Bibeau a ‘surprise’ in ag role, but presents chance to ‘go to bat’ for sector, say observers
Marie-Claude Bibeau’s appointment as the new agriculture and agri-food minister came as a surprise to the agriculture community, stakeholders say, but they note that as an MP hailing from a riding full of dairy farmers, she has been a “good voice” for supply-managed industries. Ms. Bibeau was unexpectedly shuffled to the file on March 1, […]
Liberal response to Chinese canola dispute another example of agriculture file failure
Canadian-grown canola is an essential part of Canada’s agriculture sector. According to the Canola Council of Canada, 90 per cent of canola grown in Canada is exported as seed, oil, or meal to 50 markets around the world. Approximately 40 per cent of those exports go to China, a market valued at more than $3.5-billion […]
Trudeau Liberals’ final budget features measures for skills training, rural broadband, border security
The Trudeau government’s final budget before voters hit the polls in seven months includes some spending measures aimed at addressing perceived vulnerabilities and shoring up support among millennial and rural voters. Whereas last year’s budget was largely pitched at women, this year, Finance Minister Bill Morneau’s (Toronto Centre, Ont.) budget is focused on skills training […]
Self-care: the logical complement to pharmacare
The creation of pharmacare in Canada has the potential to have far-reaching effects on the health-care system. It is about removing financial barriers that contribute to inequities in how Canadians achieve good health. It is an admirable goal and one that should apply to all aspects of care. The discussion around a national pharmacare program […]
Amid SNC-Lavalin lobbying, legalizing deferred prosecution agreements in budget bill raises questions about ‘timing’ and ‘undue influence,’ says ethics lawyer
The Liberal government’s decision to use a budget bill to legalize deferred prosecution agreements raises questions about whether lobbyists had “undue influence” on the government as it made the business-friendly legal change, says an expert in ethics law. The timing of the decision to use a fast-tracked budget bill to make changes while SNC-Lavalin stared […]
U.S. putting the Canada-China relationship through the wringer
TORONTO—With one justice minister felled by an internal government dispute on whether to proceed with a criminal trial for SNC-Lavalin, another justice minister, sometime in the next year—or perhaps longer—could face a similarly divisive political decision, but with much more costly implications no matter the decision. Whatever Canada does, it will pay a high price. […]
It’s time to launch the systemic regulator
After the bruising experience of the 2007-2008 financial crisis, one of the most important and under-stated accomplishments since that time has been the steady build-out of the systemic regulator for Canadian markets and accompanying federal legislation, the Capital Market Stability Act (CMSA). The CMSA is the vision of the late minister of finance, Jim Flaherty, to […]
When it comes to our mental health, don’t forget the social media connection
It takes just one simple online search to uncover all sorts of dangers of social media. From lost productivity to impairing sleep, there has been no lack of research and experts calling out the downside of social media. One area in particular that often makes headlines is how social media is harming our mental health. […]
To fix a disconnected health-care system, Ontario must tackle interoperability head on
The Ontario government announced recently that it is consolidating local and provincial health organizations to create a central super agency, designed to end silos and fix a disconnected system. The system is fragmented for many reasons. A lack of data and information sharing between health-care providers is a persistent problem that has been resistant to […]
Bill C-68: the clock is ticking on a historic opportunity to modernize the Fisheries Act
On Canada’s coasts, iconic salmon travel hundreds or even thousands of kilometres between salty oceans and freshwater bodies to complete their life cycles. Perch, pike and pickerel ply the waters of our many marvellous lakes. Sly trout and prehistoric sturgeon lurk in creeks and rushing rivers. Fish—and the waters they call home—are vital to Indigenous […]
