Insights

The election of Rachel Notley as Premier of Alberta will change the way the Government of Alberta (GOA) does business.  In the weeks and months ahead, industry can expect that Alberta’s new NDP Premier will do things differently.  The Globe and Mail reported today that Premier-elect Notley… Continue Reading Politics and Business in Alberta: Ne’er the twain shall meet again

The Ontario Progressive Conservative (PC) Party announced today that backbench Conservative MP Patrick Brown is the new leader of the party.  Brown defeated former Deputy PC Party Leader Christine Elliott, MPP, who was considered the frontrunner at the outset of the race.   Brown Now Looking for… Continue Reading Patrick Brown Wins Ontario PC Leadership Contest

In sport, athletes study tapes of themselves, their teammates and their opponents to evaluate their mistakes and successes so they can learn from them and adjust themselves accordingly when similar situations arise.  It is this type of dedication to continuous improvement that the new NDP Government in… Continue Reading Learn From Others’ Mistakes: What the Alberta NDP need to do to succeed

The Alberta election result was widely predicted but no one actually believed it until it happened.  After 44 consecutive years of Progressive Conservative governments, many still thought that the polls might be proven wrong and the PCs would, once again, be returned to power.  But, after four… Continue Reading The Chinook of Change: Alberta’s New Government and What Happens Now

While Ontario’s Budget Day brought little in the way of newsworthy items that had not already been leaked in advance, it has helped to resolve an enduring question of the Wynne government: What is Premier Kathleen Wynne’s plan to meet her commitment to balance the province’s book… Continue Reading Ontario’s 2015 Budget Likely to Cause Anxiety Among Government’s Traditional Political Allies

Aleck Dadson Last week, the Premier’s Advisory Council on Government Assets released its long-awaited recommendations for Hydro One, the provincially-owned transmission and distribution business. The Wynne government announced immediately thereafter that it would adopt the recommendations in full. Given these closely coordinated announcements, and the fact that… Continue Reading Implementing the Clark Panel’s Electricity Distribution Sector Recommendations – The Challenging Road Ahead

Today’s federal budget entitled, “Strong Leadership, A Balanced-Budget, Low-Tax Plan for Jobs, Growth and Security,” is the first milestone in a six month long campaign leading up to the fixed federal election date on October 19, 2015. It contained 3 key chapters: Creating Jobs and Economic Growth… Continue Reading Federal Budget 2015: It’s all about the election campaign and it started today

The release of the second report from the Premier’s Advisory Council on Government Assets (“the Clark panel”) signalled the government’s intention to proceed with an IPO for Hydro One and introduce the sale of beer into a number of grocery stores. It is worth noting that the… Continue Reading Clark Report Recommends Hydro One IPO; Beer in Grocery Stores

Matt Thompson Premier Kathleen Wynne has announced that Ontario would adopt a cap and trade plan to curb greenhouse gas emissions and help battle climate change. The province will eventually join the cap and trade system jointly maintained by Quebec and California under the Western Climate Initiative. … Continue Reading What to Expect from Ontario’s New Cap and Trade System