May 21 2021 — National Newswatch — The pandemic has put “evidence-based decision-making” in the spotlight. Every day, we see medical experts standing at the dais, shoulder to shoulder with government leaders who openly defer to them and claim to be following their advice. Ontario Premier Doug Ford’s view is typical: “I will always listen to our health care professionals,” he says, “they […]
May 12 2021 — National Newswatch — Standing up to Big Pharma is good politics – especially for a progressive. Yet when US President Joe Biden announced his support last week for a temporary waiver on vaccine patents, the lack of commitment in Ottawa’s response left some people wondering if the government was opposed. Why the reticence? The idea of a waiver […]
May 6 2021 — National Newswatch — We’ve been avoiding the controversy around Jonathan Vance, the former chief of the defence staff. This is hardball politics and it’s a little outside our comfort zone. But two opinion pieces, back-to-back (here and here), convinced us to weigh in. They highlight a critical issue around cabinet government that we think needs further airing. While […]
May 4 2021 — National Newswatch — Last Friday, Ontario Premier Doug Ford declared that if Pearson airport were under his control he would “shut it down.” Meanwhile, federal Health Minister Patty Hajdu was talking up Ottawa’s plans to create “vaccine passports” so that Canadians can start traveling again. It’s a curious conjunction of deepening crisis and rising optimism. It may also be an early sign of a […]
Apr 26 2021 — National Newswatch — Does Joe Biden have anything to teach Justin Trudeau about the transition to a green economy? The president’s speech at last week’s Global Summit suggests he does. Climate change may be a global crisis but, as Biden’s speech makes clear, it is also an opportunity. Framing the issue this way changes the debate and paves […]
Apr 14 2021 — National Newswatch — Justin Trudeau may be proposing a recovery plan that will “build back better,” but last week Erin O’Toole countered with a promise to “build back right.” Conservatives think they not only have a better plan for Canada, but that they have the right one. Can they convince Canadians? Why Conservatives Think the Liberal Plan is Wrong According […]
Mar 29 2021 — National Newswatch — Erin O’Toole just can’t get a break. Around every corner, it seems, is a rock and a hard place. First, it was the tensions between so-cons and libertarians; then his own party kneecapped him on climate change; and now the Supreme Court of Canada threatens to ensure that his campaign to kill the carbon tax ends […]
Mar 23 2021 — National Newswatch — Last week, pundit panels were buzzing about what Erin O’Toole could say at the convention to attract new voters and rally the base. We now have the answer: nothing. Conservatives may be in trouble, but they don’t seem willing to do what they must to turn things around. The stark lesson from last week’s convention is […]
Mar 16 2021 — National Newswatch — Following US President Joe Biden’s national address last Thursday, Scott Wilson of the Washington Post Tweeted that, in his view, Biden’s ‘I Need You’ speech was “the most memorable and unusual appeal in prime-time presidential speech making.” We’d add that the message is as relevant to Canadians – or Europeans or Australians – as to Americans. Here’s why. Curing […]
Mar 14 2021 — Carolyn Thompson, The Associated Press — BUFFALO, N.Y. — As a chorus of top Democrats demanded New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s resignation over sexual harassment allegations last week, the woman who would succeed him if he stepped down did what she's done for most of her time in office: Kept a discreet profile. Lt. Gov. Kathy Hochul delivered virtual remarks at […]
Mar 10 2021 — National Newswatch — In case you haven’t heard, Central Canada could wake up on May 12th to find that its gas and diesel supplies have been cut in half and that Pearson, the biggest airport in the country, can no longer get jet fuel. Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer has terminated Enbridge’s Line 5 agreement and the oil is scheduled to […]
Mar 4 2021 — National Newswatch — Canada’s relationship with China is in freefall. It’s not just the two Michaels: there’s the repression of the Uyghurs, unfair trade practices, industrial espionage, human rights violations in Hong Kong, and lots more. If Erin O’Toole is right, China is “the geopolitical challenge of our times.” The question is, does he – or anyone else – have […]
Feb 23 2021 — National Newswatch — Last Friday, Justice Minister David Lametti asked the Court for a fourth and final extension on revising the law on Medical Assistance in Dying (MAID). The Senate’s amendments on Bill C-7 appear to have hit a nerve and, presumably, the government feels it must respond. But will it do the right thing? Will it now […]
Feb 16 2021 — National Newswatch — Most Canadians think that when the vaccination process is over, life will return to normal. Sorry to be spoilers, but it won’t – not with billions of people waiting in the wings. Fortunately, we can do something to fix this: we can vaccinate them – or we can pay the price. The issue thus is […]
Feb 8 2021 — National Newswatch — In an interview with The Toronto Star last week, the prime minister expressed regret that in its first term his government didn’t always do enough “to bring Canadians along” on big initiatives. Ideally, it would be “involving Canadians as active, engaged citizens on the work we’re doing,” he said. As a team with expertise in […]