Johnson got careless and arrogant after only three years in power, assuming he was above the law
When U.K. Prime Minister Boris Johnson reflects on his political career, there will always be a certain fondness for the Dec. 12, 2019, general election. His Conservative government earned a majority of 80 seats, the party’s largest since 1987. The party also had a net gain of 48 seats and its highest percentage of the…
COVID will go around forever, endlessly mutating but relatively benign
If public health, a vibrant economy and preserving our constitutional freedoms were the goal, then Canadian institutions have gotten nearly everything wrong when it comes to COVID-19. Government policy, academia and mainstream media have fallen to COVID-ism, a condition where the COVID narrative formed in March 2020 must be maintained at all costs and dissent…
The deep divisions in Canada’s labour market have taken on heightened urgency
The onslaught of COVID-19 in March 2020 led to one of the most dramatic economic shutdowns in Canadian history. Millions of people lost their jobs – especially women working in vulnerable sectors, such as restaurants and hotels. Now that Canada has entered its post-pandemic-recession phase, many women are getting back into the paid workforce, but not…
It is the only way to ensure that future crises are managed better
Increasing numbers of Canadians are demanding a national, independent investigation into government mismanagement of the COVID-19 outbreak. Because governments themselves would be the subject of such an investigation, its conduct would need to be assigned to a non-governmental commission whose commissioners possess the experience, expertise and personal integrity necessary to render their findings credible with…
Drastic changes are needed. Millions of Canadians on wait lists know that. Why don't politicians?
Drastic changes are needed if we are to repair the Canadian health-care system. Millions of Canadians waiting for medically-necessary surgeries and procedures already know that. It’s time for the rest of us to catch up and start advocating for change. At least five million Canadians are without a family doctor. More than one million Canadians…
Bullish pressure on crude oil markets doesn’t seem to be easing
Crude oil prices fell last week, notching their second weekly decline in the face of concern that rising interest rates could push the global economy into recession. Yet the future of crude oil still seems bullish to many. Spare capacity, or lack of it, is just one of the reasons. The global surplus of crude…
So long as government issues flip-flopping travel policies, people will make plans despite the pandemic
Most travel chatter focuses on the ‘new norm.’ Whether it is proof of vaccination, masking requirements, travel restrictions or negative PCR tests, are we actually seeing a new norm in terms of travel? Based on the number of airline passengers passing through Calgary International Airport (YYC) and Edmonton International Airport (YEG), it appears air travel…
How one student found her voice as an advocate for patients and other nurses
Cool air blew from above, nearly as bracing as the antiseptic smell of chlorhexidine that wafted through the operating room. The surgeon bent over a completely still older man, carefully inserting a small wire into an artery in the patient’s groin, searching for the path to repair an aneurysm. It was the first time Hanna…
The pandemic clearly taught us that Canada’s health-care system needs to reform
Indigenous communities across Canada should learn from an Alberta First Nation that’s establishing a private health clinic to provide services that will reduce the pressure on the public system. The Alberta government recently approved a plan by the Enoch Cree Nation, close to Edmonton, to build a private clinic specializing in hip and knee surgeries.…
How we decide to proceed will reveal much about our national character
While our series is fictional, the principle objective is non-fictional – to explore the likelihood that sooner or later, Canadians will demand a full-scale investigation into the management of the COVID crisis by our federal government. This is the final commentary in our series. When the new parliament met early in September 2023, the Speech…