Apr 24 2019 — Pamela Palmater — Policy Options — Bureaucrats, ministers of Indian affairs and even premiers and prime ministers have promised year after year to address the multiple, overlapping crises in the Cree Nation of Kashechewan, crises that are firmly rooted in past government decisions. But once again the people of Kashechewan find themselves in danger. They are being evacuated and split up […]
Apr 23 2019 — Policy Options — There is a conventional notion that justice should be blind. But Canada’s Constitution says the opposite: it should not be blind, and it should not be colour blind. Canadians are exceptionally proud of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms; it is considered a national symbol. But too few of us realize that section 27 […]
Apr 16 2019 — Peter Donolo — Policy Options — After more than two months — and a remarkable tally of political casualties — the SNC-Lavalin affair at last appears to be entering its final stages. Aside from its immediate impact on the reputation and electoral fortunes of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and his government, the controversy is certain to be examined for years to […]
Apr 10 2019 — Policy Options — What happens when government tries to govern big tech? For Canada, the answer is that big tech packs up and leaves. Google recently announced it was going to ban political ads ahead of the next federal election because it could not comply with new legislation designed to bring greater scrutiny to online advertising by creating […]
Apr 9 2019 — Sharanjeet Parmar — Policy Options — In a Commons speech last week to Daughters of the Vote, an event to promote women in politics, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau stressed that trust among members of his government is an overarching imperative. The speech came just a day after former cabinet ministers Jody Wilson-Raybould and Jane Philpott had been ejected from the Liberal […]
Apr 5 2019 — Jennifer Ditchburn — Policy Options — With the expulsion of Jody Wilson-Raybould and Jane Philpott from the Liberal caucus, I began to think back on the other so-called “maverick” MPs I’ve come across over the past two decades. Who were the folks who dared to challenge the party line, or speak out of turn, or were just a little oddball? The […]
Apr 3 2019 — Policy Options — The political differences across the country – on issues ranging from energy and the environment to immigration and the best way to create jobs – sometimes leave the impression that the country is hopelessly fractured. Yet the findings of our recent 2019 Confederation of Tomorrow survey (one of the largest studies ever conducted of what […]
Apr 1 2019 — Policy Options — Stephen Hawking’s A Brief History of Time has been called the world’s least read, most celebrated book. In a more humble category, Bill C-69 could be Canada’s least read, most criticized legislative proposal. C-69’s most contentious parts would replace Harper-era legislation governing assessments of major projects, including those of the oil and pipeline sectors. A […]
Apr 1 2019 — David McLaughlin — Policy Options — If the Conservatives want to win the next election, they will need to sway more voters. Presenting a smart climate policy could be the key to victory. The Chinese written character for “crisis” perfectly frames the art of politics. It consists of two characters: danger and opportunity. In politics, danger to your opponent is opportunity […]
Mar 25 2019 — Andrew Griffith — Policy Options — Each of the mandate letters given to cabinet ministers by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau over the past three years has included the following commitment: “You are expected to do your part to fulfill our government’s commitment to transparent, merit-based appointments, to help ensure gender parity and that Indigenous Canadians and minority groups are better reflected […]
Mar 21 2019 — Jennifer Robson — Policy Options — This week’s federal budget proposed the creation of a new benefit for working-age adults to encourage us all to keep learning and reskilling. Here’s how the budget says this will work: Starting in 2020, the Canada Training Credit will be a kind of virtual individual learning account for all workers (aged 25 to 64 years […]
Mar 21 2019 — Alex Marland — Policy Options — A burning question for observers of the SNC-Lavalin affair is whether former cabinet ministers Jody Wilson-Raybould and Jane Philpott, who publicly opposed actions of their government, will be cut loose from the Liberal caucus. While some, including former deputy prime minister Sheila Copps, urge retribution, others in the party admire these MPs and want them […]
Mar 19 2019 — Kim Pate — Policy Options — An estimated one in seven Canadians has a criminal record, and while the government’s new bill to expedite suspensions of criminal records for simple cannabis possession convictions is definitely a step in the right direction, it’s far from a full response. Bill C-93, the only gesture the government has made to reform a broken criminal […]
Mar 18 2019 — Policy Options — A well-meaning but bungled proposal to overhaul how Canada approves major projects and assesses their impact is now in the hands of the Senate, making it the country’s best chance to rescue Bill C-69 and produce a better Bill that will help – not hurt – competitiveness in Canada and achieve our broader societal goals.
Mar 11 2019 — Douglas Sanderson — Policy Options — The National Energy Board (NEB) has once again recommended the expansion of the Trans Mountain pipeline, provided additional measures are taken to ensure tanker safety in the environmentally sensitive Salish Sea. Anyone following this ongoing issue would be compelled to ask: What then is the point of consultations that the Government of Canada is separately […]