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 […]
New agriculture minister Bibeau most lobbied in first month on the job
In her first month as Agriculture Minister, Marie-Claude Bibeau was the most lobbied in cabinet, according to March filings in the federal lobbying registry. In meetings spread throughout the month, she spoke to 17 different groups and was mentioned in 19 reports. It continues the trend of Ms. Bibeau (Compton-Stanstead, Que.) meeting with more organizations […]
Corporate accountability is also a feminist issue
There is an indisputable difference between claiming to be a feminist and being a feminist. One amounts to a proclamation, the other is a consistent way of life. With the recent appointment of an ombudsperson for responsible enterprise (CORE) on April 8, the Canadian government continues to epitomize the former. Canadian companies represent approximately 60 […]
USMCA vote falls to wayside as feds continue outreach on lifting tariffs
The Canadian government is questioning the value of ratifying a renegotiated trade deal with the U.S. and Mexico if tariffs on Canadian steel and aluminum remain in place, according to a government official. And despite success reaching out to American politicians, it remains to be seen if U.S. President Donald Trump will be persuaded. It’s […]
