Trudeau government’s commitment to nuclear disarmament questioned after UN vote
Critics are accusing the Trudeau government of failing an important test of global leadership by siding with the U.S. and other nuclear powers and voting against beginning negotiations on a potential UN treaty banning nuclear weapons, though the Liberals say these talks would likely prove fruitless. A UN working group on nuclear disarmament voted on Friday in […]
Liberals edge towards new Pacific trade agreement
The Liberal government took the first step towards a possible free trade agreement with a collection of Southeast Asian countries earlier this month, as the future of the Trans-Pacific Partnership agreement remains mired in doubt. The office of Trade Minister Chrystia Freeland (University-Rosedale, Ont.) quietly announced in a press release earlier this month that Canadian […]
Summer committee meeting on softwood lumber ‘waste of time and money,’ says Liberal MP
Liberal and Conservative MPs jousted Thursday over the need for another irregular mid-summer meeting of the House Trade Committee, this time on softwood lumber negotiations. After opposition members asked for it, the committee unanimously agreed to sit Thursday morning to be briefed by and question the top public servants on the softwood file, as an October […]
Hiked tariffs on Chinese steel would pass costs onto consumer
Re: “Trudeau government must hike duties on Chinese steel, say NDP, steelworkers” (The Hill Times, July 6, p. 1). China is often accused of “dumping,” in other words: selling things at affordable prices. A proposed five-fold increase of tariffs on imports of Chinese steel simply passes the costs onto the consumer and increases revenue to […]
Canada’s innovation strategy must stop tech trolls
OTTAWA—Developing a national innovation strategy has been a top priority of Navdeep Bains, Canada’s minister of innovation, science and economic development. Bains has created an expert panel, held meetings across the country, and launched a public consultation in the hope of identifying policies that might enhance Canada’s lacklustre innovation record. While some have used the […]
CSI poultry: lobbyists win rare summer committee meeting on illicit chicken imports, dairy
It looks like Canada’s dairy and chicken farmers will have to sit tight over the summer as losses from American imports continue to pile up. Lobbyists for those industries, which form the backbone of Canada’s supply-managed agriculture sector, have caught the attention of MPs and the Canadian press over a pair of seemingly obscure regulatory […]
Foreign aid must promote, not threaten, human right to water
When Justin Trudeau came to power last fall, the mere fact that the Canadian prime minister called himself a feminist and acknowledged climate science was celebrated around the world. Among other promises, Trudeau pledged to transform Canada’s role in the world. He recently told the Toronto Star that the UN’s expectation that wealthy states spend […]
Canadian government right to keep quiet on Trump: experts
While pundits in the United States, including some in the Republican Party, are taking opportunities to warn about the dangers of a Donald Trump presidency, the Canadian government is not. And international diplomacy experts say this is the right move. Fen Osler Hampson, director of global security and politics for the Canadian-based Centre for International […]
Tamil group applauds Liberals’ warming up to Sri Lanka
The Liberal government’s move to boost ties with Sri Lanka will be welcomed by most in Canada’s large Tamil community, says a spokesperson for a national Tamil advocacy group. “We believe it is a welcome opportunity,” said David Poopalapillai, the spokesperson for the Canadian Tamil Congress (CTC). Foreign Minister Stéphane Dion (Saint-Laurent, Que.) undertook an official […]
The week ahead in Parliament
Wednesday, Aug. 3 The House International Trade Committee will meet from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. in Room 7-52, 131 Queen St. for a meeting requested by four members of the committee to discuss Canada Border Services Agency’s duties deferral program as well as other issues such as diafiltered milk and spent fowl. The Hill […]
