A serious blow to our delusion we are better than Americans
When it comes to health care, Canadians only seem to care about one thing: Are we better than the United States? As long as we “beat” the U.S., we remain smug about our performance, although this attitude can be hard to square with the tens of thousands of Canadians who get quick access to top-level…
Think you can avoid the carbon tax by riding your bike? Think again
British Columbians are now paying even more to heat, eat and drive to work. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's most recent carbon tax hike has found a willing follower in British Columbia Premier John Horgan. When Team Trudeau was fighting against several provinces at the Supreme Court of Canada, saying he should be able to impose…
Trudeau’s proclivity for celebrity culture has brought shame to the institution of the Queen’s representative
Since 1541, Canada’s vice-regal representatives have been lieutenant-governors, viceroys, governors and governors general. Vincent Massey, who served from 1952 to 1959, was the first Canadian-born governor general. All his successors have been Canadians, most of them well qualified for the job. After 476 years of vice-regal leadership, along came celebrity astronaut Julie Payette in 2017.…
Enough is enough
The COVID-19 pandemic has revealed more than ever that those who trade freedom for security can’t stand people preferring the former. By ignoring rules they force onto others, such as travel restrictions, politicians reveal the primary goal was power all along, not safety. Earlier this year, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau instituted additional travel restrictions…
Two explosive military investigations mean the dark clouds of controversy won't soon fade for Defence Minister Harjit Sajjan
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and the Liberal government are dealing with two major controversies involving our military. Both situations went from bad to worse in 24 hours. So did the possible fate of a minister of the Crown. The first controversy involves Gen. Jonathan Vance. He served as chief of the defence staff for the…
The proven determinants of scientific progress – collaboration, a plan, guaranteed funding, transparency – are nowhere to be found
The Human Genome Project (HGP) stands as one of mankind’s most remarkable achievements. Its significance is easily equal to, or even eclipses, James Watson and Francis Crick’s discovery of DNA’s helical structure, or Neil Armstrong’s first steps on the moon. The goal was to determine the position and function of the more than 100,000 genes…
A new study’s calculations indicate particular hardship for the manufacturing sector based largely in southwestern Ontario
By Elmira Aliakbari and Jason Clemens The Fraser Institute As Ontarians in the southwestern region are well aware, the last 15 years have not been kind economically. In many ways, this part of the province never recovered from the 2008-09 recession. Now, the federal government’s plan to increase its carbon tax to $170 per tonne…
Speed and efficiency are not things that Canada’s lumbering and increasingly dysfunctional regulatory systems are known for
By Jock Finlayson and Denise Mullen Business Council of B.C. Building back ‘clean’ and ‘green’ means trillions of dollars of investment, and the electrification of many machines and activities that presently rely on fossil fuels – from personal vehicles and freight transportation to industrial processes. It’s not hard to understand the growing interest in electricity.…
Follow Australia's example and take a stand against China’s bullying and human rights violations
By Andrew Pickford and Jeffrey Collins Macdonald-Laurier Institute Last week, U.S. President Joe Biden joined his Japanese, Indian, and Australian counterparts at the Quadrilateral Security Dialogue (or Quad) summit. This informal grouping remains the most powerful collection of countries focused on confronting the security, economic, and geostrategic challenges posed by China. Canada may not have…
Priorities based more on the shortage of vaccines than ensuring vulnerable populations are inoculated
Recent guidance for vaccine distribution published by the National Advisory Committee on Immunization (NACI) shows how horribly politicized Canada’s pandemic response has been. At the very point of administering the ‘jab of life,’ the government can still not play it straight and follow what’s actually the science, which is the reality of who gets sick,…
The goal is less about the interests of consumers and more about funnelling money to special interest groups
Were the consequences not so serious, Canada’s chaotic venture into the regulation of content on the Web might be consigned to the realm of thigh-slapping farce. The government’s goal, it was learned last week, will be to focus programming funding on the needs of ethnic, racial, language and sexual identities in a fashion so ill-defined…
The short-term consequences of his inaction will become permanent
It’s now clear that the Trudeau government will never be known for its operating speed or its strategic thinking when it comes to crisis management and public policies. Right from the start of the pandemic, the federal government was odd-man-out when it tried to reach an agreement with China to develop a new vaccine. That…
Questions again swirling around the fed's hiring processes, this time in the military
After conducting job interviews for prospective employees, private-sector employers go through a vetting process before hiring someone. Vetting an applicant involves (hopefully) a thorough background check to ensure the information provided was accurate and complete. This includes validating previous work experience, contacting references, and perhaps doing criminal record checks and requesting credit history, among other…
Ableism - discrimination in favour of able-bodied people - is a poisonous rot that eats away at the roots of care and life-giving supports for the disabled
In my work with Christian Horizons, I regularly provide grief training and debriefing in times of significant loss for people close to those with disabilities. In these profound moments of remembrance and mourning, it is evident that the human passing from life to death should be one of the most social and interconnected experiences of…
Only the private sector can deliver the high-quality housing that reserves need. Government waiting lists will never catch up
Adequate housing – especially in remote and northern locations – is an intractable problem facing First Nation communities. The high cost of housing in these locations and the never-ending cycle of backlogs plague reserve communities across Canada. The federal government must pledge to make housing a commitment on the same level as safe drinking water…