The politics of assured destruction
Joe Cirincione understands the problem of nuclear weapons better than most. He has worked on nuclear weapons policy in Washington, D.C., for more than 35 years. He also understands how political power works in the United States from the inside. He spent nine years as a professional staffer on the U.S. House of Representatives committees on […]
Strengthen whistleblower protection to cut down public service favouritism, say union leaders
If the government wants to mitigate the prevalence of favouritism in the public service, it should strengthen whistleblowing protection, the representatives of the federal bureaucracy’s largest unions told MPs at a recent House committee meeting. It’s who someone knows, not what someone knows, that ensures they win a competition—the testing process that determines eligibility for […]
Québec Solidaire vote may be more than a sign of youthful rebellion
KAMOURASKA, QUE.—The young woman who serves me my croissants and brioches at the local bakery surprised me today when she revealed she has an accounting degree from Université de Montréal and used to work for a heavy-equipment company. When the bakery closes for the season, she will do the books for the restaurant next door. […]
Despite USMCA deal, the ‘sword’ of national security tariff threats still hangs over Canada’s head, say trade observers
Despite the safeguards against damaging penalties on Canada’s auto industry under the continent’s newly renamed trilateral trade agreement, the American ability to impose destructive tariffs under the guise of national security protection remains a lingering threat, according to trade experts who warn the damage may have already been done with aluminum and steel. Since May […]
Increased air travel key to closer relations between Qatar, Canada: envoy
When Qatar’s new ambassador flew to Canada for his new Ottawa posting, the few direct flights between the countries were already fully booked, underscoring an area Saoud Abdulla Zaid Al-Mahmoud wants to work on. It’s one key way the countries can tighten relations, which are relatively new: he’s the third ambassador stationed at the embassy, […]
Canada has ‘straightforward’ path to ratify USMCA, but timeline reliant on unpredictable Americans
With a Liberal majority government, Canada has a “straightforward” path to ratify the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement before the 2019 election, but as with most of the yearlong trade negotiations, concluding the deal relies on a decidedly uncertain path in the United States. Getting to the signing stage of the renamed NAFTA pact shouldn’t be a problem, […]
Trudeau Liberals ditch their party’s moral high ground on nuclear disarmament
There I was, at the microphone reading the official policy of the Liberal majority government of Canada on nuclear disarmament to a rather perplexed seminar audience. Why was Doug Roche, a severe critic of this policy, pronouncing it from the podium? The answer is: not one Liberal Member of Parliament would come forward to speak […]
Bowing to pressure, feds urge Senate to change access to information bill
After pushback from Indigenous groups and the information commissioner, the government is backing down on a number of changes proposed to the Access to Information Act, calling on Senators to make the friendly amendments during their study of the bill that critics have called “regressive.” Treasury Board President Scott Brison (Kings-Hants, N.S.) told a Senate […]
Best thing about NAFTA 2.0? It could have been worse
TORONTO—The best that can be said about NAFTA 2.0 is that it could have been worse. It’s a bad deal, with little pretence about its shift from free trade to managed trade. Even the new name reflects that: we have moved from a North American free trade agreement to a U.S.-Mexico-Canada agreement. In fairness to […]
The future of work in a warming world
Extreme weather may be the topic on everyone’s lips, especially in the aftermath of Ottawa’s recent tornados, but the silence about the future of work in a warming world is deafening. The consequences of global warming will shake up the nature of work and the availability of employment for people in every country. In an […]
