It puts Canadians' access to food at risk
The federal government apparently still wants to push ahead with its plan to require all truckers entering from the United States to show proof of vaccination starting Jan. 15. The plan creates some serious problems. Vaccines are the most effective way to reduce risks associated with COVID-19, stop the spread of the virus and save…
Scientific and health breakthroughs, Indigenous rights and, perhaps surprisingly, the sexual orientation of an historic king
Readers will remember 2021 as the year the COVID-19 pandemic just wouldn't quit, but their reading choices show they were looking for variety in their news. Our Top Reads for the year show interest in scientific and health breakthroughs, Indigenous rights and, perhaps surprisingly, the sexual orientation of an historic king. Here are the stories…
Actions speak louder than words
The age-old expression that actions speak louder than words conveys an important insight: character is best judged through action. Anyone can say or promise anything, but following through requires ability, skill, discipline, and commitment. So the simplest test of character is to pay attention to deeds. Plutarch, the first-century Greek biographer, refined the test. He…
The Parliamentary Budget Officer’s data projects the feds running deficits until 2070
Sometimes it’s what people don’t say that reveals the most. And the federal government’s failure to mention the deficit or debt in the Throne Speech is all too revealing for taxpayers worried about the erosion of Canada’s national finances. For a government that is nearly doubling its entire pre-pandemic debt in six years, deficits should…
Families are getting soaked by higher prices while politicians are asleep at the wheel
The federal government is putting on a masterclass about how to increase the cost of living. It’s doing everything from raising taxes during the middle of a pandemic to massive government borrowing and money printing. Now the question is: will any politician do anything to fight inflation? The latest report from Statistics Canada shows prices…
The trend to lower investment in the private sector began in 2015
Gross domestic product (GDP) is what economists call the totality of goods and services Canada produces. It’s often referred to as the economic pie. We all want a share of the pie. Most of us think it’s only fair that all Canadians should be able to enjoy at least a basic level of income. Therefore,…
Canada sent 277 delegates to Glasgow at a cost of about $1.6 million for this?
Prior to the so-called COP-26 conference, Pope Francis, the Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby, and the spiritual leader of Orthodox Christians, Bartholemew I of Constantinople, urged the world to “listen to the cry of the earth” regarding climate change. With the 39,000-delegate extravaganza having concluded on the weekend, it’s tempting to disregard the three Christian…
The price of Trudeau's empty gesture was nothing less than a cheapening of the Canadian idea
The Trudeau government’s decision to keep the Canadian flag at half-mast for more than five months was never more than a half-baked idea. On May 30 Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced that the Canadian flag would fly at half-mast on federal buildings in remembrance of the residential school students who did not return to their…
Orwell's 1984 should be renamed 2021 because our times are more like his novel than any in history
In his novel 1984, George Orwell envisioned a future that’s arguably unfolding before our eyes, where government authority is supreme, and truth and freedom are not to be found. Perhaps Orwell should have named his novel 2021 because our times seem more like his novel than any in previous history. For Canadians, the examples abound.…
The government needs to rethink its heavy-handed approach to internet regulation
Rarely, in the history of Confederation, have so many, from so many points on the political spectrum, been so unified in opposition to one specific policy. Before the last election, the Trudeau government’s proposed internet regulations provoked opposition from journalists, academics, civil liberties groups, women’s advocacy organizations, librarians, privacy experts, research think tanks, concerned citizens…