An escalating global trade war shows no signs of slowing down. The United States filed five separate complaints in Geneva July 16 after several countries, including Canada, imposed retaliatory tariffs against a wide range of American goods after Washington imposed an import tariff on steel and aluminum products in June. Canada imposed a $16.6 billion […] Read more
Opinion: Caught in the crosshairs
Trump’s tariffs cause trouble on both sides of the border
Opinion: Length of trade war is the big question
Increased protectionism within the global trading environment is causing major shifts in how countries do business — and world leaders are scrambling to keep pace. Despite the existence of highly integrated economies, protectionism is growing in popularity — spurred on by a White House that seems to be doing everything in its power to cut […] Read more
OPINION: As Parliament closes for summer break, uncertainty dominates
It’s been a long haul. MPs wrapped up their last midnight sittings and headed home to their ridings for the summer. The last official sitting day was June 22. Bill C-45 is at the heart of the government’s promise to legalize cannabis, while Bill C-46 deals with impaired driving. Both bills passed just before the […] Read more
OPINION: The sleeping giant keeps thrashing about trade
In the 2001 Hollywood classic Pearl Harbour, Japanese Admiral Yamamoto utters what is likely one of the film’s most iconic quotes. “I fear all we have done is to awaken a sleeping giant,” he says shortly after Japanese Imperial Forces bomb Pearl Harbour in 1941. The sleeping giant is the United States, which was dragged […] Read more
Opinion: Could NAFTA be a 2019 election issue?
The fate of the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) could very well become a central issue in the 2019 federal election. Trade officials from Canada, Mexico and the United States failed to resolve an ongoing impasse at the negotiating table in time to present Congress with an agreement by May 17 — a deadline […] Read more
OPINION: Giving young people a chance to understand policy
Capital Letters with Kelsey Johnson
Most days, Parliament Hill is buzzing with political activities where party politics and issues of the day dominate the corridor conversation. On a recent Saturday, the focus shifted to a more behind-the-scenes group of individuals who help keep Parliament running smoothly. More than 400 former and current House of Commons pages reunited in Ottawa to […] Read more
OPINION: How the MacAulay farm was kept running
More than 3,000 Liberal party members gathered in Halifax April 20-22 for their national policy convention. It was a chance for the party members to gather their thoughts and begin organizing for the 2019 election campaign. There were resolutions to debate, parties to attend, speeches to listen to and campaigns to plan. But in the […] Read more
OPINION: Lots of transportation questions as Parliament returns
Parliament will have its work cut out for it on the transportation file when it returns April 16. Just before adjourning for the Easter break, the Senate passed a heavily amended version of bill C-49, the Liberals proposed overhaul of the Canadian transportation system. In total, the Senate transportation committee passed 19 amendments – three […] Read more
OPINION: Everything can be examined when Service Canada calls
Why don’t government departments talk to each other? It’s a reoccurring question – one that seems to creep up particularly whenever agriculture mixes with other policy areas. For Ottawa outsiders, the apparent lack of communication and coordination between departments can be frustrating – particularly if you happen to be one of those Canadians who seems to […] Read more
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