A Harper-era staffer says the question remains if the Carney Liberals are willing to act ‘a lot differently than the Trudeau government’ in reducing the regulatory burdens that have spooked investors for the past decade.
Historically, U.S. Republicans have been the party of free trade and the Democrats have endorsed protectionism.
A major challenge is that the health file is not a priority for the federal government, leading to the question of how Health Minister Marjorie Michel and Canadians can make sure that health system needs ‘are still cutting through the noise’ of U.S. trade problems, says consultant Danielle Flieler.
Conservative MP Todd Doherty’s ‘instrumental’ Michael Bailey, and the PMO’s ‘parliamentary affairs assassin’ Kate Legault-Meek also scored top spots in several categories in The Hill Times’ rejuvenated Top Political Staffers survey.
While Prime Minister Mark Carney has embarked on a swath of new trade negotiations, talks with the United Kingdom remain idle.
Plus, foreign affairs ministers from Singapore and Kuwait visit Ottawa.
Former prime minister Jean Chrétien could do no wrong last week. Despite a promising start during the same period, Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre couldn’t get it right.
Following news of the breach, experts are amplifying pre-existing concerns over Bill C-34, the Safe Social Media Act, saying the incident could be a presage of what’s to come under the proposed legislation’s social media ban for children under 16 years.
Plus: France and Japan are among nine new envoys in Ottawa, ex-ambassador Kirsten Hillman joins Scotiabank’s new growth institute, and former health minister Mark Holland looks forward to the men’s health strategy.
The Parti Québécois leader is trying to dodge recent comparisons to the federal Conservatives by emulating the winning campaign.
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Canada can help by continuing to demonstrate solid and unwavering support for Ukraine, and by working much harder with our allies to build on Ukraine’s battlefield successes.
Although allies abroad are receptive to closer ties to this country, including announcing plans to open a European Parliament office in Ottawa, they’ve traditionally been fairly shy about saying or doing anything that might anger the American bear.
The Parliamentary Budget Officer projects the government’s cost for federal public service insurance plans will reach $4.4-billion in 2030-31. The report came after the Senate’s National Finance Committee asked the budget watchdog to analyze these costs.
A refugee advocate says the revelation that a dozen public servants broke Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship Canada’s rules by improperly accessing its data system could stem from a lack of official communication from the department to applicants.
The assumption appears to be that fewer experts can somehow do more with less—an impossibility in a system already stretched past its limits.
The Public Service Alliance of Canada says its members have had prolonged issues since the federal government transferred the Public Service Health Care Plan from Sun life to Canada Life in July 2023.
Joss Reimer says she wants to tackle misinformation and disinformation, and place more emphasis on the social determinants of health and preventative health. She’s also keeping a close eye on H5N1, also referred to as the bird flu, to ensure that Canada has an influenza pandemic plan in place.
The prime minister is ‘contrasting himself very clearly’ between the American president’s ‘juvenile approach to politicking and a mature one’ says Trudeau-era staffer Marci Surkes.
Michael Pearson’s latest offers an understanding of Canadian diplomacy during its so-called ‘golden era,’ and is a reminder of the need for a prime minister with a vision of foreign engagement.
Advanced expertise takes years to develop, and these capabilities cannot simply be created when a crisis emerges or a new priority appears.
Large firms remain important, but they must sit alongside a dense ecosystem of agile domestic companies that solve niche technical problems, and scale into trusted suppliers at home and abroad.
In addition to importing star talent, a successful talent strategy must also develop, retain, and support researchers already here and those just starting their careers.
We have no shortage of talent or ideas, but we need greater entrepreneurial momentum and smoother pathways to convert more of them into products, processes, and jobs.
Companies and investors need confidence that discoveries made in Canada can continue to be developed and commercialized here.
Our health-care system should not be a patchwork where some Canadians can access the medicine they need while others are left behind.
Maximizing the opportunity will depend on ensuring employers can access the skilled workforce needed to commercialize, scale, and strengthen Canadian capacity.
Also, Michael Kovrig and Margaret Atwood among contributors in new book on Canadian sovereignty edited by Bob Rae, Conservative MP Arnold Viersen’s family keeps growing, and press gallery reporter Gerhard Braune remembered as ‘a lovely man with a dry wit.’
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The Advisory Committee on the Charitable Sector, established in 2019 to encourage meaningful dialogue with government, remains a periodic consultative body that has not met since fall 2024. And while consultation matters, it is not enough.
National Defence’s $48.4-billion represents the biggest ask of the $230.4-billion set to be voted on by MPs, with five more departments seeking approval for more than $10-billion.
This year’s estimates include $1.38-billion in funding for the CBC, representing a marked decrease from the $1.58-billion allotted to the public broadcaster during the 2025-26 fiscal year.
Conservative MP Stephanie Kusie says the PBO is ‘unable to do its job of providing government oversight.’ But another former budget watchdog Kevin Page says the prime minister has ‘deep respect for the legislative budget offices,’ adding that the next PBO will be faced with ‘enormous challenges’ in the months and years ahead and will be playing a critical role.
Canada can be an agri-food leader, but to compete globally, producers and industry need access to the latest tools and technology.
