Policy Topics | Policy Briefings

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• Agriculture
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• Defence & Security
• Environment
• Finance
• Fisheries and Oceans

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• Health
• Industry and Manufacturing
• Infrastructure and Transport
• Innovation
• Intergovernmental

• Indigenous Relations
• Justice
• Labour & Employment
• Lobbying
• Natural Resources and Energy
• Women, Gender and Diversity

Finance

‘Big Four’ consultants raked in $240M in federal contracts last year, despite plans to cut spending 

NewsBY IREM KOCA

• Parliamentary Budget Officer Yves Giroux says 2024 spending on consultants seems ‘a bit high’ given the feds' commitment to curbing its reliance on external contractors.

‘Big Four’ consultants raked in $240M in federal contracts last year, despite plans to cut spending 

NewsBY IREM KOCA

• Parliamentary Budget Officer Yves Giroux says 2024 spending on consultants seems ‘a bit high’ given the feds' commitment to curbing its reliance on external contractors.

Feds eye March decision on replacing problem-plagued Phoenix payroll system

NewsBY IREM KOCA

Canada must adopt ‘independent mindset’ on internal trade, defence, amid Trump’s tariff tactics, says MP McKay

NewsBY IAN CAMPBELL, NEIL MOSS

Willkommen, bienvenue, welcome

OpinionBY ERICA IFILL

Canadian politicos react to Trump’s inauguration speech

NewsBY SOPHALL DUCH, KATE MALLOY

Investing in our future: building a more productive Canada

OpinionBY FRANCESCA BASTA, BRADLEE WHIDDEN

Trudeau leaves office with worst economic growth record in recent Canadian history

OpinionBY BEN EISEN

Hiring IT contractors cost feds 22 per cent more than using public servants, PBO finds

NewsBY IREM KOCA | UPDATED January 17, 2025

Liberals’ legacy of legalized cannabis at risk as hopes for tax relief ‘slim to none’ before next election: industry

NewsBY STUART BENSON

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Lost federal revenue, property, money jumps to $649.5-million in 2023-24: Public Accounts

NewsBY LAURA RYCKEWAERT

• Last year saw a considerable jump in lost federal revenue, from $14.3-million in 2022-23 to roughly $252.9-million.

Lost federal revenue, property, money jumps to $649.5-million in 2023-24: Public Accounts

NewsBY LAURA RYCKEWAERT

• Last year saw a considerable jump in lost federal revenue, from $14.3-million in 2022-23 to roughly $252.9-million.

Feds spent a record $20.7-billion on outsourcing contracts last fiscal year

NewsBY IREM KOCA

Questions remain about how Liberals missed deficit target by over $20-billion, says PBO

NewsBY IAN CAMPBELL

A spring election may push budget to fall 2025, says former PBO Page

NewsBY RIDDHI KACHHELA

The feds found money fast for a GST holiday—why not for the years-promised Canada Disability Benefit?

OpinionBY MICHELLE HEWITT, LUCA PATUELLI

There’s even greater urgency in building a stronger economy

OpinionBY DAVID CRANE

Expanding AI in government operations, modernizing Service Canada sites among feds’ fiscal update’s public service-related measures

NewsBY SOPHALL DUCH

Prime Minister’s Office confirms it cancelled year-end media interviews following fallout from Freeland’s bombshell mic drop

NewsBY SOPHALL DUCH

Hundreds of billions in ‘contingent liabilities’ loom large over Canada

OpinionBY TOM FLANAGAN

AGRICULTURE

Dear future prime minister, here’s a common-sense solution to food insecurity 

OpinionBY LORI NIKKEL

Canadian horses’ suffering continues beyond anniversary of ministerial mandate letter

OpinionBY KAITLYN MITCHELL

Canola industry urges more support for domestic biofuels sector in November, amid trade tensions with China

NewsBY JESSE CNOCKAERT

Liberals hear health, budget, environment concerns from July to October, with Conservatives targeted for finance, transport

NewsBY JESSE CNOCKAERT

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Biotechnology

From crisis to catalyst: Canada’s opportunity to drive global health and research innovation

OpinionBY PAMELA SHAVER-WALKER, EDWARD SHORT

A flourishing biotech sector starts by innovating education

OpinionBY VALERIE WARD, MARC AUCOIN, HECTOR BUDMAN

The prescription for Canada’s health care future

OpinionBY BETTINA HAMELIN

Biotechnology momentum in Canada needs infusion of talent and anchor firms, say industry reps

NewsBY JESSE CNOCKAERT

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DEFENCE & SECURITY

From Los Angeles to Jasper: how we can better prepare for wildfires

OpinionBY RICARDO PELAI, RYAN NESS

Canada’s military has a give-and-take dilemma with its force capacity

OpinionBY ANDREW ERSKINE

Pride in reserve: the CAF isn’t equipped to fight Mother Nature, but what if it was?

OpinionBY SCOTT TAYLOR

Canada in the world and the war in Gaza

OpinionBY NELSON WISEMAN

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Environment

The Trudeau legacy: ‘sunny ways’ in a smoky haze

OpinionBY SVEN BIGGS

First Nations chiefs shouldn’t be duped by ‘nuclear-is-green’ deception

OpinionBY WILLIAM ERIC ALTVATER

Welcome to ‘uncharted territory’

OpinionBY GWYNNE DYER

Canada must lead the fight against plastic pollution

OpinionBY JOSH LAUGHREN

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Fisheries and oceans

To protect nature, Canada must ratify the High Seas Treaty

OpinionBY SUSANNA FULLER

Feds’ plan for fish-farm transition no catch, say wild salmon, industry advocates

NewsBY STUART BENSON

Reconciliation that works for all in Canada’s fisheries

OpinionBY GENNA CAREY

Federal resource management decisions undermine collective power of community-based fisheries 

OpinionBY COURTNEY GLODE

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FOREIGN POLICY

We need a new Massey Report

OpinionBY ZAINUB VERJEE

Grits’ grasping for anti-Trump bonafides a ‘hail Mary’ tactic in leadership race

OpinionBY TIM POWERS

Premiers take spotlight with all-hands-on-deck pushback on U.S. tariff threat

NewsBY NEIL MOSS

The Middle East: where next?

OpinionBY GWYNNE DYER

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health

Canada needs a complete pandemic preparedness strategy

OpinionBY ISG SENATOR STANLEY KUTCHER, JOHN BERGERON AND KATHLEEN DICKSON

Non-profit cancer groups covering costs where ‘universal’ health system fails 

OpinionBY KATHLEEN BARNARD, LOUISE BINDER

We can end the HIV epidemic, but Canada is falling behind global targets

OpinionBY GRACE CHIUTSI, THARANI NAPPER

Bridging the gap between science and policy for precision medicine

OpinionBY PIERRE D. SARR

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Industry and Manufacturing

Enhancing and protecting the historic Canada-U.S. relationship

OpinionBY FRANçOIS DESMARAIS

Always leave them wanting more: Fraser tops All Politics Poll as he looks to exit federal politics

NewsBY SOPHALL DUCH

Right to repair legislation is a chance for Senators to address affordability

OpinionBY JF CHAMPAGNE

Feds’ purchasing power can push carbon removal innovation

OpinionBY LUCY HARGREAVES, ED WHITTINGHAM

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infrastructure and transport

Closing housing gap ‘not going to happen’ by 2030, but steps being taken in right direction, says Canadian Home Builders’ Association CEO

NewsBY JESSE CNOCKAERT

Climate change, housing needs of Northern Canada require tailored funding model based on more than population, say Idlout and Simpson

NewsBY JESSE CNOCKAERT

It’s time to close the infrastructure gap for Indigenous communities

OpinionBY DONNA BIG CANOE

Q&A | Taking on Canada’s affordable housing crisis

FeatureBY PETER MAZEREEUW

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innovation

Musk’s ‘meddling’ in Canadian, European politics shows ‘American exceptionalism’ at work: observers

NewsBY STEPHEN JEFFERY

Why hasn’t AI changed Canada yet?

OpinionBY RICARDO ARENA

Trudeau’s legacy for sound science policy tied to efforts early in Liberal mandate

OpinionBY PAUL DUFOUR

A unique research and innovation partnership celebrates three decades: South Africa and Canada move forward with a renewed vision

OpinionBY PAUL DUFOUR, MICHAEL KAHN

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intergovernmental

Time for Canada to ‘get our act together’ amid Trump tariff threats, say foreign policy experts

NewsBY SAMANTHA WRIGHT ALLEN | UPDATED January 20, 2025

Danielle Smith puts oil and gas before country

OpinionBY MICHAEL HARRIS

Atlantic Grits open to ‘practical’ leadership candidate who gets rural Canada, say local Liberals

NewsBY IAN CAMPBELL

Trudeau encourages all Canadians to ‘speak up for’ the nation in light of Trump’s threats

NewsBY SOPHALL DUCH

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justice

Top court could offer clarity on ‘open question’ of constitutional status of parliamentary privilege, say experts

NewsBY NEIL MOSS

A Chrystia carol: House wraps for the holidays as spectre of Freeland’s bombshell resignation haunts Liberal caucus

NewsBY SOPHALL DUCH

Feds’ attempt to codify hate still not salvageable despite C-63 division, say Conservatives, civil society groups

NewsBY STUART BENSON

‘Enough is enough’: Black federal civil servants, unions accuse Liberals of ‘wasting’ time on tackling anti-Black racism

NewsBY SOPHALL DUCH

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Labour & employment

Liberals break pledge to table forced labour bill in 2024

NewsBY NEIL MOSS

Investing in youth is essential for Canada’s future

OpinionBY KAREN MYERS

The Disability Tax Credit is a barrier to the Canada Disability Benefit

OpinionBY RABIA KHEDR, CONSERVATIVE SENATOR JUDITH G. SEIDMAN

Some departments ‘stopping the clock’ to prevent contract workers from becoming permanent public service staff

NewsBY SOPHALL DUCH

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Lobbying

Taiwan the top destination in quieter year for MPs’ sponsored travel

NewsBY STEPHEN JEFFERY

Trump’s 25 per cent tariffs pose ‘existential crisis’ for Canada, with risks even if not enacted, says Unifor president

NewsBY JESSE CNOCKAERT

Most-lobbied Grit MPs hear push for health accountability measures, most-lobbied Tory MPs hear push for environment, trade issues

NewsBY JESSE CNOCKAERT

Trudeau’s reset options dwindle as government puts itself above Parliament

OpinionBY MICHAEL HARRIS

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natural resources and energy

Russia’s ‘shadow fleet’ of oil tankers stalled by U.S. sanctions

OpinionBY GWYNNE DYER

Communities deserve more support as the global economy changes

OpinionBY RACHEL SAMSON

Time to dig deep into a strategy for geothermal power

OpinionBY PETER MASSIE, EMILY SMEJKAL

Northwestern Ontario nuclear waste site selection raises concerns

OpinionBY ERIKA SIMPSON

See all

Women, Gender and Diversity

Newsroom racial and gender diversity on the decline in 2024: CAJ survey

NewsBY SOPHALL DUCH

Why top Liberal women are hesitant to run for leader

OpinionBY REBECCA BAILEY

‘I’m left with questions’: Senator Bernard’s push to highlight the Upper Chamber’s lack of Black men

NewsBY LAURA RYCKEWAERT

Islam’s true voice: wresting the microphone from extremists 

OpinionBY IMAM MOHAMMAD TAWHIDI, IMAM INAYAT ALI SHAKIR, IMAM PAUL SALAHUDDIN ARMSTRONG, IMAM MOHAMMAD MEHDIZADE

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Indigenous Relations

Modernizing the Métis National Council 

OpinionBY VICTORIA PRUDEN

Infrastructure gap, child welfare in focus as AFN prepares for ‘ally’ Trudeau’s exit

NewsBY RIDDHI KACHHELA

Indigenous innovation in education works for all of us

OpinionBY JENNIFER BRENNAN

AFN national chief urges politicians to ‘put their politics aside’ to support First Nations’ access to clean water

NewsBY IREM KOCA

Exclusive lists

Who’s backing the Liberal leadership contenders?

Who’s backing the Liberal leadership contenders?

Who went where in Trudeau’s cabinet shake-up?

Who went where in Trudeau’s cabinet shake-up?

Breaking down 343 federal ridings by rural and urban designations

Breaking down 343 federal ridings by rural and urban designations

How would Canadians vote in the U.S. election? Survey shows a bent towards blue

How would Canadians vote in the U.S. election? Survey shows a bent towards blue

Liberal MPs who spoke at the closed-door caucus showdown on Oct. 23

Liberal MPs who spoke at the closed-door caucus showdown on Oct. 23

Cabinet’s communications and chiefs of staff list, October 2024

Cabinet’s communications and chiefs of staff list, October 2024

A timeline of political violence and rising security on Parliament Hill since 2014

A timeline of political violence and rising security on Parliament Hill since 2014

MP salary top-ups for committee, parlsec, and extra House duties

MP salary top-ups for committee, parlsec, and extra House duties