National Newswatch

Dec 18 2018 — Malcolm Mayes — National Newswatch —

Dec 18 2018 — Alex Binkley — National Newswatch — Many will be watching for signs Ottawa actually tackling the regulatory burden.   Ottawa—The federal government is making promising statements about seriously tackling the burden of regulations the country’s businesses face as they attempt to improve their international competitiveness. In many cases, it comes down to I’ll believe it when I see it. Treasury Board […]

Dec 18 2018 — Glen Pearson — National Newswatch — It’s in the DNA of our democracy that we complain about it all the time, frequently hearkening back to supposedly better times, and castigating our politicians simply because they’re the easiest to target. As we close out 2018, it’s important to remember that certain phrases gained traction in the past twelve months that signal our […]

Dec 17 2018 — Alex Binkley — National Newswatch — The agrifood sector has to become creative in updating Ottawa’s view of farming.   Ottawa—Much of the federal government is stuck in the past when it comes to understanding agriculture and the sector has to be prepared to be very creative to fix all the misunderstandings, says Donald Buckingham. The President of the Canadian Agriculture […]

Dec 14 2018 — Alex Binkley — National Newswatch — Non tariff barriers pose huge threat to the grain sector.   Ottawa—While applauding the federal government for completing three key trade deals, the Canada Grains Council (CGC) says those successes are just a first step. Now the government has to prevent its trading partners from bringing in non tariff barriers that undo the benefits of […]

Dec 13 2018 — Alex Binkley — National Newswatch — Ottawa—Ron Bonnett won’t be running for re-election as president when the Canadian Federation of Agricultue holds its annual meeting in February but he intends to remain involved in a mentoring role for future farm leaders. “I never wanted to stay in the job too long,” he said in an interview. His experience in the CFA, […]

Dec 12 2018 — Alex Binkley — National Newswatch — Consumers as well as producers will suffer, Senate report says.   Ottawa—Agriculture and forestry have worked hard to reduce their carbon footprint and shouldn’t be forced to pay a second time with the introduction of the federal carbon pricing plan to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, says a report by the Senate agriculture committee. While the […]

Dec 12 2018 — Theo Moudakis — National Newswatch —

Dec 12 2018 — Paula Gordon — National Newswatch — Canadian women should be outraged. This week, the Canadian Task Force on Preventive Health released its latest guidelines for screening for breast cancer for women at average risk. They advise against mammography for women aged 40-49, against women doing breast self-examination, and against doctors doing breast exams. They recommend women age 50-74 have mammograms every […]

Dec 11 2018 — C. Scott Clark and Peter DeVries — National Newswatch — The Liberals should not set a target date for a balanced budget, but they should take action in the 2019 budget to eliminate “unannounced” spending, included in the 2018 Budget and 2018 Update, in order to reduce the deficit in future years. In the weeks leading up to the Fall Update, the Conservative opposition has […]

Dec 11 2018 — Alex Binkley — National Newswatch — System should help producers meet new federal rules on antimicrobial use in animals.   Ottawa—Livestock owners should receive better outcomes working with their vets in treating sick animals under an information system developed by the the Canadian Veterinary Medical Association (CVMA). The system was launched to coincide with the Dec. 1 start of new federal […]

Dec 10 2018 — Alex Binkley — National Newswatch — Meat consumption is at levels not seen since the 1980s, it says.   OTTAWA – The Canadian Meat Council (CMC) says meat consumption remains strong in Canada despite claims in the Canada Food Report 2019 that Canadians are moving to plant-based food alternatives. The beef demand index showed a decrease of just 2 per cent […]

Dec 10 2018 — Don Lenihan — National Newswatch — Tomorrow, Canada will sign the United Nations Global Compact on Migration in Marrakesh, Morocco, and so it should. For Canada, at least, this is a no-brainer. At least, it seemed to be, until Andrew Sheer shot up a flare in Question Period last week. Now everyone has a view. Sheer claims that the Trudeau government […]

Dec 5 2018 — Glen Pearson — National Newswatch — They say he was from another era, another point in time when respect mattered, humility was a virtue and decency was effective.  They also follow these observations by noting that such times are gone forever, relegated to history, never to be resurrected. But maybe that’s not right. The tributes that poured in following the passing […]

Dec 4 2018 — Glen Pearson — National Newswatch — It was an honour last evening to be asked to offer the benediction at the official swearing in of our new City Council and to place the official chain of office around the neck of incoming mayor Ed Holder.  Similar formalities are going on across Ontario.  Two things remained with me following the ceremony – […]