Trade policy: where ideological purity goes to die
Protectionism is having a moment in the face of the off-shoring of jobs, shrinking middle-class incomes, growing inequality, and soaring corporate profits.
If labour dispute goes ‘sideways’ it could derail Liberal cabinet retreat, says Nanos
If the union decides to ‘kick and scream’ in the face of binding arbitration, it could take steps that would lead to trains not running, says labour law expert Bruce Curran.
Systemic labour reform—not tweaks—needed to address major trade disruptions
Two-thirds of Canada’s GDP comes from moving goods in and out of the country, yet our current system does not consider this essential.
Another round of consultations on Canada’s Africa ‘approach’ extends two-year wait for rethink
What was once a ‘strategy’ for African engagement and later a ‘framework,’ is now being billed as an ‘approach.’
Defence spending push to reach NATO target coming in fall from business advocacy groups
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced in July that Canada ‘fully expects’ to reach a spending target of two per cent of GDP on defence by 2032, but critics say the announcement ‘lacks any substance.’ It’s expected the government will be lobbied hard on this in the fall.
Project 2025 could render trade and other agreements with U.S. uncertain, say political players
Project 2025 is not really on the radar for most average Canadians, but anyone in government should be taking note. Pollster Darrell Bricker calls the document ‘shocking’ and ‘like the monster under the bed.’
Strengthening Canada’s ties with the ASEAN region
Canada stands to gain greatly from investing in and developing close ties with this dynamic and economically vibrant part of the world.
U.S. election outcome doesn’t change policy issues, but Trump harder to predict, say pundits, lobbyists
Leadership in North America faces a potential shakeup with the U.S. election coming up in November, and Canada’s federal election coming by October of 2025 at the latest.
Bloc accuses feds of backing TC Energy dispute at the expense of mounting defence against Ruby River claim
Canada’s renegotiated North American trade pact removed investor protections, but a disputed window is allowing for legacy NAFTA claims to persist.
Presidential ticket upheavals present murky prospects for 2026 review of North American trade deal
U.S. Vice-President Kamala Harris was one of 10 Senators to vote against CUSMA in 2020.
