Officers of Parliament appointment process should be similar to Supreme Court justices appointments, say opposition justice critics
The government should use the same process it uses to appoint Supreme Court justices to appoint officers of Parliament because it involves all federal political parties and stakeholders at the federal and provincial levels as well as legal stakeholders, say opposition MPs. “These are important players in our democracy,” said NDP MP Murray Rankin (Victoria, […]
Canada needs to adopt Blockchain technology to meet ambitious agriculture and food goals
In February, Dominic Barton and the Advisory Committee on Economic Growth set an audacious goal for the country. To become the world’s trusted supplier of safe sustainable food for the 21st century and in doing so double our agri-food exports. The aspiration to market our food as “safe and sustainable” took a beating in August […]
Taxing medical cannabis hurts vulnerable patients
With so much attention focused on the Trudeau government’s plans to legalize recreational cannabis, it is important to not forget the thousands of Canadians currently benefiting from treatment with medical cannabis. Unfortunately, some of the decisions the government is making today are disadvantaging those patients. In order to legally purchase medical cannabis, patients require the […]
New lobbying watchdog could help bridge gap between her office and ethics commissioner’s, lobbyists say
Some Ottawa lobbyists have long advocated for the government to merge the lobbying and ethics commissioners’ offices to avoid confusion and improve coordination. While the Liberal government’s nomination last week of a new lobbying commissioner makes that prospect unlikely, some lobbyists say the appointee’s past experience working in the ethics watchdog’s office could help bridge […]
Parliamentary NAFTA outreach ‘essential’ to drive deal in ‘right direction’: chief negotiator
Canada’s chief NAFTA negotiator told MPs their work travelling south of the border to discuss the 23-year-old trade agreement and Canada-U.S. trade relations is “absolutely essential.” “That kind of outreach work I think will make the difference if we advance in the right direction or not in this negotiation,” said Steve Verheul at a Dec. […]
Conservatives, NDP vow to hammer away at Morneau’s bills, but government might not give them a chance in final weeks before Christmas
Conservative and NDP MPs will be using every chance to grill Finance Minister Bill Morneau in the House over the next two weeks, including debate on the bills Mr. Morneau has sponsored that are still in the Chamber, say House leaders for the Conservative and New Democratic parties. They may not get the chance, however, […]
Biofuels and the clean fuel standard: a winning combination
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has declared that combating climate change is a top priority of the Government of Canada. Once in place, the federal government’s clean fuel standard (CFS) will be the most important weapon in the government’s arsenal in the fight to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. It is therefore critical to get the […]
Beyak, Demers, Duffy off full-time Senate committee service after shuffle
A handful of Senators won’t be serving full-time on any Senate committees that meet regularly, after Senate leaders juggled the membership of the Upper Chamber’s committees two weeks ago. Conservative Senator Lynn Beyak (Ontario) was not given a seat on any committees by her party’s leadership in the Senate, carrying over Conservative Senate leader Larry […]
Electricity sector pushes for better access to infrastructure funding
Canada’s electricity sector is calling on the federal government to work with the provinces to improve access to grant funding, and to make it easier to get regulatory approvals needed for an overhaul of the country’s energy grid, with key infrastructure reaching its expiry date. Much of Canada’s electricity infrastructure—such as transmission lines, utility poles, […]
Beyond the basics: Taking Canada–China collaboration to the next level
This century, the challenges facing any one nation are more often than not challenges faced by all. Aging populations, climate change, the unknown implications of technological advancements—these are global phenomena that demand, if not a fully collective response, at least a response that takes full advantage of collective knowledge. Put simply, collaboration is critical. Canada […]
