Adam Smith was right. Free markets are moral
Monday is the 250th anniversary of Adam Smith’s Wealth of Nations. Smith is probably the best-known and least-read economist, which explains why he is so often misunderstood. For example, if you google “Father of Capitalism,” Smith’s name pops up, but neither his Wealth of Nations nor The Theory of Moral Sentiments uses the word “capitalism.” He did not preach the...
Ontario — the world’s reliable partner
This week, the world will converge in Toronto for the annual Prospectors & Developers Association of Canada (PDAC) convention, the largest mining conference in the world. At a moment defined by geopolitical instability, fractured supply chains, and surging demand for critical minerals, Ontario is emerging as the world’s reliable partner.
Carney in Munich: The Prime Minister Wasn’t there, but his Davos Speech Was
While the terrible tragedy at Tumbler Ridge prevented Prime Minister Mark Carney from attending this year’s Munich Security Conference, echoes of his recent Davos speech could be heard throughout the meeting halls, hallways, and bars of the Bayerischer Hof Hotel. I was there again this year as a Canadian parliamentarian and Senate committee chair, so some of those conversations were...
Jamil Jivani: What I learned on my trip to Washington, D.C.
The GM plant in Oshawa often feels like a mythical place. Long-time residents in the region tell stories of a time when it was a hub of prosperity for tens of thousands of families. They say, when shifts would end, there were so many GM employees that some roads would become one-way streets so workers could drive home in an...
Carney's Davos speech highlights that it is Liberal rhetoric that doesn't match reality
Prime Minister Mark Carney’s well-crafted and eloquently delivered speech at Davos has been widely noted, and I want to start by offering some praise of my own. The Prime Minister is right to restate what many have said for years: Canada must become more self-reliant, less dependent and work with like-minded countries to advance our interests. Conservatives are, as always...
Havel would have demanded more from Mark Carney. Canadians should too.
Today Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney delivered a speech at the World Economic Forum which rightly named the hard realities of a fractured geopolitical system, and the urgent need for middle powers like Canada to step up with resolve and realism.
The threat to our nation is very real
A question I keep hearing from folks across Canada is pretty simple: “What the heck is going on in Alberta?” It’s a fair question. The Alberta government, whether through incompetence or malice, is dismantling public services, trampling on human rights, and threatening the very future of the country. Two factors in particular -- the rise of Alberta separatism and the...
Canadian cities are facing an extortion crisis. They cannot face it alone
Every mayor in Canada learns this lesson quickly: the problems that land on your desk are rarely abstract. They arrive as phone calls from small business owners or families whose sense of safety has been shaken. In Peel Region, extortion has become one of those problems. It’s no longer isolated or sporadic. And it’s no longer something municipalities can solve...
Carney must approve a pipeline immediately
A major geopolitical fault line shifted Saturday morning, as the United States arrested Venezuelan dictator Nicolás Maduro after a quarter century of socialist tyranny. This is a good thing. Canada did not recognize Maduro as the legitimate president of Venezuela, and with him out of the way, we hope that Venezuelans will finally be able to enjoy freedom and democracy...
The Combatting Hate Act actually protects communities of faith
An important underlying purpose of the Combatting Hate Act is protecting communities of faith. Nobody should be intimidated or obstructed when they want to go pray. The act gives police clear tools to intervene when intimidation or obstruction of a community space occurs. It is an important signal that Parliament expects police and prosecutors to act to protect communities of...
The evidence is clear: universal pharmacare saves lives. Ontario needs to act
Across Ontario, too many people are making impossible medical choices. Ontarians are splitting pills, skipping doses, or going without heat or food to afford life-saving medication. It is a quiet crisis that exposes a glaring gap in our universal health care system: prescription drugs are still not universally covered. Convened by Canadian Doctors for Medicare, we’ve joined a multi-party group...
I quit Mark Carney’s cabinet. This is what I hope happens next
It’s a grand bargain that feels like a fire sale. That at least is how some have characterized the Memorandum of Understanding on energy that was signed late last month by Prime Minister Mark Carney and Alberta Premier Danielle Smith.
Young men have a stake in Canada's future. They should be heard
If we don't build bridges to get demoralized young men involved in the democratic process, extremists may capitalize on their frustration
The ‘Balance of Responsibility’ and Why I Voted for the Carney Budget
Let’s face it, with 343 MPs in this Parliament and one Green Party seat, I had not imagined that any vote might be so tight that my single “yay” or “nay” could hold sway. Then, based on a combination of minority math and political machination, the knife-edge vote on Mark Carney’s first budget on November 17th came along and the...
Canada’s auto sector is under attack. If we don’t fight back now, it will be gone — not just in Brampton but across Canada
There are moments in a city’s history when its resilience is tested — when decisions made in distant boardrooms send shockwaves through our streets, homes, and hearts. Stellantis’ announcement to end production of the Jeep Compass at Brampton’s Assembly Plant is one such moment, threatening the livelihoods of 3,000 workers and shaking our community.
The Liberals must get out of the way of growth
For centuries, alchemists promised and failed to turn lead into gold. What is most astounding is that even after each debunking, these charlatans would repackage their discredited schemes as something new with fresh jargon and different salesmen, luring wave after wave of hopeful dupes eager for golden miracles. Instead of promising to turn lead into gold, today’s alchemist-in-chief, Mark Carney...
The North: different by design, essential by nature
In the Northwest Territories, governments don’t just consult with one another—we sit at the same table. Through the N.W.T. Council of Leaders, the premier, cabinet ministers, and Indigenous governments meet as equals to set direction and make decisions together. That model of partnership is what makes the North different. It’s also what makes it essential to Canada’s future...
Did Hydro-Québec Try to Silence One of Its Critics?
There is a troubling pattern emerging in the debate on the NL Hydro and Hydro-Québec MOU – one that should alarm every Newfoundlander and Labradorian who believes in open debate and fair treatment. When I raised legitimate concerns about a deal that could disadvantage our province for generations, did powerful interests from outside respond with what to me seems obvious...
“The same deal as in 1969 at the end of the day” Why Newfoundland and Labrador Must Question the Gull Island MOU
As Newfoundland and Labrador prepares for a provincial election, voters face an important decision that will guide the future of the Gull Island hydro project on the Lower Churchill River. Right now, there is no issue that is more important to our province’s future. A memorandum of understanding (MOU) has been signed with Quebec, but many citizens - likely most...
Carney went to the UN to advance Canada’s foreign policy, Trump went to abuse, harangue the UN in a tirade of false accusations
The contrast could not have been sharper. Prime Minister Mark Carney went to the United Nations in New York from Sept. 21-24, and used the organization’s convening power to advance Canada’s foreign policy interests. United States President Donald Trump went to the UN for a few hours and abused the organization in a tirade of false accusations. These two story...
Where is the “brainy and thoughtful’ Mark Carney who warned the world of the dangers of climate change?
When anyone hears Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre talk about climate, one could wish he would read a book on the subject, or even the Cole’s Notes version. On the other hand, listening to our prime minister, one could wish he would read his own book. On page 273 of his 2021 book “Values,” he wrote: “The carbon budget to limit...
Canada’s Approach to UN Politics: Hothouse Flower No More?
The late US Secretary of State Dean Acheson, in channeling his inner William Wordsworth, once referred to Canada and our perceived moralizing as “the stern daughter of the voice of God.” Nevertheless, Canada persisted, its negotiating hand clear in the creation of the UN specialized agencies: the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), the World Health Organization (WHO), the International Civil...
This crime wave isn't a coincidence.
Picture this: In just one week, 80 rounds fired in a downtown core, leaving three people seriously injured. A Jewish woman stabbed while shopping for her groceries. A shooting forces an entire neighbourhood into lockdown. A man injured from yet another stabbing. A toddler, horrifically, was sexually assaulted during a break-in by a man with a prior child-sex conviction, recently...
Canada must act on Gaza — including more sanctions on Israel
The UN has officially declared a famine in Gaza and the world needs to act to save lives. Our Foreign Affairs Minister Anita Anand has rightly emphasized that humanitarian suffering has reached unimaginable levels and that urgent action is needed to halt and reverse starvation.
Mark Carney promised strength. He delivered surrender
The Prime Minister has now had 25 weeks in the job and the time has come to judge whether his performance has matched his promises. So let’s go through the big promises one-by-one. After all, Mark Carney promised Canadians a clean break from his predecessor’s failures. He said it was time for discipline, seriousness, integrity, and national pride. He stood...
Canada, Europe, and NATO: a renewed commitment to shared security
Canada is stepping up to meet the moment. In Ukraine on Aug. 24, Prime Minister Mark Carney joined President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in Kyiv on Ukraine’s independence day. The prime minister continued on to Poland, Germany, and Latvia, while my recent mission took me to Sweden and Finland. Together, these efforts demonstrate Canada’s commitment to NATO and to deepening ties with...
Nova Scotia’s defence industry is part of a bigger mission
When we think about national defence, we imagine ships, jets and soldiers, but too often we imagine them somewhere else. The truth is that Canada’s defence future is being built right here in Nova Scotia. In our shipyards and research labs, at ocean technology hubs and aerospace hangars, Nova Scotians are designing, building and maintaining the tools and technologies that...
I am Israel's Canadian-born deputy foreign minister. Mark Carney is rewarding terrorist monsters
This week, the Toronto International Film Festival attempted to cancel, then reinstated, the screening of The Road Between Us: The Ultimate Rescue, a documentary on a retired Israeli general’s successful attempt to rescue his family during the October 7, 2023, terror attacks by Hamas. The organizers of TIFF reportedly claimed they needed Hamas’s permission to show the footage of the...
Parliamentary diplomacy unites a divided world: Senator David M. Wells
In an increasingly divided world, it is worth remembering that Canada is still among friends — and that we face the challenges of the day together. In July 2025, I had the privilege of attending sessions of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Organization of Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE). First conceived as a forum for dialogue between the West...
Minister Anandasangaree deserves our praise, not derision
Minister Anandasangaree showed courage in advocating for the safety and dignity of his community. That is not a scandal. That is leadership.