Climate change is a health emergency
The recent Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) special report on 1.5 degrees warned that failing to reach Paris targets would cause health crises in many parts of the world. Globally, we can expect an increase in malaria and dengue fever, as well as a shift northward in the geographic range of those diseases. The […]
Canadians need to be aware that even just one use of crystal meth can cause an addiction, ruin your life, or end your life
It was just two months ago that I visited Winnipeg to learn more about the methamphetamine epidemic being experienced there. The House Health Committee had begun a study on the subject and several MPs from the area had spoken about the urgent crisis taking place. Methamphetamine or crystal meth as it is called, has been […]
Addressing autism requires extraordinary collaboration, policy innovation
The “Bell Let’s Talk Day” brought again to the attention of Canadians the crisis and stories of mental health. Almost all of us are affected one way or the other. In each of our circles of relationships, families, neighbourhoods, workplaces, communities, we are touched by the crushing reality of mental illness and the need for […]
The national food policy, not food guide, could be the most important change to the feds’ approach to nutrition
The new Canada Food Guide is a step forward in getting Canadians to eat healthier, experts say, but the Liberal government’s upcoming national food policy could pack more punch in improving the country’s nutritional health. Advocates are hopeful that a national food policy set to be released this year can tackle the issue of food […]
Trudeau ‘masterful’ at soft power, falling short on hard power, says ex-diplomat Rowswell
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has shown himself to be one of the best-ever Canadian leaders at projecting “soft power” on the world stage, but his government’s lack of focus on “hard power” is being called into question as Canada sits in the crosshairs of the world’s two superpowers, says a former longtime diplomat. “This is […]
When friends fight
OTTAWA—Our Commonwealth ally and close partners from Australia have formally lodged a complaint and requested a WTO Dispute Settlement Panel against what it claims are discriminatory practices that are restricting the sale of Australian wines in Canada. For the past 20 years, both the Canadian and Australian industry and governments have worked closely as partners […]
Canada’s new Food Guide gives Canadians the tools they need to eat healthy
As one of the most recognizable items the government publishes, Canadians have a special affinity for Canada’s Food Guide. Many remember the first time they saw it in school, or when their parents put it up on the fridge. It is now the second most downloaded government document, behind only the income tax forms (and […]
‘Where there’s a will, there’s a way’: can Trudeau entrench his new Senate before the election?
The Liberal government may have to get its hands dirty if it wants to enshrine into law the new, multi-group dynamic in the Red Chamber before the next federal election. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau (Papineau, Que.) told The Canadian Press in December that he would try to change the Parliament of Canada Act to better […]
‘The time for action is now’ stakeholders and opposition critics await government’s next move on palliative care
A national advocacy group and Conservative health critic Marilyn Gladu are anxiously waiting to find out who will head Health Canada’s new palliative care secretariat, but Health Minister Ginette Petitpas Taylor isn’t giving any hints about when their appointment will be made or the implementation plan announced, only saying it will be soon. “It’ll be […]
Concessions in renegotiated NAFTA will lead to ‘extra cost’ for Canadians and a potential pharmacare plan, but an expert says it could’ve been worse
Increased protection of innovative drugs will lead to an added cost for Canadians, but the trade concession doesn’t infringe on Canada’s ability to implement a national pharmacare plan, says an industry expert. Since the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) was drafted at the end of September, there have been questions on how intellectual property changes will […]
