National Newswatch

Articles by Jaime Watt

New polling shows deep changes in who Canadians trust — most politicians are down, while scientific community and smaller businesses are up

May 16 2021 — Jaime Watt — — As winter melts into spring and vaccination rates rise steadily, the end of the pandemic has, mercifully, begun. The indescribable events we have lived through this past year and a half have shaken us to our core, leading us to question our most fundamental beliefs — about the role of government, business and other institutions, […]

Border closures have proven to be a successful measure. We cannot allow what is politically convenient to guide our pandemic response

May 2 2021 — Jaime Watt — — As the country struggles through the third wave of the COVID-19 pandemic, we have finally obtained enough distance from the first wave to consider it properly in hindsight. In those early days of the pandemic, when we knew so little and feared so much, governments around the world tried all manner of policy responses. Among […]

The Supreme Court’s ruling on carbon pricing is a political windfall for the Liberals, but also a chance for Erin O’Toole to make hay

Mar 28 2021 — Jaime Watt — — The Supreme Court has spoken. Climate change — and the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions — is a matter of national concern. In a 6-3 decision, the court ruled that the Greenhouse Gas Pollution Pricing Act is constitutional and that the federal government indeed has the authority to implement or require provinces to implement a […]

Erin O’Toole gambles on change

Mar 21 2021 — Jaime Watt — — In one sense, Erin O’Toole’s first policy convention as party leader came at a tough time. The party cannot gather in person because of the pandemic; the prospect of another virtual event was admittedly difficult to get excited about, and O’Toole himself would need to deliver one of the most important speeches of his career […]

Trudeau’s long overdue budget is a travesty, but it is also an opportunity to launch an election and define the campaign on his terms

Mar 14 2021 — Jaime Watt — — By now, it has become tiresome to point out just how long Canadians have waited since the Trudeau government tabled its last federal budget. Week after week, Opposition MPs and partisans have piled on with the effect of lending the whole debacle an air of legitimacy, as though many are simply taking potshots at a […]

What the Liberals got right — and wrong — in long overdue reforms to assisted dying

Mar 7 2021 — Jaime Watt — — It has been a long, winding and unnecessarily tortuous journey, but finally, the federal government is about to recognize all Canadians’ right to a peaceful death. Back in 2016, when the Trudeau government first introduced legislation that legalized medical assistance in dying (MAID), the government described it as “the responsible first step.” It would have […]

Policy-making needs an equity lens, all year round

Feb 28 2021 — Jaime Watt — — Sun., Feb. 28, 2021timer3 min. read Black History Month presents an annual opportunity to reflect on the achievements and legacy of Black Canadians. But the month itself is more than that. It is also a good time to consider the impacts our systems of public policy development and implementation have in terms of anti-Black racism. […]

Lagging vaccine rollout could cost Liberals in a big way

Feb 7 2021 — Jaime Watt — — When this all started, it’s fair to say that no one, no government, could be truly prepared for what was to come. And so, Canadians responded with their characteristic reasonableness. They supported the government as it scrambled to launch a blizzard of programmes and plans in response to a crisis, the dimensions of which were […]