Nov 22 2022 — Various — RFR — Sometimes it’s easier to just keep doing the same thing, even if it no longer makes sense. Since 1945, the Government of Canada has granted a single Canadian security company, the Corps of Commissionaires, a “right of first refusal” (RFR) on all federal government contracts for security guard services, creating a virtual monopoly in exchange […]
May 10 2022 — Various — Policy Options — When the pandemic broke out, causing millions of workers to temporarily lose their jobs, the percentage of unemployed Canadians who were receiving employment insurance was less than 40 per cent — down from more than 80 per cent in the 1990s. In the face of the greatest shock to the Canadian economy in decades, the […]
Apr 21 2022 — Various — Policy Options — Medicare is often referred to as the highest beacon of Canadian values, a great equalizer among people of all walks of life. While for many this is the story of “Canada the Good,” and a history linked to the narrative of Canada, for others the truth is more complex. This latter perspective can best be […]
Apr 6 2022 — Various — National Newswatch — As if a sixth wave of Covid wasn’t enough, Canadians are being hit hard by a wave of inflation, from food and housing, to gas and the general cost of life. Those with the most, however, will barely notice these rising costs, since a pandemic so hard for so many was also so good to […]
Mar 27 2022 — Various — Global News — Former U.S. Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner, who led the American economy through the global financial crisis, often said “a plan beats no plan.” Today we need a plan to tackle one of the most pressing challenges of our time: climate change. The Oil Sands Pathways to Net Zero Alliance, which comprises companies that operate 95 […]
Feb 25 2022 — Various — Global News — Vladimir Putin’s attack against Ukraine, with the clear objective of seizing and controlling the entire country, has left NATO and Western governments reeling. There have been howls of protest from Westminster, the Oval Office, the West Block here in Ottawa and points beyond. A concerted effort is now underway to put in place a new […]
Feb 11 2022 — Various — Aerospace Industries Association of Canada — Canada’s aerospace industry is one of the most research-intensive manufacturing industries and an important driver of Canada’s innovation economy. Budget 2021 rightly recognized that our sector was one of those hardest hit by the pandemic, with a longer path to recovery relative to other sectors of the economy. So it begs the question: why is the […]
Nov 25 2021 — Various — Globe and Mail — In the recent controversy over Air Canada CEO Michael Rousseau’s language skills, his defenders have advanced the usual arguments: English is the language of international business; knowing French is an asset, but not essential. Of course, at issue is not whether a unilingual anglophone can be an effective CEO; it is that an inadequate embrace […]
Nov 11 2021 — Various — National Newswatch — Each year, National Housing Day is held on November 22. It commemorates the day in 1998 when then-mayor of Toronto, along with mayors of Canada’s other large cities, declared homelessness a disaster. Since that time, it’s been a day of action when advocates and everyday Canadians alike remind decision-makers of the urgency and scale of […]
May 24 2021 — Various — Policy Options — Policy-making occurs where opposing ideas, differing values about who should do what, and debate about power dynamics over who should benefit and under what conditions flourish. Some policy issues are more easily resolved and receive broad consensus, if not total agreement. They operate in a virtuous cycle. In contrast, some policy areas never get to […]
Mar 30 2021 — Various — National Newswatch — It has been disconcerting to watch the process of Bill C7 being advanced and passed. We’re concerned about what this could mean for the devaluation of disabled people’s lives in Canada. The Bill must be scrutinized relative to Canada’s commitments to the Human Rights Declaration, the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, […]