Feds’ housing pitch beckons millennials, sets stage for opposition to offer alternatives, say strategists
The Trudeau government’s transparent pitch at drawing millennials to the ballot box with its incentive for first-time homeowners may help animate this fickle demographic amid an erosion of enthusiasm for the party, say some political strategists, while also setting the stage for other parties to offer competing visions. Largely billed as a salve for the […]
Pharmacare steps in budget ‘waste of money,’ ‘meaningless’ if they don’t cover all Canadians: academics
The Liberal plan outlined in this year’s budget to launch a new drug agency amounts to another delay on pharmacare, according to NDP health critic Don Davies, while others say it represents a small first step forward. The budget set aside $35-million over four years, starting in 2019–20, to establish a “transition office” to create […]
German envoy warns xenophobia, mounting anxiety threaten world order
Multilateralism is under threat in the face of rising populism and the absence of U.S. leadership, but countries are “ill-equipped” to fill the gap, says the German ambassador to Canada. Co-operation with the European Union has been essential for Germany’s progress as a country “traumatized by two catastrophic world wars” and its part in it, […]
‘Made in Canada’ should be a source of pride
They say timing is everything in politics, and more than likely in journalism as well. The recent confluence of events in Ottawa and abroad was striking: while Parliamentarians on Parliament Hill and Canadians debated the merits of SNC-Lavalin benefiting from a deferred prosecution agreement, or DPA, a few blocks away at Ottawa City Hall, a […]
Let’s ditch the silos: towards an integrated agri-food policy framework
The Canadian government has identified the agriculture and agri-food sector as an engine of growth, with some pretty ambitious targets over the next decade. The 2017 Barton Report by the government’s Advisory Council on Economic Growth proposed that Canada should boost its agriculture exports by $11-billion and its agri-food exports by $19-billion by 2027. The […]
A circular bioeconomy for Canada’s forests
The global bioeconomy—a global marketplace that includes material, chemical, and fuel products—is projected to reach $715-billion by 2021, and could be less than $1-trillion by 2030. This is partly driven by public policies such as carbon pricing, and partly by global entities, such as IKEA and Lego, which have committed to eliminating petrochemical feedstocks from […]
Growing movement of investors, impact investors taking environmental, social, and governance factors into investment decision-making
When thinking about a sustainability, it is essential to look at the underlying infrastructure on which our economy depends. Roads, buildings, energy grids, sewers, airports, telecommunications are all vital components of a sustainable economy going forward. Yet everywhere our infrastructure is crumbling. It has been estimated that $94-trillion will be needed in infrastructure investment by […]
Lametti, opposition parties pledge to uphold Wilson-Raybould’s new rules for defending Indigenous lawsuits
Attorney General David Lametti and the opposition justice critics say they will stand behind former justice minister Jody Wilson-Raybould’s instructions to government lawyers, telling them to give fair treatment to First Nations suing the government over treaty rights, after departing PCO clerk Michael Wernick warned Ms. Wilson-Raybould’s instructions could be “gutted” by a new government […]
Canada’s forest sector in a changing economy
Canadians are proud of our forests—and rightly so. Our forests have played a major role in building our country from our beginnings, and they continue to drive our economy today. If you go on a cross-country road trip, you will see the forest sector at work everywhere— on our coastlines, in the North, in urban […]
Sohi says investments in green economy won’t leave traditional energy workers behind
As Canada moves away from coal-powered energy, the federal Liberal government has invested $150-million in communities that depend on coal as an economic driver, says Natural Resources Minister Amarjeet Sohi. “These new measures will give working Canadians greater confidence about their ability to provide for their families down the road,” Mr. Sohi (Edmonton Mill Woods, […]
