Raise the GST as part of pragmatic plan for climate action
The rejection of the Trans Mountain pipeline approval by the courts and the angry response by Alberta to withdraw from Canada’s climate plan has set in motion a high-octane drama with no happy ending in sight. Provinces see an opportunity to flex their muscles, engage in a tit-for-tat bargaining game with the federal government—a game […]
Health Canada parts ways with partner in cannabis-education campaign over links to opioid manufacturer
A group that partnered with Health Canada to hand out thousands of educational brochures on cannabis decided to scrap its distribution deal after the government added clauses barring it from accepting funds from pharmaceutical and cannabis companies. Drug Free Kids Canada (DFK), a registered charity, developed the Cannabis Talk Kit, a 24-page booklet designed to […]
Feds betraying commitment to veteran community
In late August, the Supreme Court dismissed the Equitas class-action lawsuit, closing the door on the legal claim initiated against Ottawa on behalf of Canada’s disabled veterans’ community. Members of the Equitas veterans’ society, led by determined and courageous advocates, were essentially seeking a court order that would compel Veterans Affairs Canada (VAC) to address […]
Why oilpatch suits are trying to boot Bill C-69
“Suits and Boots” is a last-minute industry campaign to derail Bill C-69, environmental legislation passed by the House of Commons in June. Bill C-69 would reform the process for assessing the impacts of proposed resource projects, and modernize the discredited National Energy Board. Conservative Senators, alongside Independent Senators Group Sen. Doug Black, who represents Alberta, […]
When a heart-wrenching photo made it better for children
OTTAWA—It’s about the children. Nothing brought this home more than the 2015 photo of the body of a three-year-old Syrian refugee boy, Alan Kurdi, washed up on a beach in Turkey. The heartbreaking photo, appearing during the last federal election, stirred up the empathy of many Canadians who were starting to notice that the Harper […]
Business reps lobby parties to put tax reform in their 2019 platforms
Canadian business groups are turning up the heat on the Liberals to act on a long-standing call to address waning Canadian competitiveness in the wake of U.S. tax reform, and laying the groundwork to continue the campaign when federal parties begin stumping next year. Bolstered by a recent Senate committee report, business representatives say they’re […]
Norman case will only get ‘uglier’ for Liberals already damaged by interference optics: politicos, experts
As the case against Vice-Admiral Mark Norman, accused of leaking cabinet confidences, makes its way before the Ontario Court of Justice during the countdown to election 2019, the Liberals will be tarred by the perception of political interference in an ongoing drama analysts say will only get uglier. With the trial scheduled for next summer—during […]
Canada, Slovenia see ‘eye to eye’: new envoy
Slovenia’s new ambassador, Melita Gabrič, says she sees many parallels between Canada and her country—priorities such as a feminist foreign policy that speaks to her history working in human rights and equality. “I very much appreciate the focus of Canada on empowerment of women,” said Ms. Gabrič in an Oct. 3 interview at her downtown corner office […]
The next election will tell us a lot about Canada
OTTAWA—With a year to go before the next federal election, all the customary calculations indicate the Liberals appear in fairly good shape to repeat their 2015 election victory. Except the usual indicators may no longer apply. Voters are clearly in a volatile what-about-me frame of mind, driven by a desire for change and impatience with […]
A Canadian mother’s plea for Venezuelans
Pa’ lante es pa’ alla. That translates to: “don’t look back, keep going.” It’s a saying embedded in every Venezuelan arriving in Colombia looking for safety. This is what I heard when I met pregnant women, sick children, and the elderly, all with gaunt faces during my recent two-month emergency deployment with the UN Refugee […]
