Canada and the China syndrome
OAKVILLE, ONT.—Thanks to COVID-19, China’s ruling Communist Party is at the centre of world attention. And not in a good way. Indeed, many are arguing the Chinese government may have deliberately covered up the virus’s true deadliness, which left the rest of the world unprepared for COVID-19’s lethal onslaught. The state of Missouri is even […]
Questions remain for federal employees as governments relax physical distancing
As federal offices prepare for the inevitable return to work, Public Services and Procurement Canada has assured us that employees will be coming back to “productive and healthy work environments.” Spokesperson Marc-Andre Charbonneau said in an email statement on April 28 that an increased effort was underway to ensure they will return to safe spaces, […]
How COVID-19 may save us money amid higher food prices
Food costs are always on consumers’ minds. Hard to blame them as they spend close to 10 per cent of their budget on food. It is not the highest portion of their budget, but it is certainly an important one. However, given how the COVID-19 pandemic is affecting the global economy, we should all expect […]
Days of fossil fuels aren’t over, but for Canada they are shrinking
TORONTO—As the International Energy Agency says, “the global oil industry is experiencing a shock like no other in its history.” The collapse in prices and dramatic cuts in demand, with ongoing production having no place to go, has devastated Alberta and Newfoundland, prompting desperate cries for federal help. The question of what governments should do […]
After COVID-19, Canada will need to follow the economy’s brightest stars
What a difference a few weeks makes. In early March, Canada’s tech startups were bright stars in a constellation of companies and industries that were the future of our economy. Now, they’re just another sector in danger of being sucked into the black hole of COVID-19. Like everyone, these companies are fighting to survive. But […]
Senate must be better prepared for emergency situations
Canadians’ lives and work have been turned upside down in recent weeks, as the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic imposed changes on our country that were unthinkable just a few weeks ago. But adjust they have. Aided by the technology that enables much work to be performed remotely, Canadians and businesses are adapting and getting […]
Charities are too vital to fail
Charitable organizations in Canada have always been front-line workers, helping the country’s most vulnerable populations. Our role in the COVID-19 pandemic hasn’t changed—except that those vulnerable populations have grown exponentially. The federal government is helping. Wage subsidies and a recently announced $350-million emergency fund are helping nonprofits meet increased demands today. But the economic downturn […]
Early warning and COVID19—bridging the gap between analysis and response
Over the course of four months in 1994, 850,000 people were systematically butchered during the Rwanda genocide. A large body of open-source evidence revealed, well in advance, the killings were carefully orchestrated by groups with malevolent political agendas. All the indicators were there to derive a robust response, but intervention never materialized. The failure to […]
Post-pandemic recovery shouldn’t stop at tax increases, says reader
Re: “The post-COVID Canada faces many challenges,” (The Hill Times, April 22, p. 9). I agree with Andrew Caddell that raising taxes to recover from the mass financial bailout must be one of the first orders of government business. Paying more taxes will be my civic duty. I fully expect wealthy Canadians and corporations to […]
De Adder’s Take: 04-29-2020
