More money, not austerity, needed to tackle COVID crisis, letter writer says
Re: “If we are truly ‘strong and resilient’ the government should act on the debt,” (The Hill Times, Sept. 30, p. 10). Though many fret about the government’s COVID-induced spending, the debt-to-GDP ratio of the U.S. is twice that of Canada, and Japan’s is more than four times as much. These two countries have low […]
Donald Trump, power tool of the new barbarians
During the last two major global clashes between democracy and totalitarianism—unleashed by the rise of fascism that produced the Second World War and of communism that produced the Cold War—ideology was at the core of the battle, at least in theory. The process of seducing human beings as adherents until the obliteration of democracy makes […]
Potential Proud Boys proliferation in Canada’s military deserves a closer look
OTTAWA—At the Sept. 29 U.S. presidential election debate, Donald Trump propelled the hate group the Proud Boys into the international spotlight. When asked by the moderator to denounce white supremacists, Trump balked and asked for the name of a specific group. Former vice-president Joe Biden suggested the Proud Boys, to which Trump stated, “Proud Boys […]
Canada and China’s enduring co-operation on climate change
When I worked in the Chinese Embassy in Canada 20 years ago, I did not expect that 20 years later, the temperature in Ottawa could exceed 30 degrees Celsius as early as late May. In fact, on May 27, the temperature peaked at 34.8 degrees, setting a record for the hottest May 27 in Ottawa […]
Infrastructure bank’s $10-billion growth plan must be green, gender equal
With its focus on renewable energy, electric buses, and home retrofits, the Canadian Infrastructure Bank’s $10-billion growth plan is very green. But it says nothing at all about gender issues. Given its feminist government sponsor and its own gender-balanced board of directors, the CIB should, instead, be a leader in demonstrating how major public-private projects […]
More of the same in Speech from the Throne for Kovrig, Spavor
“The Government will also continue to stand up for human rights and the rule of law. It is unacceptable that any citizen be arbitrarily detained. Michael Kovrig and Michael Spavor must be brought home.” Speech from the Throne, Sep 23, 2020 The sentiment is absolutely right. Michael Kovrig and Michael Spavor must be brought home. […]
The mysterious allure of being French
On Sunday, New Caledonia voted to remain French by a majority of 53.3 per cent to 46 per cent. That’s hardly an overwhelming majority, but it was the second referendum in two years to reject independence in the South Pacific archipelago, so we may take it as a done deal. The odd thing about that […]
Ryan Gosling’s lesson on political communications
OAKVILLE, ONT.—My all-time favourite movie on politics, Ides of March, provides a good lesson in political communication. I’m talking about a scene in that movie where a political consultant, played by Ryan Gosling, learns that his candidate’s rival in a Democratic presidential primary race may have invested in a Liberian diamond mine. Not knowing whether the mine […]
To make the recovery ‘green’ and ‘inclusive,’ we need to level the playing field for Indigenous communities
The recent Throne Speech reiterated the urgency of taking strong action on climate change while maintaining a focus on creating jobs. The government’s stimulus package, which includes additional measures towards the climate targets set for 2030, including proposed legislation to achieve zero net emissions by 2050, highlights how important it is for Canada to remain […]
Feds shouldn’t fund private fossil fuel expansion, East Coast letter writer says
As California, Oregon, and Washington suffer through wildfires of apocalyptic proportions as well as temperatures of nearly 55 C being reached in southern California, here on the East Coast, Husky Energy is pressuring the federal government into buying a stake in its oil business. Husky’s woes are caused by the coronavirus, the slowdown of the […]
