“As NAFTA negotiations continue, is it a good idea for the federal government to pursue free trade talks with China? Why or why not?”
Cameron Ahmad Liberal strategist “As the prime minister recently said, it’s difficult to talk about international trade and global opportunities without talking about China. Our government firmly believes in diversifying our trade—so that businesses, entrepreneurs, and middle-class Canadians have more opportunities in a greater range of markets around the world. “Our government recently concluded negotiations […]
‘That the country survived is remarkable,’ says author of Embattled Nation exploring Canada’s 1917 wartime election
Ahead of its 100th anniversary, Ryerson University professors Patrice Dutil and David MacKenzie have come out with a new book, Embattled Nation, exploring the tensions of Canada’s 1917 wartime election, an episode in Canadian history that Prof. Dutil says put the bonds that bind the country to the test. “There’s a tension in the country […]
How to untie the unethical knots revealed by Morneau’s scandal
OTTAWA—In all the spin about Finance Minister Bill Morneau’s conflicts of interest scandal, what are the real problems, and how can the unethical knots that the scandal reveals be untied to ensure ethical government decision-making in the future? Most everyone, including international standard-setters like the UN, the OECD, the Supreme Court of Canada in its […]
Signed, sealed, delivered: twice as many Canadians per month writing to PM Trudeau compared to previous government, says PMO
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s office received 348,734 pieces of mail, and more than 22,266 phone calls from April 2016 to March 2017, according to his office. Some might say you can tell a story of Canada through letters sent to the prime minister. But does the country’s leader read letters addressed to him? The Hill Times […]
Can you say ‘conflict of interest’? Not at the UN
POWELL RIVER, B.C.—When it comes to measures seriously addressing climate change Canadians have pretty low expectations. They know that oil companies have the ear of both Bay Street political parties. Just last week, for example, the auditor general went public exposing the Trudeau government’s refusal to provide the information he needs to determine the level […]
Senators want to run new committee to oversee their own expenses, reject AG’s call for an independent oversight body
Five years after the Senate expenses scandal began, a Senate subcommittee wants to create a new, permanent committee of Senators to oversee auditing and expenses in the Upper Chamber, despite recommendations by Canada’s auditor general and the government’s representative Sen. Peter Harder that such a committee should be independent of the Senate. If accepted by […]
NDP continues court challenge against BOIE, but current, former MPs repaying money, Cleary says it ‘left a bad taste’
The NDP’s court challenge against the powerful House Board of Internal Economy’s 2014 order to repay almost $4-million in expenses continues and in the meantime current and former NDP MPs have paid the money back or are currently doing so by having their expense reimbursements docked. “Every time I ask for reimbursement [for expense claims], […]
Bringing Canada’s songs to the world: strengthening the role of Canada’s export-minded music publishers
OTTAWA—When Canadian Heritage Minister Mélanie Joly published her long-awaited Creative Canada policy framework, one part in particular spoke to me and to my fellow music publishers and songwriters: the focus on export. It’s not unusual for me to walk into a night market in Taipei and hear three songs I wrote in English translated into […]
Three reasons for political, social upheaval across the Americas and Western Europe
TORONTO—Life imitates fiction, sometimes, and not in ways that you’d expect. This week, for example, I published a book called Recipe For Hate. It’s a novel. Without giving away the plot, I can reveal that Recipe For Hate is about fanatics insinuating themselves into positions of power and influence. It’s about zealots, on both the […]
Monday marks 150th anniversary of first meeting of Canadian parliamentarians
OTTAWA—Monday marks the 150th anniversary of the first meeting of Canadian parliamentarians. Celebrations include the usual fanfare, with a declaration in the House of Commons, and a commemorative plaque unveiling. But the real story of these 150 years is best expressed in how we govern ourselves. Americans live by the credo of exceptionalism. They (falsely) […]
