New modernized Chile-Canada trade deal another step toward more open, inclusive trade
In 2017, just a year after celebrating the 75th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations, Chile and Canada commemorated another milestone: 20 years of the bilateral Free Trade Agreement (FTA), in force since July 1997. While the assessment of two decades of bilateral free trade was positive, it also seemed evident that our FTA […]
Agriculture, trade, natural resources, environment officials among 2018’s top-lobbied bureaucrats
The country’s top-lobbied bureaucrats for 2018 included some high-ranking officials at Agriculture, Trade, Innovation, and Natural Resources, according to federal lobbying records—something that experts say is on the mark, given that pipelines, environmental regulation, and trade deals were some of the top issues of the past year. One consultant, who asked not to be named […]
New American lawmakers need ‘continual massaging’ to grasp Canada-U.S. dynamic, say MPs
With 100 new members in the Congress, MPs in a friendship group of Canadian and American legislators say work needs to be done to establish new relations with their incoming southern counterparts. The outreach effort has heightened importance as the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA), commonly known as the “new” North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), […]
Look to Cuba for how Canada can emerge battered, but intact, from China spat
The news that the U.S. government has finally filed charges to make its case for Canada to extradite a Huawei executive detained in Canada may bring the current situation toward closure, but it will not bring relief for Canada from either the U.S. or China. In the short term, it may even increase our duress […]
Trudeau ‘masterful’ at soft power, falling short on hard power, says ex-diplomat Rowswell
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has shown himself to be one of the best-ever Canadian leaders at projecting “soft power” on the world stage, but his government’s lack of focus on “hard power” is being called into question as Canada sits in the crosshairs of the world’s two superpowers, says a former longtime diplomat. “This is […]
When friends fight
OTTAWA—Our Commonwealth ally and close partners from Australia have formally lodged a complaint and requested a WTO Dispute Settlement Panel against what it claims are discriminatory practices that are restricting the sale of Australian wines in Canada. For the past 20 years, both the Canadian and Australian industry and governments have worked closely as partners […]
Canada is a target of Russia’s disinformation. Let’s be ready
On Jan. 15, CBC’s The National ran a story exposing Russia’s disinformation campaign targeting Canada and the Ukrainian-Canadian community. As Canada’s federal election draws nearer, I believe the Kremlin’s propaganda machine will increasingly target our country with anti-Canadian fabrications in an attempt to sow discord, conflict, and to undermine our democratic institutions. The CBC reported […]
Innovation minister, Finance Committee chair, member top most-lobbied MPs of 2018
A committee chair, a minister, and a backbencher were 2018’s top-lobbied MPs, according to a Hill Times analysis that observers said made sense given the Parliamentarians’ close contact with budget planning and the Liberals’ much-touted innovation mandate. Chair of the House Finance Committee Wayne Easter notched 182 mentions in communications reports from registered lobbyists, followed […]
‘High-level’ migration discussions ongoing between Canada, Nigeria: envoy
The Nigerian high commissioner to Canada’s first full year on the job had him helping address a spike in asylum seekers that “alarmed both countries,” and while numbers have stabilized, he says there’s more to be done to encourage migration through the regular channels. High Commissioner Adeyinka Asekun said the governments are still in the midst […]
‘Negotiations are done,’ says Canadian official, in face of U.S. Democrats looking to reopen USMCA
As United States Democrats question if they will approve the re-negotiated NAFTA, a Canadian official says the deal has been signed and negotiations are over. In the midst of a record-length partial shutdown of the American government over the funding of a U.S.-Mexico border wall, Democrats—including new House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi—have said that […]
