities for people powered health
With the current opioid crisis, greater emphasis than ever on mental health issues, and our country’s aging population, saying there are currently no shortage of health issues to focus on is an understatement. Health is one of the most singularly important aspects of one’s life and impacts every Canadian from coast to coast to coast. […]
Help the middle class by scrapping barrier to charitable giving
The House of Commons Finance Committee conducted its annual pre-budget consultation hearings from Sept. 19 to early December. The prime focus was to hear suggestions on how to improve the productivity and competitiveness of Canadian individuals and businesses. I made a submission to the committee in August, titled “Help the Middle Class by Removing a […]
Veterans complain government’s new ‘centre of excellence’ for PTSD prioritizes research over in-patient treatment
Veterans advocates are criticizing the Trudeau government’s new Centre of Excellence on post traumatic stress disorder and related mental health conditions for wrongly prioritizing researchers and doctors instead of improving in-patient treatment for Canadians dealing with the psychological pains of war. “This is a bag of money for them to do research, and that is all […]
Proposed price cap regulations will impact Canadian R&D, says big pharma, but academic not convinced
Brand name drug companies are warning the government to think through its proposed regulations for the Patented Medicines Prices Review Board, saying it could curb investment in Canadian research and development. However, one University of British Columbia academic is calling the claims “rhetoric.” The Patented Medicines Prices Review Board (PMPRB), founded in 1987, is a […]
