Canada should examine its moral failings in Libyan intervention
OTTAWA— Last week, the British Parliament was in a flap over the fact that during a heated debate, Defence Secretary Ben Wallace stated the U.K. had previously been involved in “illegal wars.” Wallace was obviously referring to the war in Iraq, and his Labour Party counterparts took offence. Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s office had to later issue a statement […]
Redrawing the political landscape as COVID becomes a way of life
OTTAWA—Throne Speeches are always aspirational, but the blueprint for the future that Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has rolled out goes a step beyond. It stands as the kind of comprehensive policy wish list political parties normally accumulate over the course of an entire election campaign. Touching on the full spectrum of social and economic policy, […]
Throne Speech reminds us to be generous and involved global citizens: reader
The prime minister announced on Sept. 25 that Canada would purchase vaccines for low- and middle-income countries in addition to acquiring vaccines for Canadians. Canada is doing this by contributing to the COVAX facility, which was established early in the pandemic to bring countries together to meet the goal of fair access to COVID-19 vaccines everywhere. We […]
If we are truly ‘strong and resilient’ the government should act on the debt
OTTAWA—Like many Canadians, I skipped watching the Speech from the Throne and the prime minister’s “non-political chat” last week. It was unusual, as I have always been interested in the speech, especially as a public servant when I contributed a sentence or two. This time, I thought it was a waste of time, as I […]
Parliament returns with the theatre of building back better
CALGARY—It’s Fall 2020 and we still have a government. That’s nice. It’s the best one can hope for in the midst of a global pandemic, economic disintegration, and a society that is held together, not by a common purpose, but the tenuous glue of predictable racial fragmentation. A lot of people are telling on themselves […]
The uniquely Canadian way to kick-start our recovery
It’s been interesting to watch the debates on how to fuel Canada’s recovery, and as the owner of a Canadian start-up, I am perplexed. Of course, tax breaks, grants, and targeted liquidity would benefit my business, just as they would any other small- and medium-sized enterprise (SME). But let’s agree—changes to fiscal policy are not […]
It’s time to bridge our country’s great digital divide
If you’re of a certain age, chances are you’ll never forget the screeching symphony of sounds your computer once had to perform just to get online. Today, dial-up internet is a relic of the 90s for most—something many reminisce and chuckle about. However, for many rural Canadians, particularly farmers, lack of broadband internet is still […]
Throne Speech a missed opportunity to signal real action on tackling systemic racism
A Throne Speech isn’t meant to be much more than a high-level outline of what the government intends to do in the coming session of Parliament. But there is room for specificity, and the government has taken advantage of that for other initiatives. For example, this time around, the Liberals zeroed in on the creation […]
Has failing to call a fall election signalled Trudeau’s undoing?
Justin Trudeau possibly made his first fatal mistake when he prorogued Parliament on Aug. 18 rather than calling an election to reset the government agenda to face the ongoing challenges of the pandemic. His decision to prorogue was likely a calculation that Canadian voters would turn against the Liberals for calling a snap election in the […]
Armenia, Azerbaijan head for biggest clash over disputed territory since 1994 ceasefire
It’s probably Azerbaijan that started the shooting in this latest round of fighting with neighbouring Armenia. Which is not to say that it’s all Azerbaijan’s fault. The killing that started on Sunday is the biggest clash since the ceasefire of 1994: helicopters shot down, tanks blown up, and dozens of soldiers dead already. It could […]
