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 13 2022 — Kathryn May — Policy Options — The federal budget kicked off a spending review public servants knew was coming. This time, however, the Liberals have a pact with the labour-friendly NDP that could protect the bureaucracy from the job losses of previous reviews. Treasury Board President Mona Fortier will lead a year-long strategic review that’s aimed at saving $6 billion over […]
Apr 11 2022 — Michaël A. O’Neill — Policy Options — February 2022 will enter the Canadian history books as the month when the downtowns of Ottawa, several provincial capitals and critical border crossings into the United States were paralyzed by demonstrations. Announced as a movement against mandatory COVID-19 vaccinations for cross-border haulers, it was soon evident that some of the demonstrators had more on their […]
Apr 7 2022 — Kathryn May — Policy Options — An unprecedented number of public service executives are burned out and looking for demotions after working flat-out to manage crisis after crisis since the pandemic hit two years ago, says the association representing them. The Association of Professional Executives of the Public Service of Canada (APEX) has long been working behind the scenes to improve […]
Apr 6 2022 — David McNair — Policy Options — The combined aftershocks of the most dangerous European conflict since 1945, climate change and a global pandemic – now in its third year – could prove catastrophic for the world’s most vulnerable countries. With the global pandemic far from over, failure to increase global vaccination rates and thus protect the entire world from the virus […]
Apr 1 2022 — Policy Options — It’s the time of year when many politicos, media and the public are anxiously awaiting the tabling of the federal budget. This is always coupled with speculation about how freely funds will flow and to whom. With the pandemic, the recent occupation of Ottawa and other cities and the war in Ukraine, among other things, […]
Apr 1 2022 — Olivier Jacques — Policy Options — The COVID-19 crisis has revealed the vulnerabilities of the Canadian health-care system. A national conversation about the delivery, coverage and financing of health care will have to be held in the next few years. In Quebec, it has already been launched. Provincial governments propose an obvious solution: federal transfers for health care must increase to […]
Mar 31 2022 — Maria Popova — Policy Options — In 2015, freshly elected Prime Minister Justin Trudeau made a bold performative move by putting forward a cabinet with gender parity. When asked why, he simply said, “because it’s 2015,” implying that it was high time for politics to reflect gender equality — a central value in a just society.
Mar 25 2022 — Jeffrey F. Collins — Policy Options — “If you fail to plan, you are planning to fail,” Benjamin Franklin once quipped. Franklin’s advice should be top of mind for Canadian defence planners and decision-makers in Ottawa as the country prepares for what Defence Minister Anita Anand terms “aggressive options” on more military spending. What specific new capabilities this money will be spent […]
Mar 24 2022 — Vincent Gogolek — Policy Options — A legal clock is ticking to set up an inquiry that will look at the circumstances leading to the declaration of the public emergency in response to blockades and protests in Ottawa and in other parts of the country. The federal government declared an end to the order on February 23. Half the time on […]
Mar 22 2022 — Kathryn May — Policy Options — The timing and pace of return-to-office plans for Canada’s public servants will hinge on what the federal government decides to do with its vaccine mandate for employees. The federal Office of the Chief Human Resources Officer is leading a review into the six-month-old mandate, seeking input from unions and other stakeholders, but a decision will […]
Mar 16 2022 — Kathryn May — Policy Options — Social media is a part of life that is increasingly treacherous for Canada’s public servants, who may need better guidance to navigate their public and private lives online. The blurring of that line was on display during the so-called freedom convoy protest that paralyzed downtown Ottawa. Some public servants took to social media to oppose […]
Mar 15 2022 — Julian Spencer-Churchill — Policy Options — Editor’s note: This article was co-written by a Russian author whose name has been withheld for security concerns. South Korea has exceptionally managed to breach the vaunted middle income trap, and has just exceeded Russia in nominal gross domestic product (GDP). Brazil is immediately behind and is expected to surpass Russia within 24 months. Russia […]
Mar 10 2022 — Brett Boudreau — Policy Options — Nations have a variety of instruments to exert national power and influence, often summarized as DIME – diplomatic, information, military and economic. Rarely have all four been in such active and vivid display in Canada and throughout the world in such short order and with such dramatic effect as the first quarter of 2022. This […]
Mar 9 2022 — Policy Options — The federal government has two major, opposing policy options to deal with today’s macroeconomic debates over inflation and Ottawa’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic. One would threaten momentum toward the critical net-zero emission transition, while the other would bolster it. The threat is that the federal government will start to use “cupboards are bare” rhetoric […]