Despite Trump’s posturing, world is no safer after al-Baghdadi’s death
OTTAWA—There is a very funny video circulating throughout the world on social media, in which former U.S. president Barack Obama’s composure is contrasted with President Donald Trump’s bombast. The clip originally aired on the late night show, Jimmy Kimmel Live!, and it is introduced as a mash-up—alternating sound bites of Obama announcing to the world […]
Focus on restricting access to weed has hampered crackdown on black market
Any assessment of the federal government’s efforts to create a legal framework for adult-use cannabis—or any public policy—must first be viewed through the lens of said policy’s objectives. In the case of cannabis, the government’s stated objectives were to, above all: protect young Canadians by keeping cannabis out of the hands of children and youth, […]
Research will solidify Canada’s cannabis advantage
Researchers use milestones and anniversaries as opportunities to stop and reflect on their projects, take stock of accomplishments and identify what still needs to be done. So, as we pass the one-year anniversary of the Cannabis Act, let’s stop for a moment and do just that. Initial challenges around policy and regulation, industrial production, and […]
Feds have room to move on fully eradicating the cannabis black market
One of the central goals of the federal government in legalizing recreational cannabis was the elimination of the black market for cannabis. The ambition of this goal is now becoming clear. Statistics Canada recently reported that 42 per cent of Canadians purchase some of their cannabis from illegal sources. Given the supply and access issues […]
Will a minority government bring a renewed approach to cannabis amnesty?
One year after cannabis legalization in Canada, economic, health, and public safety concerns remain priorities, but social justice issues continue to be sidelined— just as they were in the final iteration of the Cannabis Act. As people worry about money lost in the industry, or when and where they will be able to purchase edibles, […]
What’s your issue? Taxes, climate change, health care top leaders’ campaign pitches this election
With less than a week to go until Oct. 21, there’s been plenty of lamenting over the issues that aren’t being talked about this campaign. So, what have the leaders spent their time spotlighting? And what issues have media definitively brought to the fore? The Hill Times took a look at the issues raised by or with […]
What role, if any, do security issues play in the 2019 election campaign?
OTTAWA—They don’t call Canada “the peaceable kingdom” for nothing. Yes, we have our problems with violence—gun crime is a growing concern, for example—but we are blessedly removed from the levels of extreme violence (i.e. terrorism) that beleaguer other countries. We have had less than one terrorist plot, foiled or successful, per year in this land […]
Distrust in CSIS makes us less safe
OTTAWA—It should come as a surprise to no one that people in many parts of the world lack confidence in important public institutions. Whether we are talking about governments in general or, more specifically, agencies such as law enforcement and security intelligence, there is a substantial cohort that does not believe these are doing the […]
State terrorism is making a comeback
OTTAWA—These days when we read or think about terrorism we tend to go in two directions: either we think about terrorist groups: Al Qaeda, Islamic State, the Taliban, Boko Haram, Al Shabaab, etc., or we talk about “lone wolves”—even if that term is inaccurate. The former are of course larger, and usually have some kind […]
Despite majority support for a Canadian handgun ban, the politics of doing so may remain insurmountable
OTTAWA—There’s nothing like the gun lobby. Imagine if car manufacturers objected to the registration of automobiles because it was an infringement on the liberties of people with cars. Canadians are rightly reassured, however, that the obsession with these weapons here is nothing like in the U.S., where possessing guns is constitutionally guaranteed, and ownership of […]
