Opinion
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Spring Economic Update – Building Resilience
The Spring Economic Update reiterated Prime Minister Carney’s key themes: moving the economy from one of reliance to one of resilience by diversifying trade (a relentless pace of new trade deals with the world) and becoming stronger at home (major projects announced and in the works). Foreign direct investment in Canada at $100 billion is…
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The Anglo-Teck Approval Was Easy. What Will Canada Do With a Major Acquisition from a Hegemonic America?
The unexpectedly quick approval by the Canadian Government of the proposed link-up of Canada’s Teck Resources and the UK’s Anglo American confirms several things: 1) Canada is open for foreign investment (from some countries at least ); 2) the Canadian Government can be as transactional as the Americans – extracting significant investments and other commitments…
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Budget 2025 – Budgeting in War Time
Rarely in Canadian history has a Federal Budget been presented in such a complex geo-political environment. Usually, the state of the world is considered in Budget documents only for the purpose of forecasting interest rates which would affect the cost of servicing the national debt in the near or medium term. This time it is different.…
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Time to Swing for the Fences – The Prime Minister Speaks in Advance of the Budget (and the World Series)
It is not unusual in recent decades for a government to prepare the ground for an upcoming budget. Typically, in advance of a budget, announcements are made about initiatives (there have been many) with more details and funding set out in the actual Budget and Estimates to follow. It is also wise for a government…
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The Canadian Dollar in the Digital Age of Money
There is good reason to be sceptical about volatile private digital currencies. But with legislative and regulatory developments underway in the world’s largest economy, digital currencies (in the form of US Dollar backed “stablecoins”) have now gone mainstream. Stablecoins are a less volatile version of crypto currency – not just because of the clever name;…
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The Politics of Pageantry. A New Parliamentary Session Begins.
The participation of King Charles III in the rituals which launched a new session of the Canadian Parliament was no casual thing. His presence was sought, and his participation calculated. The King’s remarks served to remind Canadians, and signal to our neighbours to the south and the world, that Canada has its own history and…
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PM Carney’s Cabinet: Purpose Built For A Hinge Moment
Prime Minister Mark Carney announced his first Cabinet on Tuesday (if you don’t count the caretaker Cabinet he appointed after assuming the leadership of the Liberal Party a few weeks ago). Of necessity that original Cabinet retained a lot of Trudeau holdovers. This one “purpose built for a hinge moment” is truly Mark Carney’s Cabinet,…
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Federal Election 2025: Our Analysis
We Won (Barry Campbell) What Happened? In the years leading up to the current Federal election, there has been increasing concern about covert foreign election interference from China or Russia. As it turns out, the most malign influence on Canada’s 2025 election was overt and from our erstwhile ally to the south! In the lead…
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A New Liberal Leader. A Perilous Time. The Federal Election to Come.
With a new Liberal Leader in place and Parliament on the verge of resuming, a Federal election will soon be upon us. In that contest Liberals will want Canadians to forget the past ( “Liberal sins” Conservative call it) and focus on the challenges of these ” dark times”. Conservatives will want to make Canadians…