Mr. Rajotte goes to Washington
It seems fitting, before discussing the intricate and somewhat frayed bilateral relationship between Canada and the United States, to first acknowledge the recent passing of Allan Gotlieb, an esteemed public servant, a visionary diplomat, and Canada’s longest-serving ambassador to the United States (1981-1989). And while the geopolitical tensions of the Cold War have long passed, […]
Canada should seize this opportunity to invest in a green recovery, says letter-writer
Canada is in the middle of a crisis as it responds to the COVID-19 pandemic; continuing to subsidize oil, gas, and petrochemical production puts Canadians at risk. Expanding fossil fuel infrastructure compromises our health and accelerates climate change. Furthermore, since this crisis hit, the economics of energy have changed drastically and many of the proposed projects are […]
Environment, resource development agenda among April’s top-lobbied files
COVID-19 is offering important lessons for Canada’s approach to climate change and the need for green programs to be built into economic recovery, say some of the groups lobbying the ministers focused on these files and pushing them to the top of the list during the pandemic. Over the last two months, Natural Resources Minister […]
Oil demand drop, renewable energy resiliency prompts calls for federal clean energy investment in economic recovery
Following recent evidence showing that renewable energy hasn’t shared the same fate as oil and gas, which have seen recent and dramatic drops in demand amid the COVID-19 pandemic, Green Party MP Elizabeth May is calling on the federal government to support the renewable sector over the beleaguered oil sands, with a number of environmental […]
Canada can take clean stimulus lessons from Obama
“This is a meaningful, shovel-ready project that will create jobs for local workers.” This 2009 quote, from then-prime minister Stephen Harper announcing federal stimulus dollars for a new highway passing lane in Nova Scotia, pretty much sums up his government’s approach to pulling Canada’s economy out of recession a decade ago: if it’s ready to […]
Days of fossil fuels aren’t over, but for Canada they are shrinking
TORONTO—As the International Energy Agency says, “the global oil industry is experiencing a shock like no other in its history.” The collapse in prices and dramatic cuts in demand, with ongoing production having no place to go, has devastated Alberta and Newfoundland, prompting desperate cries for federal help. The question of what governments should do […]
‘Absolute carnage right now’: MPs call for greater energy sector support, ‘re-think’ of industry’s security, budgetary role
As Canada’s oil and gas sector continues to be battered by plummeting prices, MPs in energy-rich provinces are calling for greater measures from the federal government to keep the industry afloat amidst and after the COVID-19 pandemic, with two Alberta Conservative MPs calling for a “re-think” of the role of the sector from both a […]
‘Pandemic bump’ pushes March lobbying up 60 per cent over last year
The flood of influencers contacting officials in March increased communication by almost 60 per cent compared to the year before, part of what lobbyists describe as a “pandemic bump” in activity they expect to be the new normal as industry, associations, and governments respond to the impacts of COVID-19. Lobbyists filed 2,329 communication reports in […]
The post-COVID Canada faces many challenges
OTTAWA—Last week, I wrote about international policy in the post-COVID time. Now I want to examine how Canada should respond to the major domestic challenges it will face. First of all, the debt: there will be mountains of it. A debt and deficit like nothing most Canadians have experienced in their lifetimes. At the latest […]
Help Canada’s workers now—but don’t lock us into a high-carbon future
The COVID-19 pandemic is a human tragedy. Containing the virus and supporting people in crisis are of critical importance. For governments in Canada, and elsewhere, that includes financial assistance to keep individuals and businesses afloat. The economic impact on Canada’s oil and gas sector has been particularly acute, driven both by a drop in demand […]
