Omicron Grinch almost stole Christmas
OTTAWA—The Omicron Grinch almost stole Christmas. But the common sense of Canadians intervened. Notwithstanding multiple warnings that we should stick to small gatherings, Canadians have taken this year’s pandemic warnings less literally than in the past. The country has gone from COVID fatigue to burnout, with the majority of us absorbing conflicting transmission information with […]
PMO spent $10.05-million in 2020-21, cabinet offices’ expenditures rose 10 per cent, PMO says own office increased spending due to pandemic
The Prime Minister’s Office expenses rose by 6.9 per cent in the last fiscal year as spending for all ministerial offices, including the PMO, reached $68.21-million, according to the federal government’s public accounts for 2020-21. The great majority of ministerial office spending, including the PMO, was for personnel. Of the $68.21-million spent by ministerial offices, […]
There’s no such thing as easy money
HALIFAX—This is the season when the Commentariat holds the usual seance: looking into their crystal balls, and flagging the things to watch in 2022. From sneaky Vladimir Putin, to the abomination of Donald Trump, from asteroids with Earth as their bull’s-eye, to the virus that wants to place everyone under house arrest, all the threats […]
Toward a cleaner, greener future
OTTAWA—Since COP1—the first United Nations Climate Change Conference in Berlin back in 1995—the dialogue around our impact on the planet has gradually moved in the right direction, but action hasn’t followed suit. Carbon dioxide emissions released by global fossil fuel combustion and industrial processes have jumped from about 25 billion metric tonnes annually in 1995 […]
Trudeau’s indirect attack on Bill 21
OAKVILLE, ONT.—As I watch Prime Minister Justin Trudeau deal with the thorny political issue of Quebec’s Bill 21, I can’t help but think he was influenced in some way by the teachings of the ancient Chinese military philosopher, Sun Tzu. After all, Sun Tzu was a great believer in indirect attacks; as he put it, […]
Forthcoming Indo-Pacific strategy will be a ‘great vehicle’ for Canada-South Korea co-operation, says envoy
One of the country’s key Pacific regional partners is looking forward to seeing Canada’s highly anticipated Indo-Pacific strategy. South Korean Ambassador Chang Keung Ryong said he is “certain” that there will be “considerable room for co-operation” between Canada and South Korea on “many fronts” as part of the strategy. “Canada’s Indo-Pacific strategy, once it is […]
Matheson takes charge of Minister Rodriguez’s heritage team
Once again in the heritage portfolio, Minister Pablo Rodriguez, who also continues as the government’s Quebec Lieutenant, has brought over his policy director from the government House leader’s office, John Matheson, to serve as chief of staff. Matheson will run Rodriguez’s office as heritage minister, while Geneviève Hinse is chief of staff in his Quebec […]
Canada can’t afford to leave research out of the innovation conversation
Over the course of Canada’s late summer election, it was promising to see innovation featured on the agenda of our federal leaders as action is long overdue. We’ve been hearing for too long about how Canada is underperforming on this front, and remedying it is becoming ever more necessary in a world plagued with complex […]
Public accounts detail how feds’ deficit rose by more than 700 per cent during pandemic
The federal government’s deficit skyrocketed in 2021, hitting $327.7-billion for the fiscal year that ended March 2021, compared to a deficit of $39.4-billion in the previous fiscal year—an increase of 731 per cent. The Public Accounts of Canada 2021, which includes the federal government’s audited consolidated financial statements and the records maintained by its various departments and […]
In politics, it’s all about having the right enemy
LONDON, U.K.—The right enemy can be a major asset in politics, as Chilean voters have just demonstrated once again. All the opinion polls had the two presidential candidates neck and neck before the Dec. 19 election, but a few days before the vote it came out that the father of far-right candidate José Antonio Kast […]
