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David Crane

David Crane is an award-winning journalist with special interests in the economics of globalization, innovation, sustainable development and social equity.

Trump’s new national security strategy raises alarms, fears over threats posed to Canada’s sovereignty and prosperity

  • There will be little tolerance for countries pursuing policies that run counter to U.S. commercial interests and, in the Western Hemisphere, little hesitation in
Opinion | BY DAVID CRANE | December 15, 2025
U.S. President Donald Trump, left, pictured with Prime Minister Mark Carney on May 6, 2025, at the White House, has had Canada in his sights since assuming office last January. But if Canada is not to become the 51st U.S. state, then it must at least become, for him, a vassal state, subservient to U.S. interests, writes David Crane. Photograph courtesy of White House photographer Gabriel B. Kotico

Trump’s new national security strategy raises alarms, fears over threats posed to Canada’s sovereignty and prosperity

Opinion | BY DAVID CRANE | December 15, 2025
  • There will be little tolerance for countries pursuing policies that run counter to U.S. commercial interests and, in the Western Hemisphere, little hesitation in

Trump’s new national security strategy raises alarms, fears over threats posed to Canada’s sovereignty and prosperity

Opinion | BY DAVID CRANE | December 15, 2025
  • There will be little tolerance for countries pursuing policies that run counter to U.S. commercial interests and, in the Western Hemisphere, little hesitation in
U.S. President Donald Trump, left, pictured with Prime Minister Mark Carney on May 6, 2025, at the White House, has had Canada in his sights since assuming office last January. But if Canada is not to become the 51st U.S. state, then it must at least become, for him, a vassal state, subservient to U.S. interests, writes David Crane. Photograph courtesy of White House photographer Gabriel B. Kotico

Building up Canada’s defence sector will depend on long-term homegrown support

  • The promised defence industrial strategy offers a significant opportunity to advance Canada’s innovation performance and the high-value jobs that should go with it. The
Opinion | BY DAVID CRANE | December 8, 2025
Defence Minister David McGuinty, pictured third from left with Canada's Chief of Defence Jennie Carignan, right, is one of the ministers in charge of bolstering Canada’s defence capabilities. The Hill Times photograph by Andrew Meade

Building up Canada’s defence sector will depend on long-term homegrown support

Opinion | BY DAVID CRANE | December 8, 2025
  • The promised defence industrial strategy offers a significant opportunity to advance Canada’s innovation performance and the high-value jobs that should go with it. The

Building up Canada’s defence sector will depend on long-term homegrown support

Opinion | BY DAVID CRANE | December 8, 2025
  • The promised defence industrial strategy offers a significant opportunity to advance Canada’s innovation performance and the high-value jobs that should go with it. The
Defence Minister David McGuinty, pictured third from left with Canada's Chief of Defence Jennie Carignan, right, is one of the ministers in charge of bolstering Canada’s defence capabilities. The Hill Times photograph by Andrew Meade

Expanding exports to the rest of the world unlike anything Canada has tried to before

  • No previous prime minister has spent so much time in meeting world leaders, nor done so much so quickly. Yet spending this time is
Opinion | BY DAVID CRANE | December 1, 2025
Prime Minister Mark Carney has also made commitments to Britain, the European Union, various European countries including France, Germany, Poland and Sweden, Mexico, Korea, India, Indonesia, and other ASEAN nations, Brazil, and China.  The Hill Times photograph by Andrew Meade

Expanding exports to the rest of the world unlike anything Canada has tried to before

Opinion | BY DAVID CRANE | December 1, 2025
  • No previous prime minister has spent so much time in meeting world leaders, nor done so much so quickly. Yet spending this time is

Expanding exports to the rest of the world unlike anything Canada has tried to before

Opinion | BY DAVID CRANE | December 1, 2025
  • No previous prime minister has spent so much time in meeting world leaders, nor done so much so quickly. Yet spending this time is
Prime Minister Mark Carney has also made commitments to Britain, the European Union, various European countries including France, Germany, Poland and Sweden, Mexico, Korea, India, Indonesia, and other ASEAN nations, Brazil, and China.  The Hill Times photograph by Andrew Meade

Budget delivers measures to grow the economy, but fails to deliver urgently needed transformation and generational change

  • A new Council of Canadian Academies report underlines that bolder and more ambitious policies for innovation and productivity are needed now, more than ever.
Opinion | BY DAVID CRANE | November 24, 2025
Finance Minister François-Philippe Champagne speaks to reporters in the House of Commons foyer after the vote on the 2025 federal budget passes on Nov. 17. The Hill Times photograph by Andrew Meade

Budget delivers measures to grow the economy, but fails to deliver urgently needed transformation and generational change

Opinion | BY DAVID CRANE | November 24, 2025
  • A new Council of Canadian Academies report underlines that bolder and more ambitious policies for innovation and productivity are needed now, more than ever.

Budget delivers measures to grow the economy, but fails to deliver urgently needed transformation and generational change

Opinion | BY DAVID CRANE | November 24, 2025
  • A new Council of Canadian Academies report underlines that bolder and more ambitious policies for innovation and productivity are needed now, more than ever.
Finance Minister François-Philippe Champagne speaks to reporters in the House of Commons foyer after the vote on the 2025 federal budget passes on Nov. 17. The Hill Times photograph by Andrew Meade

Budget 2025 is more of the same

  • The budget has positive measures, but it fails to provide a credible plan for the future. What is the Carney government’s vision for the
Opinion | BY DAVID CRANE | November 17, 2025
Prime Minister Mark Carney, right, and Finance Minister François-Philippe Champagne prepare to present the 2025 budget in the House of Commons on Nov. 4. The Hill Times photograph by Andrew Meade

Budget 2025 is more of the same

Opinion | BY DAVID CRANE | November 17, 2025
  • The budget has positive measures, but it fails to provide a credible plan for the future. What is the Carney government’s vision for the

Budget 2025 is more of the same

Opinion | BY DAVID CRANE | November 17, 2025
  • The budget has positive measures, but it fails to provide a credible plan for the future. What is the Carney government’s vision for the
Prime Minister Mark Carney, right, and Finance Minister François-Philippe Champagne prepare to present the 2025 budget in the House of Commons on Nov. 4. The Hill Times photograph by Andrew Meade

First budget in years to tackle Canada’s dismal performance in innovation and investment, but we could still fall short: need guardrails

  • We need to truly transform our economy when so much around us is changing so fast. We need an arm’s length council to independently
Opinion | BY DAVID CRANE | November 10, 2025
Finance Minister François-Philippe Champagne, pictured inside the media budget lockup in the John G. Diefenbaker Building on Sussex Drive in Ottawa before holding his press conference on the budget on Nov. 4, 2025. The Hill Times photograph by Andrew Meade

First budget in years to tackle Canada’s dismal performance in innovation and investment, but we could still fall short: need guardrails

Opinion | BY DAVID CRANE | November 10, 2025
  • We need to truly transform our economy when so much around us is changing so fast. We need an arm’s length council to independently

First budget in years to tackle Canada’s dismal performance in innovation and investment, but we could still fall short: need guardrails

Opinion | BY DAVID CRANE | November 10, 2025
  • We need to truly transform our economy when so much around us is changing so fast. We need an arm’s length council to independently
Finance Minister François-Philippe Champagne, pictured inside the media budget lockup in the John G. Diefenbaker Building on Sussex Drive in Ottawa before holding his press conference on the budget on Nov. 4, 2025. The Hill Times photograph by Andrew Meade

As Trump tries to destroy our economy, Carney should be selling Canada as a nation of leading tech and innovation to the world, not as an energy superpower

  • Canada lacks the capacity for transformative change. If the Nov. 4 budget fails to change that, our nation will be more of a bystander
Opinion | BY DAVID CRANE | November 3, 2025
Prime Minister Mark Carney, second right, pictured on Oct. 7, 2025, with U.S. President Donald Trump, right, and other top Canadian and American politicians and officials in the Oval Office in Washington, D.C. Photograph courtesy of the White House

As Trump tries to destroy our economy, Carney should be selling Canada as a nation of leading tech and innovation to the world, not as an energy superpower

Opinion | BY DAVID CRANE | November 3, 2025
  • Canada lacks the capacity for transformative change. If the Nov. 4 budget fails to change that, our nation will be more of a bystander

As Trump tries to destroy our economy, Carney should be selling Canada as a nation of leading tech and innovation to the world, not as an energy superpower

Opinion | BY DAVID CRANE | November 3, 2025
  • Canada lacks the capacity for transformative change. If the Nov. 4 budget fails to change that, our nation will be more of a bystander
Prime Minister Mark Carney, second right, pictured on Oct. 7, 2025, with U.S. President Donald Trump, right, and other top Canadian and American politicians and officials in the Oval Office in Washington, D.C. Photograph courtesy of the White House

Carney’s big promises all hinge on Canadians’ trust

  • The real test will come with the delivery of Liberal commitments, which makes next month’s budget so important.
Opinion | BY DAVID CRANE | October 27, 2025
Prime Minister Mark Carney's biggest challenge is to win Canadians' trust, to convince them that he's on the right track, and that he's pursuing a short-term-pain-for-long-term-gain strategy that is in Canada’s best interests, David Crane writes. The Hill Times photograph by Andrew Meade

Carney’s big promises all hinge on Canadians’ trust

Opinion | BY DAVID CRANE | October 27, 2025
  • The real test will come with the delivery of Liberal commitments, which makes next month’s budget so important.

Carney’s big promises all hinge on Canadians’ trust

Opinion | BY DAVID CRANE | October 27, 2025
  • The real test will come with the delivery of Liberal commitments, which makes next month’s budget so important.
Prime Minister Mark Carney's biggest challenge is to win Canadians' trust, to convince them that he's on the right track, and that he's pursuing a short-term-pain-for-long-term-gain strategy that is in Canada’s best interests, David Crane writes. The Hill Times photograph by Andrew Meade

Can Carney ensure Canada is a true innovation nation?

  • Canada’s poor performance on innovation is apparent in the World Intellectual Property Organization's 2025 Global Innovation Report which ranks our nation in 17th spot, compared to 14th a
Opinion | BY DAVID CRANE | October 20, 2025
Prime Minister Mark Carney. While Canada has potential, the World Intellectual Property Organization's 2025 Global Innovation Report says it lags badly on high-tech exports, creative outputs from the business sector, industrial designs, trade marks, and other forms of intellectual property, writes David Crane. The Hill Times photograph by Andrew Meade

Can Carney ensure Canada is a true innovation nation?

Opinion | BY DAVID CRANE | October 20, 2025
  • Canada’s poor performance on innovation is apparent in the World Intellectual Property Organization's 2025 Global Innovation Report which ranks our nation in 17th spot, compared to 14th a

Can Carney ensure Canada is a true innovation nation?

Opinion | BY DAVID CRANE | October 20, 2025
  • Canada’s poor performance on innovation is apparent in the World Intellectual Property Organization's 2025 Global Innovation Report which ranks our nation in 17th spot, compared to 14th a
Prime Minister Mark Carney. While Canada has potential, the World Intellectual Property Organization's 2025 Global Innovation Report says it lags badly on high-tech exports, creative outputs from the business sector, industrial designs, trade marks, and other forms of intellectual property, writes David Crane. The Hill Times photograph by Andrew Meade

Carney has an obligation to better define his priorities for the Canada-U.S. relationship

  • Meanwhile, we need much greater debate on our choices—and this is where Parliament is derelict in its duty. 
Opinion | BY DAVID CRANE | October 13, 2025
Prime Minister Mark Carney, left, and U.S. President Donald Trump at the West Wing entrance of the White House on May 6, 2025. Photograph courtesy of White House photographer Daniel Torok

Carney has an obligation to better define his priorities for the Canada-U.S. relationship

Opinion | BY DAVID CRANE | October 13, 2025
  • Meanwhile, we need much greater debate on our choices—and this is where Parliament is derelict in its duty. 

Carney has an obligation to better define his priorities for the Canada-U.S. relationship

Opinion | BY DAVID CRANE | October 13, 2025
  • Meanwhile, we need much greater debate on our choices—and this is where Parliament is derelict in its duty. 
Prime Minister Mark Carney, left, and U.S. President Donald Trump at the West Wing entrance of the White House on May 6, 2025. Photograph courtesy of White House photographer Daniel Torok

Current fiscal outlook has not put us on a precipice yet, but a rush to balance the budget is not the answer

  • Canada faces enormous challenges and disruptive change in transitioning to an economy that can thrive in a world of sweeping change in technologies, markets
Opinion | BY DAVID CRANE | October 6, 2025
The September Economic and Fiscal Outlook Report from Jason Jaques, pictured, the interim parliamentary budget officer, with its dire warning of unsustainable federal spending, deficits, and debt, should not be treated lightly. But it should not be taken as a call for an austerity budget next month, writes David Crane.   The Hill Times photograph by Andrew Meade

Current fiscal outlook has not put us on a precipice yet, but a rush to balance the budget is not the answer

Opinion | BY DAVID CRANE | October 6, 2025
  • Canada faces enormous challenges and disruptive change in transitioning to an economy that can thrive in a world of sweeping change in technologies, markets

Current fiscal outlook has not put us on a precipice yet, but a rush to balance the budget is not the answer

Opinion | BY DAVID CRANE | October 6, 2025
  • Canada faces enormous challenges and disruptive change in transitioning to an economy that can thrive in a world of sweeping change in technologies, markets
The September Economic and Fiscal Outlook Report from Jason Jaques, pictured, the interim parliamentary budget officer, with its dire warning of unsustainable federal spending, deficits, and debt, should not be treated lightly. But it should not be taken as a call for an austerity budget next month, writes David Crane.   The Hill Times photograph by Andrew Meade

Carney’s push to expand Canada’s exports to other countries won’t be easy

  • Canada has spent much of its history seeking to cement close ties with the U.S. while failing to seek opportunities elsewhere. We've failed to
Opinion | BY DAVID CRANE | September 29, 2025
Prime Minister Mark Carney, right, and Indonesian President Prabowo Sugianto signed a trade agreement between the two countries in Ottawa on Sept. 24, 2025. The Hill Times photograph by Andrew Meade

Carney’s push to expand Canada’s exports to other countries won’t be easy

Opinion | BY DAVID CRANE | September 29, 2025
  • Canada has spent much of its history seeking to cement close ties with the U.S. while failing to seek opportunities elsewhere. We've failed to

Carney’s push to expand Canada’s exports to other countries won’t be easy

Opinion | BY DAVID CRANE | September 29, 2025
  • Canada has spent much of its history seeking to cement close ties with the U.S. while failing to seek opportunities elsewhere. We've failed to
Prime Minister Mark Carney, right, and Indonesian President Prabowo Sugianto signed a trade agreement between the two countries in Ottawa on Sept. 24, 2025. The Hill Times photograph by Andrew Meade

Carney still has to tell us what kind of economy he’s trying to create

  • What we need from the Carney government is a clear strategy to build up investments by the public and private sectors in the economy
Opinion | BY DAVID CRANE | September 18, 2025
Prime Minister Mark Carney heads into the Prime Minister's Office in Ottawa on Aug. 6, 2025. The seven government priorities listed in Carney's mandate letter to his cabinet ministers are worthwhile, yet insufficient. They fail to address Canada’s terrible productivity performance, writes David Crane.   The Hill Times photograph by Andrew Meade

Carney still has to tell us what kind of economy he’s trying to create

Opinion | BY DAVID CRANE | September 18, 2025
  • What we need from the Carney government is a clear strategy to build up investments by the public and private sectors in the economy

Carney still has to tell us what kind of economy he’s trying to create

Opinion | BY DAVID CRANE | September 18, 2025
  • What we need from the Carney government is a clear strategy to build up investments by the public and private sectors in the economy
Prime Minister Mark Carney heads into the Prime Minister's Office in Ottawa on Aug. 6, 2025. The seven government priorities listed in Carney's mandate letter to his cabinet ministers are worthwhile, yet insufficient. They fail to address Canada’s terrible productivity performance, writes David Crane.   The Hill Times photograph by Andrew Meade

On affordable housing, Ottawa should support bottom-up initiatives, not impose top-down solutions

  • This is a moment of opportunity. Former Vancouver mayor Gregor Robertson should listen to former Toronto mayor David Crombie. Cities are where things actually
Opinion | BY DAVID CRANE | September 15, 2025
Housing and Infrastructure Minister Gregor Robertson, the former mayor of Vancouver, arrives for the Liberal caucus meeting in the West Block on June 11, 2025. The Hill Times photograph by Andrew Meade

On affordable housing, Ottawa should support bottom-up initiatives, not impose top-down solutions

Opinion | BY DAVID CRANE | September 15, 2025
  • This is a moment of opportunity. Former Vancouver mayor Gregor Robertson should listen to former Toronto mayor David Crombie. Cities are where things actually

On affordable housing, Ottawa should support bottom-up initiatives, not impose top-down solutions

Opinion | BY DAVID CRANE | September 15, 2025
  • This is a moment of opportunity. Former Vancouver mayor Gregor Robertson should listen to former Toronto mayor David Crombie. Cities are where things actually
Housing and Infrastructure Minister Gregor Robertson, the former mayor of Vancouver, arrives for the Liberal caucus meeting in the West Block on June 11, 2025. The Hill Times photograph by Andrew Meade

A dose of realism about Canada’s LNG plans

  • Despite the high-level drum-beating for Port of Churchill possibilities and especially for an LNG plant, an oil pipeline, or a hydrogen plant, none may
Opinion | BY DAVID CRANE | September 8, 2025
Energy Minister Tim Hodgson was recently in Germany touting Canada's LNG potential to prospective buyers, but David Crane writes that this government needs to be more realistic about that potential. The Hill Times photograph by Andrew Meade

A dose of realism about Canada’s LNG plans

Opinion | BY DAVID CRANE | September 8, 2025
  • Despite the high-level drum-beating for Port of Churchill possibilities and especially for an LNG plant, an oil pipeline, or a hydrogen plant, none may

A dose of realism about Canada’s LNG plans

Opinion | BY DAVID CRANE | September 8, 2025
  • Despite the high-level drum-beating for Port of Churchill possibilities and especially for an LNG plant, an oil pipeline, or a hydrogen plant, none may
Energy Minister Tim Hodgson was recently in Germany touting Canada's LNG potential to prospective buyers, but David Crane writes that this government needs to be more realistic about that potential. The Hill Times photograph by Andrew Meade

Any new industrial strategy must be an innovation strategy

  • Canada’s capacity for technological progress and scaling the industries of the future will be critical for our future growth prospects and much-needed gains in
Opinion | BY DAVID CRANE | September 1, 2025
Mark Carney
Mark Carney
On Aug. 22, Prime Minister Mark Carney promised in a statement that his government will soon announce a “comprehensive” industrial strategy that “protects Canadian jobs, boosts Canadian competitiveness, buys Canadian goods, and diversifies Canadian exports.” The Hill Times photograph by Sam Garcia

Any new industrial strategy must be an innovation strategy

Opinion | BY DAVID CRANE | September 1, 2025
  • Canada’s capacity for technological progress and scaling the industries of the future will be critical for our future growth prospects and much-needed gains in

Any new industrial strategy must be an innovation strategy

Opinion | BY DAVID CRANE | September 1, 2025
  • Canada’s capacity for technological progress and scaling the industries of the future will be critical for our future growth prospects and much-needed gains in
Mark Carney
On Aug. 22, Prime Minister Mark Carney promised in a statement that his government will soon announce a “comprehensive” industrial strategy that “protects Canadian jobs, boosts Canadian competitiveness, buys Canadian goods, and diversifies Canadian exports.” The Hill Times photograph by Sam Garcia

Carney was talking about Canada’s productivity problem in 2010. It’s now his job to fix it.

  • The challenge for the Carney government is to map a way out of this slow growth trap, which is why productivity, fueled by innovation
Opinion | BY DAVID CRANE | August 25, 2025
Mark Carney
Mark Carney
Prime Minister Mark Carney spoke of Canada's lagging productivity in 2010 when he was governor of the Bank of Canada. Now as prime minister, it's up to him and his government to provide the answers, writes David Crane. The Hill Times photograph by Andrew Meade

Carney was talking about Canada’s productivity problem in 2010. It’s now his job to fix it.

Opinion | BY DAVID CRANE | August 25, 2025
  • The challenge for the Carney government is to map a way out of this slow growth trap, which is why productivity, fueled by innovation

Carney was talking about Canada’s productivity problem in 2010. It’s now his job to fix it.

Opinion | BY DAVID CRANE | August 25, 2025
  • The challenge for the Carney government is to map a way out of this slow growth trap, which is why productivity, fueled by innovation
Mark Carney
Prime Minister Mark Carney spoke of Canada's lagging productivity in 2010 when he was governor of the Bank of Canada. Now as prime minister, it's up to him and his government to provide the answers, writes David Crane. The Hill Times photograph by Andrew Meade

The feds have the tools they need to reshape the country. Will they use them?

  • The transition required in the months ahead will be disruptive, requiring an unprecedented level of leadership. Without such leadership, it will fail.
Opinion | BY DAVID CRANE | August 20, 2025
Mark Carney
Mark Carney
Prime Minister Mark Carney’s first budget has to focus on growth, but it also faces constraints since it must respond to the fallout from U.S. protectionism, writes David Crane. The Hill Times photograph by Andrew Meade

The feds have the tools they need to reshape the country. Will they use them?

Opinion | BY DAVID CRANE | August 20, 2025
  • The transition required in the months ahead will be disruptive, requiring an unprecedented level of leadership. Without such leadership, it will fail.

The feds have the tools they need to reshape the country. Will they use them?

Opinion | BY DAVID CRANE | August 20, 2025
  • The transition required in the months ahead will be disruptive, requiring an unprecedented level of leadership. Without such leadership, it will fail.
Mark Carney
Prime Minister Mark Carney’s first budget has to focus on growth, but it also faces constraints since it must respond to the fallout from U.S. protectionism, writes David Crane. The Hill Times photograph by Andrew Meade

Carney better be sharp on Canada’s game-changing projects

  • Without the capacity for rigorous analysis of which projects make sense, and an ability to say 'no' to projects that cannot meet rigorous review,
Opinion | BY DAVID CRANE | August 18, 2025
Mark Carney
Mark Carney
Prime Minister Mark Carney arrives at the West Block on Parliament Hill ahead of a meeting with a bipartisan delegation of United States Senators on July 21, 2025. The Hill Times photograph by Andrew Meade

Carney better be sharp on Canada’s game-changing projects

Opinion | BY DAVID CRANE | August 18, 2025
  • Without the capacity for rigorous analysis of which projects make sense, and an ability to say 'no' to projects that cannot meet rigorous review,

Carney better be sharp on Canada’s game-changing projects

Opinion | BY DAVID CRANE | August 18, 2025
  • Without the capacity for rigorous analysis of which projects make sense, and an ability to say 'no' to projects that cannot meet rigorous review,
Mark Carney
Prime Minister Mark Carney arrives at the West Block on Parliament Hill ahead of a meeting with a bipartisan delegation of United States Senators on July 21, 2025. The Hill Times photograph by Andrew Meade

Carney government has two duties to younger Canadians, and one is to offer real hope

  • First, it must closely monitor employment and housing trends for younger Canadians as it sets economic policy, and second, it must show that the
Opinion | BY DAVID CRANE | August 11, 2025
Mark Carney
Mark Carney
Prime Minister Mark Carney scrums with reporters before the Prime Minister’s First Nations summit on Bill C-5 in Gatineau, Que., on July 17, 2025. The Hill Times photograph by Andrew Meade

Carney government has two duties to younger Canadians, and one is to offer real hope

Opinion | BY DAVID CRANE | August 11, 2025
  • First, it must closely monitor employment and housing trends for younger Canadians as it sets economic policy, and second, it must show that the

Carney government has two duties to younger Canadians, and one is to offer real hope

Opinion | BY DAVID CRANE | August 11, 2025
  • First, it must closely monitor employment and housing trends for younger Canadians as it sets economic policy, and second, it must show that the
Mark Carney
Prime Minister Mark Carney scrums with reporters before the Prime Minister’s First Nations summit on Bill C-5 in Gatineau, Que., on July 17, 2025. The Hill Times photograph by Andrew Meade

Canada never misses an opportunity to miss an opportunity, but we better not miss it this time

  • Building this capacity to implement innovation possibilities, in partnership with the private sector and our university-based research community, is the urgent pre-condition if we
Opinion | BY DAVID CRANE | August 4, 2025
Who is going to address the shortcomings in innovation policy, including access to capital, if our Industry Minister Mélanie Joly is preoccupied with saving the steel, aluminum, and auto industries, asks David Crane. The Hill Times photograph by Andrew Meade

Canada never misses an opportunity to miss an opportunity, but we better not miss it this time

Opinion | BY DAVID CRANE | August 4, 2025
  • Building this capacity to implement innovation possibilities, in partnership with the private sector and our university-based research community, is the urgent pre-condition if we

Canada never misses an opportunity to miss an opportunity, but we better not miss it this time

Opinion | BY DAVID CRANE | August 4, 2025
  • Building this capacity to implement innovation possibilities, in partnership with the private sector and our university-based research community, is the urgent pre-condition if we
Who is going to address the shortcomings in innovation policy, including access to capital, if our Industry Minister Mélanie Joly is preoccupied with saving the steel, aluminum, and auto industries, asks David Crane. The Hill Times photograph by Andrew Meade

If we want a prosperous and sovereign nation, big disruptive change is needed right now

  • Building an economy for the future poses huge challenges that will require strong leadership and a focus on clearly set targets and timelines, co-operation
Opinion | BY DAVID CRANE | July 28, 2025
Prime Minister Mark Carney scrums with reporters before the Prime Minister’s First Nations summit on Bill C-5 in Gatineau, Que. on July 17, 2025. The Hill Times photograph by Andrew Meade
Prime Minister Mark Carney scrums with reporters before the Prime Minister’s First Nations summit on Bill C-5 in Gatineau, Que. on July 17, 2025. The Hill Times photograph by Andrew Meade
Prime Minister Mark Carney, pictured July 17, 2025, in Gatineau, Que. The credibility of the upcoming budget will be test number one for the building an economy for the future. Implementation will be test number two. Success is urgent. And some early deliverables are vital for ongoing public support. It’s all about our future, writes David Crane. The Hill Times photograph by Andrew Meade

If we want a prosperous and sovereign nation, big disruptive change is needed right now

Opinion | BY DAVID CRANE | July 28, 2025
  • Building an economy for the future poses huge challenges that will require strong leadership and a focus on clearly set targets and timelines, co-operation

If we want a prosperous and sovereign nation, big disruptive change is needed right now

Opinion | BY DAVID CRANE | July 28, 2025
  • Building an economy for the future poses huge challenges that will require strong leadership and a focus on clearly set targets and timelines, co-operation
Prime Minister Mark Carney scrums with reporters before the Prime Minister’s First Nations summit on Bill C-5 in Gatineau, Que. on July 17, 2025. The Hill Times photograph by Andrew Meade
Prime Minister Mark Carney, pictured July 17, 2025, in Gatineau, Que. The credibility of the upcoming budget will be test number one for the building an economy for the future. Implementation will be test number two. Success is urgent. And some early deliverables are vital for ongoing public support. It’s all about our future, writes David Crane. The Hill Times photograph by Andrew Meade

Carney’s fall budget could be the toughest one Canadians have ever faced in peacetime

  • Mark Carney will still face a domestic economy with weak growth prospects while having no choice but to act quickly to bring fiscal discipline to
Opinion | BY DAVID CRANE | July 21, 2025
Prime Minister Mark Carney gives opening remarks at the Prime Minister’s First Nations Summit on Bill C-5 at the Canadian Museum of History in Gatineau, Que., on July 17, 2025. The Hill Times photograph by Andrew Meade

Carney’s fall budget could be the toughest one Canadians have ever faced in peacetime

Opinion | BY DAVID CRANE | July 21, 2025
  • Mark Carney will still face a domestic economy with weak growth prospects while having no choice but to act quickly to bring fiscal discipline to

Carney’s fall budget could be the toughest one Canadians have ever faced in peacetime

Opinion | BY DAVID CRANE | July 21, 2025
  • Mark Carney will still face a domestic economy with weak growth prospects while having no choice but to act quickly to bring fiscal discipline to
Prime Minister Mark Carney gives opening remarks at the Prime Minister’s First Nations Summit on Bill C-5 at the Canadian Museum of History in Gatineau, Que., on July 17, 2025. The Hill Times photograph by Andrew Meade

BC Ferries story reveals Canada’s confused policy on China

  • What basic message are we sending as we condemn the purchase of Chinese-made ferries while profiting from our sale of goods and services to
Opinion | BY DAVID CRANE | July 14, 2025
In comments to the House of Commons on June 18, Transport Minister Chrystia Freeland seemed to imply that the ferries could have been purchased from a Canadian company, yet no Canadian shipyard responded when BC Ferries sought proposals last year, David Crane writes. The Hill Times photograph by Andrew Meade

BC Ferries story reveals Canada’s confused policy on China

Opinion | BY DAVID CRANE | July 14, 2025
  • What basic message are we sending as we condemn the purchase of Chinese-made ferries while profiting from our sale of goods and services to

BC Ferries story reveals Canada’s confused policy on China

Opinion | BY DAVID CRANE | July 14, 2025
  • What basic message are we sending as we condemn the purchase of Chinese-made ferries while profiting from our sale of goods and services to
In comments to the House of Commons on June 18, Transport Minister Chrystia Freeland seemed to imply that the ferries could have been purchased from a Canadian company, yet no Canadian shipyard responded when BC Ferries sought proposals last year, David Crane writes. The Hill Times photograph by Andrew Meade

Canada can’t ignore climate change just because the U.S. is missing in action

  • At some point, the U.S. will again become a responsible stakeholder, but its failure to assume its responsibility is no excuse for Canada or
Opinion | BY DAVID CRANE | July 7, 2025
Mark Carney
Mark Carney
Prime Minister Mark Carney, left, meets with U.S. President Donald Trump in the White House's Oval Office on May 6, 2025. Photograph courtesy of Flickr/The White House (Official White House Photo by Daniel Torok)

Canada can’t ignore climate change just because the U.S. is missing in action

Opinion | BY DAVID CRANE | July 7, 2025
  • At some point, the U.S. will again become a responsible stakeholder, but its failure to assume its responsibility is no excuse for Canada or

Canada can’t ignore climate change just because the U.S. is missing in action

Opinion | BY DAVID CRANE | July 7, 2025
  • At some point, the U.S. will again become a responsible stakeholder, but its failure to assume its responsibility is no excuse for Canada or
Mark Carney
Prime Minister Mark Carney, left, meets with U.S. President Donald Trump in the White House's Oval Office on May 6, 2025. Photograph courtesy of Flickr/The White House (Official White House Photo by Daniel Torok)

Canada’s government and banks are stuck on oil—and this is a problem

  • Economic success will only succeed if we become an innovation nation, not a petrostate. We have great talent in Canada and many ambitious entrepreneurs
Opinion | BY DAVID CRANE | June 27, 2025
Mark Carney
Mark Carney
Prime Minister Mark Carney, left, and Finance Minister François-Philippe Champagne at a press conference in the West Block on June 19, 2025. The challenge for the Carney government is to get Canada's banks and other financial institutions to think beyond pipelines to new sources of economic growth that are based on ideas, writes David Crane. The Hill Times photograph by Andrew Meade

Canada’s government and banks are stuck on oil—and this is a problem

Opinion | BY DAVID CRANE | June 27, 2025
  • Economic success will only succeed if we become an innovation nation, not a petrostate. We have great talent in Canada and many ambitious entrepreneurs

Canada’s government and banks are stuck on oil—and this is a problem

Opinion | BY DAVID CRANE | June 27, 2025
  • Economic success will only succeed if we become an innovation nation, not a petrostate. We have great talent in Canada and many ambitious entrepreneurs
Mark Carney
Prime Minister Mark Carney, left, and Finance Minister François-Philippe Champagne at a press conference in the West Block on June 19, 2025. The challenge for the Carney government is to get Canada's banks and other financial institutions to think beyond pipelines to new sources of economic growth that are based on ideas, writes David Crane. The Hill Times photograph by Andrew Meade

Carney’s riding high right now, but his real tests are yet to come

  • Canadians will need clear evidence that there is a strategy to deliver real change and the political stamina to withstand a process that will
Opinion | BY DAVID CRANE | June 23, 2025
European Council President Antonio Costa, front left, Japan’s PM Shigeru Ishiba, Italy’s PM Giorgia Meloni, France’s President Emmanuel Macron, Canada’s PM Mark Carney, U.S. President Donald Trump, U.K. PM Keir Starmer, Germany’s Chancellor Friedrich Merz, and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, on June 16, 2025. Photograph courtesy of the Government of Canada

Carney’s riding high right now, but his real tests are yet to come

Opinion | BY DAVID CRANE | June 23, 2025
  • Canadians will need clear evidence that there is a strategy to deliver real change and the political stamina to withstand a process that will

Carney’s riding high right now, but his real tests are yet to come

Opinion | BY DAVID CRANE | June 23, 2025
  • Canadians will need clear evidence that there is a strategy to deliver real change and the political stamina to withstand a process that will
European Council President Antonio Costa, front left, Japan’s PM Shigeru Ishiba, Italy’s PM Giorgia Meloni, France’s President Emmanuel Macron, Canada’s PM Mark Carney, U.S. President Donald Trump, U.K. PM Keir Starmer, Germany’s Chancellor Friedrich Merz, and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, on June 16, 2025. Photograph courtesy of the Government of Canada
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Canada needs better ways to transform early stage companies into future global champions

  • TORONTO—Writing in the Global Innovation Index 2020 report, Yaron Daniely of Israel’s aMoon Venture Fund, worries that his country—highlighted in the best-selling book, Start-Up
Opinion | BY DAVID CRANE | September 14, 2020
Canadian taxpayers invest billions of dollars to train tech talent, fund university-based scientific research and provide grants and tax incentives for early stage tech companies. But if much of this effort ends up simply expanding jobs, intellectual property and, consequently, tax revenues in other countries, what’s the benefit for Canada, writes David Crane. Image courtesy of Pexels.com

Canada needs better ways to transform early stage companies into future global champions

Opinion | BY DAVID CRANE | September 14, 2020
  • TORONTO—Writing in the Global Innovation Index 2020 report, Yaron Daniely of Israel’s aMoon Venture Fund, worries that his country—highlighted in the best-selling book, Start-Up

Canada needs better ways to transform early stage companies into future global champions

Opinion | BY DAVID CRANE | September 14, 2020
  • TORONTO—Writing in the Global Innovation Index 2020 report, Yaron Daniely of Israel’s aMoon Venture Fund, worries that his country—highlighted in the best-selling book, Start-Up
Canadian taxpayers invest billions of dollars to train tech talent, fund university-based scientific research and provide grants and tax incentives for early stage tech companies. But if much of this effort ends up simply expanding jobs, intellectual property and, consequently, tax revenues in other countries, what’s the benefit for Canada, writes David Crane. Image courtesy of Pexels.com

Time for a bold changes to foster innovation

  • TORONTO—Much of the speculation over the forthcoming Throne Speech suggests the Trudeau government plans a significant focus on social policy. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau
Opinion | BY DAVID CRANE | September 7, 2020
Innovation Minister Navdeep Bains. His Innovation, Science and Economic Development department has cast Canada as a rising innovation superstar, but the data tells a different story, writes David Crane. The Hill Times photograph by Andrew Meade

Time for a bold changes to foster innovation

Opinion | BY DAVID CRANE | September 7, 2020
  • TORONTO—Much of the speculation over the forthcoming Throne Speech suggests the Trudeau government plans a significant focus on social policy. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau

Time for a bold changes to foster innovation

Opinion | BY DAVID CRANE | September 7, 2020
  • TORONTO—Much of the speculation over the forthcoming Throne Speech suggests the Trudeau government plans a significant focus on social policy. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau
Innovation Minister Navdeep Bains. His Innovation, Science and Economic Development department has cast Canada as a rising innovation superstar, but the data tells a different story, writes David Crane. The Hill Times photograph by Andrew Meade

Canada’s economy is stalled, and old-fashioned corporate handouts won’t help us

  • TORONTO—“This is a crisis like no other and will have a recovery like no other,” warns Gita Gopinatch, the head of research at the
Opinion | BY DAVID CRANE | August 31, 2020
Any policies Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland introduces to put Canada's economy back on track must demonstrably improve economic and social well-being. This is no time for political pandering by throwing money at favoured groups, writes David Crane. The Hill Times photograph by Andrew Meade

Canada’s economy is stalled, and old-fashioned corporate handouts won’t help us

Opinion | BY DAVID CRANE | August 31, 2020
  • TORONTO—“This is a crisis like no other and will have a recovery like no other,” warns Gita Gopinatch, the head of research at the

Canada’s economy is stalled, and old-fashioned corporate handouts won’t help us

Opinion | BY DAVID CRANE | August 31, 2020
  • TORONTO—“This is a crisis like no other and will have a recovery like no other,” warns Gita Gopinatch, the head of research at the
Any policies Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland introduces to put Canada's economy back on track must demonstrably improve economic and social well-being. This is no time for political pandering by throwing money at favoured groups, writes David Crane. The Hill Times photograph by Andrew Meade

Stronger social policies help all of us, not only the poor

  • TORONTO—The COVID-19 pandemic clearly shows how dependent our society is on frontline workers. Caregivers in nursing homes, grocery clerks, and warehouse and delivery workers
Opinion | BY DAVID CRANE | August 24, 2020
Activists marched to Parliament Hill in 2017 to protest the government's social housing program. The event was organized by the Front d'action populaire en réaménagement urbain (FRAPRU) and supported by the Ontario Coalition Against Poverty (OCAP). The Hill Times photograph by Andrew Meade

Stronger social policies help all of us, not only the poor

Opinion | BY DAVID CRANE | August 24, 2020
  • TORONTO—The COVID-19 pandemic clearly shows how dependent our society is on frontline workers. Caregivers in nursing homes, grocery clerks, and warehouse and delivery workers

Stronger social policies help all of us, not only the poor

Opinion | BY DAVID CRANE | August 24, 2020
  • TORONTO—The COVID-19 pandemic clearly shows how dependent our society is on frontline workers. Caregivers in nursing homes, grocery clerks, and warehouse and delivery workers
Activists marched to Parliament Hill in 2017 to protest the government's social housing program. The event was organized by the Front d'action populaire en réaménagement urbain (FRAPRU) and supported by the Ontario Coalition Against Poverty (OCAP). The Hill Times photograph by Andrew Meade

Last thing the world needs is a new Cold War, this time with China

  • TORONTO—Global Affairs Canada says that Foreign Affairs Minister François-Philippe Champagne has “called for a new framework for Canada-China relations.” But when will we see
Opinion | BY DAVID CRANE | August 10, 2020
Chinese President Xi Jinping and U.S. President Donald Trump. The Trump administration has argued, with U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo’s recent inflammatory speech denouncing China as the latest example, that U.S. president Richard Nixon and Henry Kissinger accomplished nothing in establishing diplomatic relations with China. Instead, the Trump administration seeks to isolate China and force it to bend to America’s will, writes David Crane. Photographs courtesy of Flickr

Last thing the world needs is a new Cold War, this time with China

Opinion | BY DAVID CRANE | August 10, 2020
  • TORONTO—Global Affairs Canada says that Foreign Affairs Minister François-Philippe Champagne has “called for a new framework for Canada-China relations.” But when will we see

Last thing the world needs is a new Cold War, this time with China

Opinion | BY DAVID CRANE | August 10, 2020
  • TORONTO—Global Affairs Canada says that Foreign Affairs Minister François-Philippe Champagne has “called for a new framework for Canada-China relations.” But when will we see
Chinese President Xi Jinping and U.S. President Donald Trump. The Trump administration has argued, with U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo’s recent inflammatory speech denouncing China as the latest example, that U.S. president Richard Nixon and Henry Kissinger accomplished nothing in establishing diplomatic relations with China. Instead, the Trump administration seeks to isolate China and force it to bend to America’s will, writes David Crane. Photographs courtesy of Flickr

Canada cannot be drawn into a false choice between United States and China

  • TORONTO—Oct. 13 will be the 50th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Canada and China. But how will the Trudeau government mark
Opinion | BY DAVID CRANE | August 3, 2020
Canadians Michael Spavor, left, and Michael Kovrig, been detained by Chinese authorities since December 2018. Canada cannot allow itself to be drawn into a false choice between the United States and China. Despite differences with China in many areas—Canada has to restore a relationship with China, which probably will not be possible until the two Michaels episode is resolved, writes David Crane. Photographs courtesy of Twitter and the International Crisis Group

Canada cannot be drawn into a false choice between United States and China

Opinion | BY DAVID CRANE | August 3, 2020
  • TORONTO—Oct. 13 will be the 50th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Canada and China. But how will the Trudeau government mark

Canada cannot be drawn into a false choice between United States and China

Opinion | BY DAVID CRANE | August 3, 2020
  • TORONTO—Oct. 13 will be the 50th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Canada and China. But how will the Trudeau government mark
Canadians Michael Spavor, left, and Michael Kovrig, been detained by Chinese authorities since December 2018. Canada cannot allow itself to be drawn into a false choice between the United States and China. Despite differences with China in many areas—Canada has to restore a relationship with China, which probably will not be possible until the two Michaels episode is resolved, writes David Crane. Photographs courtesy of Twitter and the International Crisis Group

Rebuilding our way out of COVID-19 pandemic won’t be easy

  • TORONTO—Rebuilding our way out of the COVID-19 pandemic will not be easy. We will need an economy that can deliver good jobs, produce high-value
Opinion | BY DAVID CRANE | July 27, 2020
Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland, pictured July 22, 2020, leaving the West Block on Parliament Hill. There are many opportunities facing us, but also many challenges in the post-pandemic future, writes David Crane. The Hill Times photograph by Andrew Meade

Rebuilding our way out of COVID-19 pandemic won’t be easy

Opinion | BY DAVID CRANE | July 27, 2020
  • TORONTO—Rebuilding our way out of the COVID-19 pandemic will not be easy. We will need an economy that can deliver good jobs, produce high-value

Rebuilding our way out of COVID-19 pandemic won’t be easy

Opinion | BY DAVID CRANE | July 27, 2020
  • TORONTO—Rebuilding our way out of the COVID-19 pandemic will not be easy. We will need an economy that can deliver good jobs, produce high-value
Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland, pictured July 22, 2020, leaving the West Block on Parliament Hill. There are many opportunities facing us, but also many challenges in the post-pandemic future, writes David Crane. The Hill Times photograph by Andrew Meade

U.S. election will have real outcomes for us, no matter who wins

  • TORONTO—Regardless of who wins the U.S. presidential election campaign in November, it will be a victory for America First. While the approaches of Donald
Opinion | BY DAVID CRANE | July 20, 2020
It's on: While the approaches of Donald Trump and Joe Biden are clearly different, both are promising protectionist policies to voters who fear their country is falling behind—and either will create problems for us, even if Biden is the preferable choice, writes David Crane. Photographs courtesy of Flickr

U.S. election will have real outcomes for us, no matter who wins

Opinion | BY DAVID CRANE | July 20, 2020
  • TORONTO—Regardless of who wins the U.S. presidential election campaign in November, it will be a victory for America First. While the approaches of Donald

U.S. election will have real outcomes for us, no matter who wins

Opinion | BY DAVID CRANE | July 20, 2020
  • TORONTO—Regardless of who wins the U.S. presidential election campaign in November, it will be a victory for America First. While the approaches of Donald
It's on: While the approaches of Donald Trump and Joe Biden are clearly different, both are promising protectionist policies to voters who fear their country is falling behind—and either will create problems for us, even if Biden is the preferable choice, writes David Crane. Photographs courtesy of Flickr

Economic recovery plan must help those at the bottom first

  • TORONTO—Even before the pandemic, increased inequality in income and wealth between those at the top and those in the bottom 50 per cent had
Opinion | BY DAVID CRANE | July 13, 2020
A sign alerting customers to the Lord Elgin Hotel's closure hangs on the door in Ottawa on May. 5, 2020. The hotel was forced to shut its doors to customers in March as the COVID-19 pandemic began to devastate the travel and tourism industry. The Hill Times photograph by Andrew Meade

Economic recovery plan must help those at the bottom first

Opinion | BY DAVID CRANE | July 13, 2020
  • TORONTO—Even before the pandemic, increased inequality in income and wealth between those at the top and those in the bottom 50 per cent had

Economic recovery plan must help those at the bottom first

Opinion | BY DAVID CRANE | July 13, 2020
  • TORONTO—Even before the pandemic, increased inequality in income and wealth between those at the top and those in the bottom 50 per cent had
A sign alerting customers to the Lord Elgin Hotel's closure hangs on the door in Ottawa on May. 5, 2020. The hotel was forced to shut its doors to customers in March as the COVID-19 pandemic began to devastate the travel and tourism industry. The Hill Times photograph by Andrew Meade

It’s time Liberals get serious about climate change

  • TORONTO—During last year’s federal election, the Trudeau government promised to join the growing list of nations committed to net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050.
Opinion | BY DAVID CRANE | July 6, 2020
It will take more than aspirations and boasts from the federal Liberals. It will take capacities for strategizing, implementation and transparency, all of which are all too rare in Ottawa. Yet there is too much at risk to fail, writes David Crane. Image courtesy of Pixabay

It’s time Liberals get serious about climate change

Opinion | BY DAVID CRANE | July 6, 2020
  • TORONTO—During last year’s federal election, the Trudeau government promised to join the growing list of nations committed to net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050.

It’s time Liberals get serious about climate change

Opinion | BY DAVID CRANE | July 6, 2020
  • TORONTO—During last year’s federal election, the Trudeau government promised to join the growing list of nations committed to net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050.
It will take more than aspirations and boasts from the federal Liberals. It will take capacities for strategizing, implementation and transparency, all of which are all too rare in Ottawa. Yet there is too much at risk to fail, writes David Crane. Image courtesy of Pixabay

It’s easy to see why U.S. Big Tech sees Canada as a happy hunting ground

  • TORONTO—Investment Canada boasts that “it continues to play an important role in encouraging investments from global companies.” But is this mission out of date?
Opinion | BY DAVID CRANE | June 29, 2020
Although Investment Canada makes it extraordinarily difficult to obtain information, we can garner a partial picture of the steady takeover of Canadian tech companies and their key intellectual property. Image courtesy of Pixabay

It’s easy to see why U.S. Big Tech sees Canada as a happy hunting ground

Opinion | BY DAVID CRANE | June 29, 2020
  • TORONTO—Investment Canada boasts that “it continues to play an important role in encouraging investments from global companies.” But is this mission out of date?

It’s easy to see why U.S. Big Tech sees Canada as a happy hunting ground

Opinion | BY DAVID CRANE | June 29, 2020
  • TORONTO—Investment Canada boasts that “it continues to play an important role in encouraging investments from global companies.” But is this mission out of date?
Although Investment Canada makes it extraordinarily difficult to obtain information, we can garner a partial picture of the steady takeover of Canadian tech companies and their key intellectual property. Image courtesy of Pixabay

This just in: it’s time to strengthen our parliamentary system, now more than ever

  • TORONTO—Bloc Québécois Leader Yves-François Blanchet may have been a bit over the top when he described Prime Minister Justin Trudeau as a would-be “king”
Opinion | BY DAVID CRANE | June 22, 2020
Bloc Québécois Leader Yves-François Blanchet may have been a bit over the top when he described Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, pictured in the House on May 13, 2020, as a would-be 'king' of Canada. But he wasn’t too far off the mark, writes David Crane. The Hill Times photograph by Andrew Meade

This just in: it’s time to strengthen our parliamentary system, now more than ever

Opinion | BY DAVID CRANE | June 22, 2020
  • TORONTO—Bloc Québécois Leader Yves-François Blanchet may have been a bit over the top when he described Prime Minister Justin Trudeau as a would-be “king”

This just in: it’s time to strengthen our parliamentary system, now more than ever

Opinion | BY DAVID CRANE | June 22, 2020
  • TORONTO—Bloc Québécois Leader Yves-François Blanchet may have been a bit over the top when he described Prime Minister Justin Trudeau as a would-be “king”
Bloc Québécois Leader Yves-François Blanchet may have been a bit over the top when he described Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, pictured in the House on May 13, 2020, as a would-be 'king' of Canada. But he wasn’t too far off the mark, writes David Crane. The Hill Times photograph by Andrew Meade

Where we were is no longer there

  • TORONTO—If things go well as we gradually reopen the economy, by the end of 2021 we should be back to where we were at
Opinion | BY DAVID CRANE | June 15, 2020
While this may be the best we can hope for, even bigger challenges lie beyond the immediate reopening, as a team of former senior policy-makers from the federal government warn in a report published by law firm Bennett Jones. We have to rebuild the economy as well—actually build a new economy—and do it under extraordinarily difficult circumstances. Otherwise, we will end up even poorer, writes David Crane. The Hill Times photograph by Andrew Meade

Where we were is no longer there

Opinion | BY DAVID CRANE | June 15, 2020
  • TORONTO—If things go well as we gradually reopen the economy, by the end of 2021 we should be back to where we were at

Where we were is no longer there

Opinion | BY DAVID CRANE | June 15, 2020
  • TORONTO—If things go well as we gradually reopen the economy, by the end of 2021 we should be back to where we were at
While this may be the best we can hope for, even bigger challenges lie beyond the immediate reopening, as a team of former senior policy-makers from the federal government warn in a report published by law firm Bennett Jones. We have to rebuild the economy as well—actually build a new economy—and do it under extraordinarily difficult circumstances. Otherwise, we will end up even poorer, writes David Crane. The Hill Times photograph by Andrew Meade

Conservative Party’s not a credible opposition today

  • TORONTO—What on Earth is happening to the Conservative Party? Is it determined to become increasingly irrelevant on the big issues facing Canada? Or are
Opinion | BY DAVID CRANE | June 8, 2020
CPC leadership contenders Peter MacKay, Erin O'Toole, Leslyn Lewis, and Derek Sloan. What on Earth is happening to the Conservative Party? Is it determined to become increasingly irrelevant on the big issues facing Canada? Or are Conservatives simply hoping that the country will someday tire of the Liberals so that they can win by default, writes David Crane. The Hill Times photograph by Andrew Meade, file photo, and photographs courtesy of Twitter

Conservative Party’s not a credible opposition today

Opinion | BY DAVID CRANE | June 8, 2020
  • TORONTO—What on Earth is happening to the Conservative Party? Is it determined to become increasingly irrelevant on the big issues facing Canada? Or are

Conservative Party’s not a credible opposition today

Opinion | BY DAVID CRANE | June 8, 2020
  • TORONTO—What on Earth is happening to the Conservative Party? Is it determined to become increasingly irrelevant on the big issues facing Canada? Or are
CPC leadership contenders Peter MacKay, Erin O'Toole, Leslyn Lewis, and Derek Sloan. What on Earth is happening to the Conservative Party? Is it determined to become increasingly irrelevant on the big issues facing Canada? Or are Conservatives simply hoping that the country will someday tire of the Liberals so that they can win by default, writes David Crane. The Hill Times photograph by Andrew Meade, file photo, and photographs courtesy of Twitter

We need a different kind of industrial strategy

  • TORONTO—Think of all the tradable goods and services we produce across Canada— from canola oil and Canada Goose parkas, to tourism and Shopify’s e-commerce
Opinion | BY DAVID CRANE | June 1, 2020
Canada today lacks such a coherent strategy for the future. It is not coming from government, from our universities, our business organizations or our think tanks. Yet it is hard to think of a more pressing need. Without such a strategy we will only offer the world a dated catalogue that’s far less attractive than those of our competitors. And that means we will be a poorer country, writes David Crane. The Hill Times photograph by Andrew Meade

We need a different kind of industrial strategy

Opinion | BY DAVID CRANE | June 1, 2020
  • TORONTO—Think of all the tradable goods and services we produce across Canada— from canola oil and Canada Goose parkas, to tourism and Shopify’s e-commerce

We need a different kind of industrial strategy

Opinion | BY DAVID CRANE | June 1, 2020
  • TORONTO—Think of all the tradable goods and services we produce across Canada— from canola oil and Canada Goose parkas, to tourism and Shopify’s e-commerce
Canada today lacks such a coherent strategy for the future. It is not coming from government, from our universities, our business organizations or our think tanks. Yet it is hard to think of a more pressing need. Without such a strategy we will only offer the world a dated catalogue that’s far less attractive than those of our competitors. And that means we will be a poorer country, writes David Crane. The Hill Times photograph by Andrew Meade

We’ll need the capability to restart economy once pandemic fades

  • TORONTO—The first priority is to do everything we can to protect the health of Canadians. The second is to ensure Canadians have enough income
Opinion | BY DAVID CRANE | April 27, 2020
The post-pandemic world will be difficult and there will be no overnight recovery—it won’t be V-shaped. But one thing we can do now is to make sure that our future drivers for growth—our innovative tech companies—are well-positioned to play their key role in our post-pandemic world, writes David Crane. The Hill Times photograph by Andrew Meade

We’ll need the capability to restart economy once pandemic fades

Opinion | BY DAVID CRANE | April 27, 2020
  • TORONTO—The first priority is to do everything we can to protect the health of Canadians. The second is to ensure Canadians have enough income

We’ll need the capability to restart economy once pandemic fades

Opinion | BY DAVID CRANE | April 27, 2020
  • TORONTO—The first priority is to do everything we can to protect the health of Canadians. The second is to ensure Canadians have enough income
The post-pandemic world will be difficult and there will be no overnight recovery—it won’t be V-shaped. But one thing we can do now is to make sure that our future drivers for growth—our innovative tech companies—are well-positioned to play their key role in our post-pandemic world, writes David Crane. The Hill Times photograph by Andrew Meade

We need a bold new nation-building strategy

  • TORONTO—If we are to successfully transition from the current pandemic to future prosperity we need a bold new nation-building strategy. This is quite different
Opinion | BY DAVID CRANE | April 20, 2020
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, pictured April 14, 2020, at his daily press conference outside Rideau Cottage in Ottawa. Canada will require both a vision that identifies and defines the strategic goals of a nation-building strategy and the practical policies to implement the strategy and achieve its goals, writes David Crane. The Hill Times photograph by Andrew Meade

We need a bold new nation-building strategy

Opinion | BY DAVID CRANE | April 20, 2020
  • TORONTO—If we are to successfully transition from the current pandemic to future prosperity we need a bold new nation-building strategy. This is quite different

We need a bold new nation-building strategy

Opinion | BY DAVID CRANE | April 20, 2020
  • TORONTO—If we are to successfully transition from the current pandemic to future prosperity we need a bold new nation-building strategy. This is quite different
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, pictured April 14, 2020, at his daily press conference outside Rideau Cottage in Ottawa. Canada will require both a vision that identifies and defines the strategic goals of a nation-building strategy and the practical policies to implement the strategy and achieve its goals, writes David Crane. The Hill Times photograph by Andrew Meade

Tech sector left out of feds’ COVID-19 rescue package

  • TORONTO—A healthy federal fiscal position and a professional public service are combining to give the Trudeau government the capacity to respond to the COVID-19
Opinion | BY DAVID CRANE | April 13, 2020
Innovation Minister Navdeep Bains, pictured on March 20, 2020, gives an update on the government's measures to help Canadians weather the COVID-19 pandemic. The Liberal government must do more to help Canada's cutting-edge tech companies survive the crisis, writes David Crane. The Hill Times photograph by Andrew Meade

Tech sector left out of feds’ COVID-19 rescue package

Opinion | BY DAVID CRANE | April 13, 2020
  • TORONTO—A healthy federal fiscal position and a professional public service are combining to give the Trudeau government the capacity to respond to the COVID-19

Tech sector left out of feds’ COVID-19 rescue package

Opinion | BY DAVID CRANE | April 13, 2020
  • TORONTO—A healthy federal fiscal position and a professional public service are combining to give the Trudeau government the capacity to respond to the COVID-19
Innovation Minister Navdeep Bains, pictured on March 20, 2020, gives an update on the government's measures to help Canadians weather the COVID-19 pandemic. The Liberal government must do more to help Canada's cutting-edge tech companies survive the crisis, writes David Crane. The Hill Times photograph by Andrew Meade

Once the pandemic is over, we’ll need a new social contract for Canada

  • TORONTO—Even before the pandemic hit, it was clear we needed a new social contract. While the pandemic brutally exposed the shortcomings of our society
Opinion | BY DAVID CRANE | April 6, 2020
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, pictured March 31, 2020, at his daily press conference outside Rideau Cottage in Ottawa. The Trudeau government should direct Statistics Canada to prepare a full social/economic/health report on the lives of Canadians from the year 2000 to the present. Much of the data is available within the great data resources of Statistics Canada, but it needs to be put together in one comprehensive report that digs down into detail. Such an exercise would also identify where there are critical data gaps that need to be filled, writes David Crane. The Hill Times photograph by Andrew Meade

Once the pandemic is over, we’ll need a new social contract for Canada

Opinion | BY DAVID CRANE | April 6, 2020
  • TORONTO—Even before the pandemic hit, it was clear we needed a new social contract. While the pandemic brutally exposed the shortcomings of our society

Once the pandemic is over, we’ll need a new social contract for Canada

Opinion | BY DAVID CRANE | April 6, 2020
  • TORONTO—Even before the pandemic hit, it was clear we needed a new social contract. While the pandemic brutally exposed the shortcomings of our society
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, pictured March 31, 2020, at his daily press conference outside Rideau Cottage in Ottawa. The Trudeau government should direct Statistics Canada to prepare a full social/economic/health report on the lives of Canadians from the year 2000 to the present. Much of the data is available within the great data resources of Statistics Canada, but it needs to be put together in one comprehensive report that digs down into detail. Such an exercise would also identify where there are critical data gaps that need to be filled, writes David Crane. The Hill Times photograph by Andrew Meade

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