It’s time for smart policies for smart IT spending
TORONTO—As the new government in Ottawa advances its second year in office, with a commendable list of achievements and an ambitious policy agenda, it is timely to help connect some policy dots. Unlike our neighbour to the south, or the political climate in Europe, the national mood both in government and the public at large […]
Cheering beginning too soon on Trump-Trudeau face-to-face
TORONTO—The cheering is beginning too soon. While the Trudeau government deserves credit for its seemingly successful planning for the Trump-Trudeau face-to-face summit in Washington, success being defined as the lack of a feared hostile meeting, the huge sigh of relief that the Trump administration plans only to “tweak” trade relations is surely premature. We still […]
Liberal MP Murray quietly recruiting other Grit MPs to ensure $6.8-billion Kinder Morgan pipeline follows all conditions
A senior British Columbia Liberal MP, who did not want the government to approve the $6.8-billion Trans Mountain Kinder Morgan pipeline, is holding discussions with other Liberal MPs from the province to put in place a monitoring system to ensure that all 157 conditions required by the government in the construction of the pipeline are […]
Anti-Islamophobia motion puts Conservatives on the horns of dilemma
OTTAWA—Most Fridays, I appear as an all-purpose pundit-for-hire on Radio-Canada’s popular noon-hour radio current-affairs show out of Montreal. Five days after the massacre at the Islamic Cultural Centre of Quebec, one of the topics was, “Will anything change?” It was a fair question. Justin Trudeau and Philippe Couillard, the Quebec premier, had spoken powerfully at […]
Canada-U.S. relationship unfolding as it should: we should let government do its job
OTTAWA—Since Donald Trump’s election to the U.S. presidency, nothing has been more pressing on our minds than the relationship with our neighbours to the south. The view can be especially daunting for businesses worried about the U.S. president’s “America First” policy, if not his pressing need to target partners across the globe. If there’s one […]
Will budget 2017 help veterans?
OTTAWA—A year ago in The Hill Times, I challenged the status quo to “go beyond today’s ideas and shape tomorrow by clearly defining Veterans’ outcomes—the end results that we want to achieve—and figure out the steps needed to attain optimal results for Veterans and their families.” A year later, with the 2017 budget on the horizon, […]
Changes south of the border offer both challenges and opportunities for sustainable agriculture in Canada
A number of obstacles presently stand in the way of efforts to make Canada’s agricultural system more sustainable. A heavy reliance on chemical inputs, industrial processing, and long distances between farm and plate have contributed to high rates of greenhouse gas emissions, degradation of water and soil quality, and threats to biodiversity. These ecological challenges […]
We’ve heard some real concern about how NEB has adapted to changing conditions
There’s a saying that you learn more by listening than you do by talking, and that has certainly been our experience as members of the Expert Panel for the Modernization of the National Energy Board. Having completed four of 10 two-day public and indigenous engagement sessions—in Saskatoon, Toronto, Vancouver, and Winnipeg—we are incredibly impressed by the […]
Canada can build on its strengths in Trump, Brexit era
MONTREAL—British loyalists during the American Revolution. Black slaves on the Underground Railroad. Conscientious objectors during the Vietnam War. Now, Trump’s anti-immigration rhetoric, and his attempted ban to back it up, have sent a chill around the globe and left visa-reliant U.S. institutions scrambling. Meanwhile, a post-Brexit U.K. has cut its annual immigrant influx from 300,000 […]
Why the Ecofiscal Commission and Big Oil are both pushing a carbon tax
The carbon tax, once a non-starter with Canada’s oil industry, is now widely supported by its biggest players. The relatively recent about-face culminated in a 2015 industry show of solidarity with Alberta Premier Rachel Notley when she announced Alberta’s carbon tax. Although many received the news positively, some were left scratching their heads. Why did […]
