Defence deputy minister to start sweeping procurement-rules review this summer
Department of National Defence deputy minister Jody Thomas says she’ll work through the summer to review how the Canadian government buys defence equipment, with a view to paring down the procurement process to get projects out the door quicker. That could even mean more use of sole-source contracts, when it doesn’t make sense to hold […]
Despite security, corruption concerns, Canada, Moldova sign FIPA paving way for trade growth
Trade Minister François-Philippe Champagne and Moldova’s Foreign Affairs Minister Tudor Ulianovschi signed a Foreign Investment Promotion and Protection Agreement (FIPA) Tuesday, which Mr. Ulianovschi says sends a “clear political message” Moldova is ready for more diverse trade opportunities. Prior to the signing, in a June 11 interview in the lobby of the Chateau Laurier hotel […]
After G7 gains on gender equality, environment, it’s time to focus on policy coherence
As we emerge from the G7 summit this past weekend in Charlevoix, Que., it is important to underline the progress that was made on several key issues, especially given the highly volatile and charged political context. As we look forward, we must seize the opportunity this progress presents, to infuse greater coherence in Canada’s policies […]
Ontario election results show undemocratic system
Of those who voted in the Ontario election, 34 per cent of them voted for the NDP. And despite a huge decline in support, almost half as many people still voted for the Liberal Party as voted for the Progressive Conservative Party, yet the PCs got 10 times the number of seats as the Liberals. […]
Doug Ford didn’t ride in on a wave of populism
OTTAWA—On June 29, Doug Ford will officially become the premier of Ontario. Six months ago, he wasn’t even a candidate for provincial office. What an incredible political journey Ontario has just been through. Ford’s victory has sparked debates about many things as people try to process its bigger meaning. That is one thing that never […]
Reduce plastic use to bolster environment, and economy
Last week was Canadian Environment Week, a time to reflect on humanity’s impact on the natural world and what individuals can do to preserve the planet for future generations. Unfortunately, reflection is often as far as we go, once day-to-day concerns return to dominate our thoughts. This is a mistake. Not just because it ignores […]
NDP names investigator into MP Moore allegations
The NDP has named Ottawa-based mediator Deborah Jelly to investigate MP Christine Moore, who last month was accused of sexual misconduct by a former soldier. The investigation officially began on June 1, said James Smith, press secretary to NDP leader Jagmeet Singh. Ms. Moore vigorously challenged Afghanistan veteran Glen Kirkland’s version of events that happened […]
Accused of obfuscation by MPs, AIQ exec once again denies engaging in illegal activities
House Ethics Committee members say they feel no closer to the truth after a second, almost three-hour meeting on Tuesday with AggregateIQ, a small Canadian company caught up in the Cambridge Analytica-Facebook data-breach scandal. “This hearing was completely unsatisfactory because the serious questions about AggregateIQ’s involvement in potentially illegal issues continues; always goes back to […]
Trump’s Singapore summit, a staged affair
LONDON, U.K.–If the Singapore meeting between Donald Trump and Kim Jong-un had been a zero-sum game, then Trump definitely lost. But maybe it wasn’t. Mr. Kim got a meeting with Mr. Trump on terms of strict equality right down to the number of flags on display, which is a huge boost for his regime’s claim […]
Trump’s attacks put Trudeau in tight spot
A field of ruins. In the wake of this weekend’s Trumpian tweet storm, that’s what is mostly left of the fragile structure Justin Trudeau had painstakingly built to try to preserve Canada’s most important trade relationship. The fact that the prime minister did not have a hand in the demolition, or that the collateral damage […]
