Health most lobbied topic for third straight month, environment and energy fell in rankings
Health was the most-lobbied subject for the third month in a row in December, according to the federal lobbyists registry, while topics such as environment and energy fell in their relative ranking among other topics. The five topics cited most often in communication reports filed for the last month of 2016 were health with 176 […]
Trudeau must choose between Keystone XL and Canada’s climate commitments
TORONTO—You can’t have your cake and eat it, too. That’s the stark reality Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has to face on Keystone XL. Last week, the federal government emphatically welcomed U.S. President Donald Trump’s revival of TransCanada’s Keystone XL (KXL) pipeline, while backtracking on Trudeau’s comments about the need to phase out the tar sands. […]
‘Risky’ coffee shop tour brings Trudeau back on brand: strategists
Forget the headlines; the prime minister’s tour of coffee shops and community centres this month has been a winning political tactic, say pollsters and political strategists. Justin Trudeau’s (Papineau, Que.) campaign-style tour across the eastern part of the country before his cabinet retreat in Calgary this week may be unprecedented in recent times. A handful of political […]
Hollywood oilsands detractors’ real sin: daring to go against the grain
Celebrities like Neil Young, Leonardo DiCaprio and, lately, Jane Fonda are frequently insulted and maligned by oilsands supporters when these stars dare to mention the negative aspects of fossil fuel extraction and offer sustainable alternatives. Their luxurious lives and jet-setter travel are emphasized to reinforce accusations of hypocrisy. Further, the celebrities are dismissed as ignorant […]
Tax hikes hobble young people’s job prospects
Canada’s youth are facing an employment crisis. In December there were 40,000 fewer youth jobs than the year before. That’s a three per cent decrease! Most worrisome is that youth have been relegated by the finance minister to a career of insecure part-time and contract work, unable to make a proper life for themselves because […]
Energy East must go back to square one
As we closed out 2016, the federal government approved two massive pipeline projects and forged a national framework on climate change. It’s been dubbed the story of 2016. But the story isn’t over. Last week, the National Energy Board (NEB) assigned three new board members to review TransCanada’s Energy East proposal to pump tarsands oil from […]
Canada must help Colombia crack down on illicit gold trade
In the last decade, there has been a strong push by non-governmental organizations and civil society groups in Canada and abroad asking Canadian policy-makers to make Canadian businesses, particularly mining companies, accountable at the national and international level for human rights and environmental violations committed abroad. Canadian mining practices in Latin America have sparked a […]
‘I think 2017 will be her true test as a minister,’ Freeland moves into the spotlight
PARLIAMENT HILL—You can expect to see a lot more Chrystia Freeland in 2017. Barring a cabinet shuffle, the 48-year-old trade minister and MP for University-Rosedale will lead Canada’s defence against the onslaught of trade reforms promised by U.S. president-elect Donald Trump in the coming year. Mr. Trump campaigned on promises to renegotiate the North American […]
Feds should fund indigenous environmental guardians network
OTTAWA—When it comes to protecting the land, water, flora, and fauna around mining operations, companies use a wide range of tools, technologies, and expertise. Increasingly, that expertise comes in the form of traditional knowledge from local indigenous communities. But innovative solutions are needed to enable communities to contribute on a larger scale. What we’re talking […]
Trans Mountain expansion approval already a big political mess
The Big Lebowski, one of the funniest movies ever made, begins with two hired goons threatening and demanding money from “the Dude,” Jeffrey Lebowski. When the goons realize they have the wrong Jeffrey Lebowski, they leave, but not before one of them urinates on the Dude’s rug. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Natural Resources Minister […]
