Policy Options

In a recent instalment in this Policy Options series, John Degen (poet, novelist and executive director of the Writers’ Union of Canada) makes a passionate plea: that Canadians respect...

Alors qu’entre en vigueur l’Accord économique et commercial global (AECG) entre l’Union européenne et le Canada, il faut se féliciter du leadership qu’a exercé l’ancien premier ministre Jean Charest,...

As Canadian producers nervously await the outcome of softwood lumber talks with the US, the stakes are especially high for one Indigenous-owned sawmill in Saskatchewan’s northern boreal forest. NorSask...

The digital landscape is changing people’s expectations of government. It is driving new demands for transparency, creating new forms of engagement and allowing citizens, businesses and other institutions to...

If you live in Ontario and you’re turning 50, expect to receive a birthday letter in the mail: not from your loved ones (though they may send one too)...

Violence from the far right has generally received less media coverage than jihadist attacks, but things unfolded differently after the white power rally in Charlottesville, Virginia, on August 12....

Canada is endowed with a rich freshwater heritage that is vitally important for all Canadians, coast to coast to coast. Water is a factor in the myriad issues of...

August 16, 2017, was a truly historic day for Canadian, Mexican and American negotiators as they kicked off the first round of trade talks to renegotiate the North American...

On July 24, Raja Ghazi, eight months pregnant, was stabbed in her home in Montreal. Her partner, Sofiane Ghazi, 37, allegedly stabbed Ghazi multiple times. Raja survived the attack,...

A recent poll found that Canadians are keen to link human rights with a trade deal — an attitude likely to have been strengthened by the recent death of...

In 2016 there were at least 2,458 apparent opioid-related deaths in Canada. A recent upswing in morbidity and mortality linked to this group of effective but highly addictive analgesics...

In advance of the first round of NAFTA negotiations, officials from Canada, the United States, and Mexico all laid out their trade policy goals to their respective citizens. Achieving...

As part of the discussion around climate change and reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, there’s been growing interest in the trade of clean technology and services, or “green trade.”...

The House of Commons Finance Committee is collecting submissions for its consultations in advance of Budget 2018. As it does every year, it has set parameters for submissions that...

Canada’s public pension system and the changes to it over the years make a fascinating case through which to explore the impact of federalism on public policy. When the...

NAFTA’s rules of origin (ROO) are poised to be a key element in the Trump administration’s pursuit of its NAFTA negotiating objectives, including reducing the US goods trade deficit...

There are millions of people worldwide with chronic diseases and other medical conditions whose lives could be improved with better access to medical cannabis. Meanwhile, for the past decade...

North American businesses have the moving of industrial goods, raw materials and final products down to a science. According to the Council on Foreign Relations, over recent decades NAFTA...

Politics is as much about who is at the table as it is about what is being discussed or decided. This was apparent in July, when three of Canada’s...

L’idée d’un revenu de base inconditionnel pour tous les citoyens est à l’ordre du jour. La Finlande a mis en place un ambitieux projet pilote, des municipalités néerlandaises planifient...

“We do not have to worry about Canada, we do not even think of them.” So said Donald J. Trump to Mexican President Enrique Peña Nieto during a phone...

Upheaval in the global trading system is forcing Canada, and many other countries, to contemplate the appropriateness of a wide range of trade provisions. And while much has been...

L’idée d’un accord de libre-échange de l’Atlantique (ALEA) fait surface de temps en temps, soit comme solution de rechange après l’échec du cycle de Doha, soit pour permettre à...

Over the last decade, world trade in goods has increased dramatically from US$10 trillion in 2005 to US$16 trillion in 2015, while trade in services has doubled, from US$2.5...

The effort by some Canadian economists to scupper government incentives for the purchase of electric vehicles (EVs) is off the mark. The Montreal Economic Institute, which frequently advocates against...

En raison de son climat, de son étendue géographique et de son voisinage avec le géant américain, le Canada a une économie agricole très particulière, qui rend l’adoption de...

One of the early pieces of advice Canada is receiving as it prepares its strategy for renewed NAFTA negotiations with the United States is that when you’re up against...

I had the impression that Canada was a player in international trade when I went to work for the Canadian Federation of Agriculture (CFA) in the late 1990s. But...

Will the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) rise from the dead? It’s a question that will preoccupy Canadian officials as they sit down at the table this summer with the US...

India, the second largest country in the world by population, with just under 1.3 billion people, is urbanizing at a rapid pace. India’s government has committed funds to the...

The US recently set out its NAFTA negotiating objectives. As reported elsewhere in this series, there were few surprises for close watchers of the file. Foreign Affairs Minister Chrystia...

Le regain d’intérêt pour les accords bilatéraux de libre-échange a résulté de l’impasse qu’a connue le cycle de Doha comme de la volonté des États de poursuivre une politique...

I read with interest Steven Meurrens’ well-thought-out Policy Options article on “unscrupulous immigration consultants.” I agree with everything in Meurrens’ submission, except for his use of the word “consultants”...

Sometimes lost in the many details and debates about trade and investment deals is the reason why we trade. The economy is meant to serve the interests of society...

The year 2017 marks the 150th anniversary since Confederation and the 35th anniversary of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms. By virtue of a court case in Ontario...

The number of trade agreements that include environmental clauses is on the rise. Many agreements devote an entire chapter to environmental protection and address a broad range of issues...

On Thursday, July 20, Appeal Court Judge Michael Dambrot ordered a new trial for Mustafa Ururyar, who Judge (retired) Marvin Zuker had found guilty of sexual assault of Mandi...