Amid U.S.-Iran brinksmanship, Canadian troops ought to leave Iraq
gOTTAWA—Almost unmentioned in Canadian mainstream media is the steadily escalating tension between the United States and Iran. In recent days, the Pentagon has deployed an additional aircraft carrier battle group and strategic air assets to the Persian Gulf region, citing an increased, albeit undefined, threat from Iran. The Americans have also taken the unusual step […]
Trade Committee MPs tell U.S. lawmakers clock is ticking to ratify new NAFTA
Canada has reached a deal with the U.S. to lift the steel and aluminum tariffs that have been a sticking point for ratifying the new NAFTA. In a statement, the Prime Minister’s Office announced on Friday that the two countries have agreed to eliminate the tariffs “no later than two days” from this announcement. In […]
Former Swedish Speaker switches gears to become ambassador
Working as Speaker of the Swedish Parliament from 2014 to 2018 helped prepare Urban Ahlin for his new career in diplomacy, and his first posting as the country’s new ambassador to Canada. “It was interesting—it was really being a diplomat,” he said with a smile, especially juggling the interests of eight different political parties and […]
Canada should weigh in on the crisis in Central America
OTTAWA—The history of United States’ intervention in Central America is a long, bloody, and depressing story. How many tens of thousands of civilians—mostly peasants—were tortured and killed by U.S. soldiers and their proxies and the right-wing dictatorships Washington has backed for a century in the region is unknowable. But the record of atrocities and suffering […]
Despite opposition pressure, lack of ambassador to China likely hasn’t made much difference, say ex-diplomats
Canada’s conflict with China has been so bad that being without a Canadian ambassador since late January likely hasn’t had much impact, say former diplomats, despite opposition MPs hounding the Liberals about the appointment. While it’s always better to have a high-ranking and high-profile diplomat in place, under the present circumstances, “it’s not urgent,” said […]
Stop the chest-thumping over China
The Japanese know a thing or two about dealing with China. A long and checkered history between the two neighbours has made it so. A prominent Japanese politician once explained to me that China’s authoritarian government exists to maintain order and unity in a country of highly competitive individualists. Its domestic habits of control spill […]
Abridging the freedom: Trump and the media
As cockeyed as the organizational chart of Washington’s power distribution is these days, perhaps the most altered relationship is the one between the president and the press. While Donald Trump’s relentless lies, belligerence and intractability have skewed the conventional dynamic between this Oval Office and Congress, those same factors, exacerbated by his status as an […]
Trade war and more
London, U.K.—Donald Trump is playing hard ball with China over trade, and the worrywarts are fretting that he’s going to start a real trade war by accident. The bigger threat, however, is that he will push first China, and then the whole world, into a deep recession. It’s been 10 years since the last recession, […]
Skilled trades sector in need of labour boost
Recent government policies, including infrastructure investment and tax modifications that encourage capital investment, have spurred growth in the Canadian construction industry. Consequently, many Associated Equipment Distributors (AED) members—the companies that sell, rent, service and manufacture construction equipment and related supplies—are expanding and creating well-paying jobs. Unfortunately, these jobs largely remain unfilled, hindering further growth, due […]
The Conservative vision for China needs more clarity
Conservative Party Leader Andrew Scheer is taking to the stage, splashing out his vision for the country under a Tory government. Is it a long time coming, or landing at just the right time? Who knows—people’s memories and attention spans are short, so six months before an election may be entirely sufficient to start introducing […]
