Or was Trudeau just trying to buy the votes of young Canadians
Conflict of interest revelations surrounding the selection of WE Charity to administer the Canada Student Service Grant have dominated recent media coverage and led to investigations by parliamentary committees and the federal ethics commissioner. While getting answers on how WE was selected is essential, there’s been scant focus on the more fundamental question: why was…
Political spin to distract from the disaster in senior care centres will solve nothing. The industrial warehousing model must be questioned
The COVID-19 lockdown sought to protect the health-care system and the most vulnerable. Health authorities quite early identified that the elderly and those with chronic conditions were most vulnerable. Various leaders reminded us that among those most at risk were members of the Greatest Generation, the Canadian men and women who defeated the Nazi scourge.…
With the WE scandal, Trudeau is at it again
The coronavirus pandemic is one of the biggest events of our collective lifetimes. You don’t have to take a poll. It just is. Millions of Canadians without work. Companies going bankrupt. Families in crisis. And, of course, 110,000 of us infected with Covid-19, and more than 9,000 dead. It has been a cataclysm. It has…
He’s become the Rodney Dangerfield of Canadian politics: no respect at all
Picture this imaginary scene. In a dark corner of dank Rideau Cottage sits Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. He’s resting comfortably in an old armchair, thinking about his future – and what he might wear to his next costume party, one assumes. His political honeymoon ended what seems like several lifetimes ago. His role as a…
We can’t simply watch global events unfold. We have a valuable contribution to make and we’re up to the challenge
Canada’s foreign policy has strayed from its traditional path, losing the traction it once had on the world stage. Canada’s last two attempts to secure a seat as a non-permanent member of the United Nations Security Council failed. Our international standing as a neutral middle power and an honest broker has lost its shine. Our…
Judging by the amount of money at stake, and cabinet and family involvement, this may be the largest scandal in Canadian history
You learn a lot about people’s ethics when money is involved. Even really rich people can take the wrong route for money. The current Trudeau family scandal may be a litmus test. Mother, brother and wife received fees from a charity that received federal government funds. This may be how Justin Trudeau will be remembered,…
When making daunting decisions, having people who have experience in industries under discussion is invaluable
Nothing has been more vital to the functioning of Canada’s economy during the COVID-19 pandemic than the Internet. Yet recent appointments to the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) reveal a government oblivious to its necessity. Nirmala Naidoo, for Alberta and the Northwest Territories, and Ellen Desmond, for the Atlantic and Nunavut, were added to…
From suspect modelling to poor stockpiling to a lack of perspective on historic events, we failed to be ready for COVID-19
By Deborah Prabhu and Allan Bonner Where will the COVID-19 pandemic fit into history? What will be the lessons learned, if any? Our guess is we’re learning how little we did to prepare and how much we’re guessing in response as we go along. We had three pandemics in the 20th century. The Spanish Flu…
Our high income tax rates discourage productive economic activity and put Canada at a competitive disadvantage
By Jake Fuss and Tegan Hill The Fraser Institute On July 8, the government of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau will release a “snapshot” of federal finances, the first such update since the COVID-19 crisis began. The government may also soon look to raise taxes to try to increase government revenue, either to finance new spending…
“It is the first responsibility of every citizen to question authority,” Benjamin Franklin said. Canadians may complain that we have a small population and aren’t major players on the global stage. We’re certainly not a superpower but we can be quite influential. In addition, our elected officials on the federal level represent far fewer people…