The week of June 15th was to be the last sitting week for the House of Commons before summer. However, COVID-19 forced Parliament to quickly reinvent itself to deal with pandemic related priorities. Parties put aside their own interests to support the healthcare and finance measures required… Continue Reading Federal Parliament Gets Political Again
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I used to work with a colleague in government who, whenever the opportunity presented itself, would quip “you know, this is exactly what Liberals think we do.” He was referring to the fact that every political party has negative connotations associated with it. Common refrains are that… Continue Reading The Thoughtful Appointment of Jamil Jivani Breaks the Conservative Mold
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The Ford government has announced the details of stage two of its framework to reopening the economy, which introduces a regional approach, given some parts of the GTA still account for over 70 per cent of new COVID-19 cases. Regions which remain in stage one include the… Continue Reading Ontario’s Regional Approach to Stage Two Reopening
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Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced today that the federal government is offering $14 billion to the provinces and territories as part of a safe restart agreement. The offer is a federal contribution to support the safe re-opening of the Canadian economy over the next six to eight… Continue Reading Supporting a Safe Restart: A Long Road Ahead
Read more →As financial pressure increases on provinces and municipalities across Canada from a massive decline on revenues due to COVID-19, the traditional debate about “who pays for what” is top of mind for governments at all levels. Prime Minister Trudeau and Infrastructure Minister Catherine McKenna announced that the… Continue Reading Infrastructure Gas Tax Dollars Fast-Tracked to Municipalities by Feds
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There is an old American folk song by Woody Guthrie called “Jolly Banker.” In it, Guthrie (a noted union activist) depicts a helpful banker with a constant smile who is there for families in need with loans for furniture, lines of credit, and deferred mortgages. Over the course of… Continue Reading Remember the Jolly Banker — the Bill Will Come Due
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Long-term care facilities, especially those in Ontario and Quebec, have been hard-hit by outbreaks of COVID-19. Premiers Ford and Legault specifically requested the assistance of the Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) medical teams in April to help manage the outbreak in some long-term care facilities. A report written… Continue Reading CAF Reports Issues in Long-term Care Homes
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Ontario Cancels Schools, Feds Extend and Expand Benefit Programs As provinces and the federal government seek to re-open economies, government programs are being amended and extended to better target the needs of all Canadians. Yet at the same time, other decisions made by governments for public health… Continue Reading Ontario Schools Remain Closed Until September
Read more →Ontarians recently celebrated the 75th anniversary of the liberation of Holland. Of course, that liberation started months before on the beaches of Normandy with the largest seaborne invasion in history. In a stroke of dumb luck, Axis commander Erwin Rommel was absent from the front lines that day. German intelligence… Continue Reading It’s Time to Prepare Plans for Pandemic-Related Issues
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The Ford government has announced details of stage one of its provincial Framework to Reopen, starting on May 19th. Ontario has focused on workplaces and services that are well-positioned to adopt workplace safety measures, while avoiding overburdening public transit and other services. Business and services permitted to… Continue Reading Ontario Unveils First Stage to Reopen Economy
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