Policy Options

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...

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...

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...

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...

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,...

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...

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...

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...

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....

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

(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...

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...

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...

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...

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-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...

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...

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...

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...

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...