Following ‘scathing’ AG report, Canadians still looking for answers about pandemic preparedness, says MP, experts
The federal government’s public health system was “substantially poorly prepared for a global pandemic”—and the government has to tell Canadians why early alerts surrounding COVID-19 weren’t issued, says NDP MP Don Davies, his party’s health critic, after the auditor general released a report last week. A closer examination of the Public Health Agency of Canada’s […]
Time between pandemics might shrink, and feds must redefine health security, say influenza, intelligence experts
Canada needs better, smarter infrastructure to prepare for the spread of viruses that will “weaponize themselves on the pathways of globalization,” say a vaccine scientist and a security expert. The wreckage from the COVID-19 crisis includes tens of thousands of deaths, billions of dollars lost by businesses large and small, and incalculable harm to the […]
Women have spurned Conservatives during COVID; party must put appeal to them ‘in the front window,’ say politicos
The Conservative Party trails the Liberal Party by a significant margin among women voters in what is widely expected to be an election year, and Leader Erin O’Toole will need help in order to win enough of them back in time, say Conservatives and pollsters. To close the gap, the Conservatives will have to find […]
Pre-budget pitches, virtual ‘Hill days’ push February lobbying
The promise of the first federal budget in more than two years, planned legislation to address online hate, and pandemic-related health concerns drove the lobbying efforts in February of some of the busiest groups as Parliament returned for its first sitting of 2021. Last month, lobbyists filed 3,223 communication reports in the federal registry, a […]
Competition and cooperation, not containment, is likely to dictate West’s approach to China
The recent discussions between the Americans and the Chinese in Anchorage, Alaska, have not had the impact of the discovery of gold near the city in the late 19th century. However, in global terms, there was and remains, in the aftermath of the talks, some expectation the two dominant world powers have provided shape for […]
Liberals, NDP near finish line for virtual conventions after Conservatives put theirs to bed
With the Conservative convention now wrapped up, the Liberals and NDP will soon get their turn in the political spotlight. Both affairs, scheduled for early April, are slated to overlap, though the Liberals’ recent move to expand their convention to three days gives the public a day off from duelling convention headlines and counterprogramming. The […]
Conservatives face tougher political terrain in push to convince voters party can deliver on climate action, say experts
Conservative Leader Erin O’Toole is facing headwinds battling public perception that his party isn’t serious about reining in emissions, a challenge, some experts say, that is unlikely to be easily overcome as he finds himself in a much different political environment. The Liberals are in a stronger position to question the credibility of the Conservatives’ […]
Feds’ plan to verify ‘integrity’ of CERB payments could take four years: AG report
After designing and rolling out the Canada Emergency Response Benefit within “a few weeks,” Ottawa is now embarking on the “critical” work of verifying eligibility to ensure the “integrity” of recipients—efforts that could stretch into 2025, according to a new report. Speaking to reporters Thursday, Auditor General Karen Hogan commended the feds for “reacting in […]
Effort to stall passage of bill to mandate judicial training on sexual assault may be afoot, says Senator Dalphond
Quebec Senator Pierre Dalphond says he’s concerned there may be an effort to stymie the passage of legislation aimed at ensuring judges receive sensitivity training before presiding over sexual-assault cases. A pair of hearings scheduled by the Senate Legal Affairs Committee on Wednesday and Thursday on Bill C-3, legislation that requires judges to be well […]
Public Health Agency unprepared for pandemic, ‘underestimated’ COVID-19: federal audit
The Public Health Agency of Canada “underestimated” the impact of COVID-19 in the early days of the virus’ spread and was not “adequately prepared” to respond to the pandemic, failing to address long-standing issues before the outbreak, according to Canada’s federal auditor. In a report tabled Thursday, Karen Hogan’s office found PHAC had not completed […]
