Scrapping supply management could be a win-win for Canada, U.S.
The prime minister has been clear: his government will do whatever it takes to support middle-class Canadians and those who aspire to be in the middle class. As we head into the fourth round of NAFTA talks, it is an opportune time for Canada to give consideration to whether we should maintain our reliance on […]
Death of Energy East direct legacy of Harper’s decade in office
OTTAWA—The death of Energy East is a direct legacy of the Stephen Harper decade in office. Not only did the prime minister systematically refuse to bring premiers together, he had no interest in a new national project. Harper was Canada’s energy superhero, and oil companies didn’t even have to leave Calgary to get support for […]
Stop stalling on Energy East
If Prime Minister Justin Trudeau would stop stalling and blocking Energy East, Canada could have a 1.1-million-barrel-per-day pipeline to Canada’s East Coast. Canada could then export crude oil to new markets in Europe and western India from Canso, N.S. Canada could also eliminate 759,000 barrels per day of foreign oil imports and provide feedstock for […]
May slams feds’ environment assessment plan for ignoring expert panel
The government’s outline for changes to environmental assessment laws falls short of Liberal election promises, and doesn’t follow much of the advice from an expert panel the Liberal government assembled, says Green Party Leader Elizabeth May. The government released a “discussion paper” in June that gave a sneak-peek at the outline of a new environmental […]
Natural Resources Minister Carr hires policy adviser with ties to oil industry
Natural Resources Minister Jim Carr has hired a former policy adviser for MEG Energy Corp. and the Canadian Association of Petroleum Producers as a new regional policy adviser in his ministerial office. Mikaela McQuade was most recently a senior policy analyst with MEG Energy Corp., a Canadian oil sands company based in Calgary. As part of […]
We can make business-First Nations partnerships work
In two important decisions this summer, Canada’s highest court provided long-awaited clarity on the Crown’s duty to consult on energy projects that affect the rights of Indigenous peoples. This clarity is welcome, but it may not last long as the discussion of Indigenous rights now continues in the political arena. Meanwhile, another conversation is developing […]
NAFTA’s benefits have not extended to softwood lumber
TORONTO—Foreign Affairs Minister Chrystia Freeland insists that “NAFTA has been an extraordinary success story.” That’s a debatable claim, given Canada’s loss of market share in the U.S. since NAFTA came into effect, and the widespread closure by U.S. companies of manufacturing plants in Canada as operations were consolidated into U.S. or Mexican facilities. Moreover, given […]
Shift to low-carbon buildings requires all governments to step up
Eight months ago, Canada’s first ministers set the stage for bold action in the building sector. They committed in the Pan-Canadian Framework on Clean Growth and Climate Change to pursue some of the lowest-cost, most rapidly achievable ways to reduce carbon emissions. On the heels of the Energy and Mines Ministers’ Conference in St. Andrews, […]
What’s NAFTA worth to Canada?
TORONTO—The biggest unknowns in the NAFTA negotiations now underway are the minimum package that U.S. President Donald Trump feels he must have to overhaul what he has called “perhaps the worst trade deal ever negotiated” and whether Canada and Mexico could ever agree to the changes he’s seeking to satisfy his core supporters and win […]
The road to clean growth
The climate change trend is stark. With rising emissions of global greenhouse gases, high-impact climate events will occur more often, and with greater severity. This reality imposes a two-pronged strategy. First, action is required on an urgent basis. Adaptive measures must be taken now, because the costs of inaction are great, both in financial and […]
