What the Payette episode teaches us about fit and the Governor General
Governor General Julie Payette’s 21 January 2021 resignation ends a problem-plagued tenure and offers an opportunity for reflection on the role. The denouement came after the completion of a...
There are better ways of helping the economy than CEWS
In the Trudeau government’s recent mini-budget, Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland threw so many large numbers at us that Canadians might be forgiven for missing some important announcements. Here’s one...
Les changements apportés au Régime québécois d’assurance parentale
Le Régime québécois d’assurance parentale (RQAP) a récemment subi plusieurs modifications qui lui donnent davantage de flexibilité et le rendent plus équitable. Sanctionnée le 29 octobre 2020, la Loi...
Is principled nationalism a new niche for Canada?
Canadian foreign aid is often criticized for being paltry compared to the country’s massive wealth. But while it may lack quantity, Canadian aid may nevertheless have something else going...
Fund early childhood education like post-secondary
In the October speech from the throne, the Liberal government resurrected the idea of a national child-care program. Since such programs are always to some extent cost-shared with provinces,...
How the Trudeau government can get control of the pandemic
No, it’s not the virus’s fault as Ontario’s deputy Chief Medical Officer of Health Dr. Barbara Yaffe suggested earlier this month. Observing the disastrous response to the second wave...
The global dimensions of Canada’s vaccine rollout
It’s just over a month into Canada’s vaccine rollout, and every day seems to bring new federal-provincial bickering or logistical nightmares. It’s difficult and confusing at a time when...
Could climate policy become climate trade?
One of the most compelling and least reported elements of the federal government’s recently announced plan to meet its ambitious 2030 climate targets is the commitment to pursue greater...
Justin Trudeau, the mature brand
When the Liberal Party of Canada went looking for an advertising agency in 2013, the briefing was clear: the Liberals had a young, energetic leader with significant brand recognition....
Canada-China relations will change with Biden
It has been two years since the two “Michaels” were detained by Chinese authorities in response to Canada’s detention of Meng Wanzhou. Her arrest came at the request of...
With two Joe Bidens, Canada needs to be bold and think big
Canada faces a major dilemma with Joe Biden’s ascension to the U.S. presidency. It will be dealing with two Joe Bidens: Biden the internationalist, committed to multilateral institutions, alliances and global...
Quel avenir pour l’alliance entre Donald Trump et le Parti républicain ?
Le 13 janvier 2021, nous avons assisté à ce qui, à toute autre époque, aurait paru invraisemblable, soit une seconde mise en accusation d’un président américain par la Chambre...
Trump’s assault on truth will continue to trouble American democracy
It’s said you can’t reason a person out of a thing she or he was never reasoned into, which explains the dilemma America faces with its many millions of...
Une zone plutôt qu’un seuil : repenser la mesure de la pauvreté
Chronique d’Alain Noël
Toutes les mesures de la pauvreté fonctionnent de la même façon : elles établissent un seuil de revenu en deçà duquel une personne est considérée comme vivant en situation de...
Canada should support Ethiopia as it enters post-conflict phase
The conflict between the Ethiopian federal government and a group from within its northern state of Tigray has ended according to the Ethiopian government. The view of some analysts...
Cleaning up Ontario’s hydro mess
While the troubled Site C and Muskrat Falls hydroelectric dam projects in B.C. and Newfoundland and Labrador have drawn a great deal of national attention over the past few...
When a nation’s legislature comes under violent attack
des·e·crate /ˈdesəˌkrāt/ verb “treat (a sacred place or thing) with violent disrespect; violate.” On Oct. 22, 2014, a lone gunman attacked Canada’s democratic heart. Murder and terror were the...
What the Green Climate Fund can teach us about multilateral organizations
The United Nations marked its 75th anniversary in September, and with the milestone has come scrutiny – yet again – of the relevance of multilateral institutions (including the UN and other...
Canada can help America recover from Trump
One of the most fundamental responsibilities of the government of Canada is to manage our relationship with the United States. The shocking events surrounding the end of the destructive...
Improving transparency in Canada’s national security and intelligence community
(This article has been translated into French.) The national security community in Canada has traditionally not been very transparent. Of course, some information held by its institutions must remain...
How 2021 could be a pivotal year in the climate change fight
The world marked the fifth anniversary of the groundbreaking Paris climate agreement in December with a sobering reminder. Despite a drop in greenhouse gas emissions in 2020 due to...
Le Canada a besoin d’une base de données nationale sur la vaccination contre la COVID-19
L’administration des premiers vaccins contre la COVID‑19 fait ressortir la nécessité de suivre de près le déploiement des campagnes de vaccination. Le gouvernement fédéral a admis l’importance des données...
Biden win is an opportunity to advance tax fairness in Canada
Under Donald Trump’s presidency, Canada’s Liberal government has benefited from the public relations advantage of appearing more progressive compared to its Republican neighbour next door. When US President-elect Joe...
La fiscalité québécoise comparée à celle des pays de l’OCDE
Grâce à sa large recension de données, l’édition 2021 du Bilan de la fiscalité au Québec de la Chaire en fiscalité et en finances publiques de l’Université de Sherbrooke permet...
COVID has directly threatened the family unit
COVID-19 has forced us to question the very foundations of what keeps us safe and secure when our health or our lives are under threat. We’ve been slammed with...
Why Canada needs an information tool linking training, skills, and jobs
Amid the many uncertainties that this new year brings, we can make one prediction with confidence: In 2021 – and beyond – many Canadians will need some kind of...
La TPS à 30 ans : 30 choses à savoir sur elle
Ce 1er janvier, c’était le 30e anniversaire de la taxe sur les produits et services (TPS). Voici 30 éléments qui ont balisé son évolution : Le gouvernement fédéral taxait déjà...
The life of a Senate staffer
If the role of senators is obscure to many Canadians, the role their staffers play must be even more mysterious. I have yet to come across a publication that...
Ten trends that will shape events in 2021
Only a fool would set out to forecast events for 2021 considering the unexpected year we’ve had. But we can still reflect on how the events of the past...