Trudeau can’t duck history of Cuba’s revolution
Ottawa—Prime Minister Justin Trudeau did step into it on the weekend when he heaped more praise than damnation in his statement on the death of former Cuban president Fidel Castro. In fact, the only partially negative thing the prime minister said about Castro was to call him “controversial.” Predictably, Trudeau himself became the vehicle of […]
Rising nationalism a test for Liberals
OTTAWA—It’s way too early to guess how this will turn out, but it’s becoming clear that Justin Trudeau now leads a government in crisis. It’s not a crisis Trudeau made, but he’s stuck with it. How he responds will go far toward making or breaking his career as prime minister. I’m talking about the crisis […]
No Pacific trade deal without the U.S., says Japanese envoy
Japan’s ambassador has nixed the possibility of a trans-Pacific trade deal without the United States, scuttling the hopes of members of Canada’s official opposition and others who have called for the remaining members of the TPP to push for a new deal if U.S. president-elect Donald Trump makes good on his promise to pull out […]
Trumpism and the Middle East
OTTAWA—In sorting out the ongoing confusing and conflicting attributes of the new Trump administration, there may be hopeful signs of progress on one or two of the world’s horrendous quagmires. It does not take much familiarity with the wars in Syria and Iraq to conclude that present western policies offer little hope of ending the […]
Drywall the focus of a heated North America trade dispute
Later this month, a Canadian trade tribunal hearing will take place in Edmonton on the normally uncontroversial subject of drywall, which could have a very big impact on the future of Canadian jobs and manufacturing. At stake is whether Canada, as a nation, stands firm against U.S. dumping and aggressively unfair trade practices. Cases of […]
The end of the big trade deals
LONDON, ENGLAND—U.S. president-elect Donald Trump announced Nov. 21 that he will cancel the “Trans-Pacific Partnership” on his first day in office on Jan. 20, 2017. That will kill the TPP off for all 12 countries that agreed on it just over a year ago: as Japan’s Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said, the TPP would be meaningless […]
Climate plans in focus as Ottawa gears up for December first ministers’ meeting
Federal government officials and staff have been busy discussing climate action plans with provincial and territorial counterparts ahead of a first ministers’ meeting scheduled for Ottawa in December. The hope is to finalize a pan-Canada climate plan, but “additional pieces” could be announced even before then. “There will essentially be, perhaps, some additional pieces that may come even before the […]
We must understand Donald Trump
OTTAWA—Donald Trump is politically brilliant. He has a rare combination of strategic and tactical skills. He knows where he wants to go and how to get there. I do not write this because I like or agree with him—quite the contrary. He is the most evil and dangerous threat the world has seen for decades. […]
Visa denial to Serbs has created ‘negative picture of Canada’ says Serbian foreign minister
By backing Canada’s bid to secure a temporary seat on the United Nations Security Council, and finalizing a bilateral travel agreement to establish a direct air link between Toronto and Belgrade, Serbia views itself as extending a hand in friendship toward Canada. But now Serbia would like to see some reciprocity, as the country’s foreign […]
Trump’s TPP dismissal allows Liberals to stave off potentially damaging trade debate
The death of the Trans-Pacific Partnership came with a whimper, not a bang. Fresh from a bruising campaign last fall, the federal Conservatives wasted no time berating the newly-minted Liberal government for delaying making a decision on the contentious 12-nation trade pact Canada had committed to while under the watch of Stephen Harper. Prime Minister Justin […]
