Montreal Economic Institute Says Trudeau Taxes Since 2015 Are Damaging the Economy

 A study released today by the Montreal Economic Institute (MEI) sheds light on the detrimental effects of income tax increases in Canada since the Trudeau government was elected in 2015. The MEI is an independent public policy think tank with offices in Montreal and Calgary. Through its publications, media appearances,

Lowering the bar on political ethics

 The October 21, 2020 confidence vote in Parliament is one of the lowest points ever reached in Canadian politics. It was a vote about integrity and ethics, versus incompetence or, worse, corruption. It was about the propriety of a sole-sourced contract for almost a billion dollars being given to an

When the Government Says It’s Ok, How Do Parents Say No?

 “Just say no!” That was the rallying cry for teens in the 1980’s. Day after day, week after week, we were told how dangerous drugs were for us. In my first year of high school, a very tall and formidable police officer came into our classroom one day, carrying a

Little Risk Big Reward – Why Caroline Mulroney is the Smart Choice for Conservatives

 The four candidates running to replace former Progressive Conservative Party leader Patrick Brown will face off in Ottawa today in the second and final debate before the leadership vote begins this weekend, with the result to be announced March 10. The party was thrown into chaos after the resignation of

Senate Delays – Just another urban myth

 By Elaine McCoy Everyone knows that the Senate delays government legislation. Don’t we? Well, no we don’t.   In fact, the House of Commons tends to take almost three times as long to deal with government legislation as the Senate does. This uncontestable fact is based on an actual count of

Want an innovative economy?

 By Paul Armstrong and Carol Herbert With Canada’s 150th birthday squarely in the rear-view mirror, we should now look to our future.  Our current government has been staking much on an “innovation economy” – if the regular speeches by various ministries are anything to go by.  So how do we

Are Canadian taxpayers getting value for money from their Members of Parliament?

 In this day and age, where we seem to measure, count and emphasize the all mighty dollar, it seems to me that Canadians should ask themselves if they are getting value for money from their members of parliament.  When you consider the fact that a member of parliament receives an

Sustained and Steady Growth of the Chinese  

 Economy will Continue to Make a Significant Contribution to the Development of the World Economy In the first half of this year, despite continued slowdown in global growth, China’s GDP expanded by 6.7 percent, ranking among top of the world’s major economies. This growth rate was within the appropriate range

Why We Need Infrastructure Spending Now 

 In April of this year the Honourable Amarjeet Sohi, Minister of Infrastructure and Communities, announced new investments in infrastructure totalling over $120-billion over the next ten years, including $60-billion in new money slated for public transit, green and social infrastructure. This is following up on a Liberal promise to dedicate

Criminology expert Darryl Davies calls on city to do something about Police Association president’s actions

 Dear Mr. Egli, The latest instalment of policing chaos in this city comes at the hands of Matt Skof, the President of the Ottawa Police Association. It's beyond belief that Matt Skof would post a video to YouTube and publicly call Charles Bordeleau, the Ottawa Chief of Police, a liar without

Parliamentary Wrap-Up Session With Rona Ambrose

 Attention: Rona Ambrose is not running for the Conservative leadership. However, after a stellar performance in the last Parliamentary session many wish she would. We sat down with the interim Leader of the Official Opposition to discuss the last Parliamentary session. OTTAWA LIFE MAGAZINE: What are your observations of the

A Sugar-Sweetened Beverage Tax is not the Answer

 There has been increasing interest in the use of a sugar-sweetened beverage tax to curb the burden of obesity in Canada – call it a ‘pop tax’ if you like. A recent Senate report on obesity in Canada recommends assessing the possibility of a sugar-sweetened beverage tax and points to

Why Ontario Needs to do More About Doctors who Abuse Patients

 Reforms by Ontario College of Physicians and Surgeons are a step in the right direction, but not enough. Ontario’s College of Physicians and Surgeons receives numerous deeply concerning reports of doctors sexually abusing their patients each year despite the adoption of a “zero tolerance” approach to such abuse 20 years

How Doctors Can Tackle the Their Patients’ Poverty Without Leaving the Office

 Can a question asked in a doctor’s office contribute to ending poverty for patients and their families?  This is what we asked ourselves 10 years ago, as we set out to convince health providers to tackle poverty. There were two factors that pushed us into this work: first, the evidence

The Planet is Dying of Consumption and Only Citizens can Halt the Process

 At the 2015 Paris Climate Conference, COP21, the focus has been on promises countries make to reduce their greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. These macro level commitments are always made with varying degrees of sincerity because few political leaders will be willing to cause real or even perceived damage to their

Future Energy: It’s Time for Canada to Lead

 Over the past decades, oil became everything for Canada. It was sign of economic stability, new jobs and progress. Today, oil’s low cost is dragging down the country's economy. Environmental concerns are only rising. The new reality seems here to stay. On the bright side, Canada is now on the threshold of

Why Police Fear Evidence-Based Research

 While almost every sector of society in the 21st century recognizes the importance of evidence-based decision making, police organizations are caught up in outdated policing approaches that are devoid of empirical evidence.  The major reason police are so resistant to the new regulations on carding announced by the provincial government

Many Patients with Chronic Health Conditions Also Have Mental Health Issues that Go Undiagnosed and Untreated

 We need to better integrate physical and mental health services Our health system often divides mental health from physical health into distinct silos of care and treatment, yet no such mind-body duality exists in actual patients.  Many individuals with chronic health conditions simultaneously experience mental health issues -- and the

The Heart of Wild Labrador: Adventure Canada Style

 All photos courtesy of Don MacLean. Once in his life a man ought to concentrate his mind upon the remembered earth. He ought to give himself up to a particular landscape in his experience; to look at it from as many angles as he can, to wonder upon it, to

Why the Federal Government Needs to Keep its Promise to End Income-Splitting

 Children’s Health More About Good Social Policy than Medicine Alone. More of Canada’s children are living in poverty than ever before. A new report reveals that child poverty rates in Canada remain unconscionably high. Almost one-third of children in Toronto live in low-income households. Population measures of child health in Canada are also troubling,

Current Patchwork of Funding Policies for Children’s Medicine in Canada Needs Critical Attention

 You are the parent of a sick child.  You have a limited budget and you must decide to buy the medicine the doctor prescribed for your child or provide food and shelter for your family instead.  What do you do? Sadly this dilemma is one too many Canadians are facing.

Seniors Housing Can be Affordable

 Older adults living on low and fixed incomes need options It was recently reported that Calgary has some of the most expensive seniors’ housing in Canada, at $3,100 a month, some $1,000 over the national average. Headlines like these catch people’s attention, especially during an election. There’s no doubt that

What’s Missing from Ontario’s New In-Vitro Fertilization Funding Policy?

 Children of IVF deserve to know their genetic history After a week of uncertainty and some confusion, the Ontario Ministry of Health finally announced its policy on in-vitro fertilization (IVF) funding – but the details remain minimal.  What we know for certain so far, and what has been met with

Pharmacare is for Kids Too

 Written by Avram Denburg and Steve Morgan You are the parent of a sick child. You have a limited budget and you must decide to buy the medicine the doctor prescribed for your child or provide food and shelter for your family instead. What do you do? Sadly this dilemma is one too

Saskatoon’s housing crisis is a health emergency

 Recently, a disturbing photo of five people sleeping in a Saskatoon bank lobby became headline news and filled social media feeds. An earlier photo had contrasted the lush yards on the east side of the riverbank with tents in the bushes on the west side. A few days later, homelessness