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Now Ottawa can finally stop playing along with BC’s Trans Mountain gong show: Dwight Newman in The Financial Post – MLI
May 22, 2018 The end-of-May deadline imposed by Kinder Morgan to get clarity on its proposed Trans Mountain pipeline expansion is looming. Quite understandably, people have begun asking what has happened to the planned combination of legislative steps and negotiated financial support first proposed by the federal government in early April. Is this plan still […]
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Feds must allow First Nations to tax, regulate cannabis – Policy Options
There was little surprise when the Assembly of First Nations, at its Special Chiefs Assembly in early May, called on the government of Canada to amend Bill C-45, the Cannabis Act. The chiefs sought to prevent provincial regulations from applying on reserves and to allow First Nations to share in the revenue that will be […]
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Should the MMIWG Inquiry be given more time? – Policy Options
There are good reasons to extend the Inquiry, but commissioners should explain precisely what they intend to accomplish and why it justifies extra costs. Commissioner Marion Buller of the National Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls recently published an essay in the Globe and Mail making the case for a two-year extension […]
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Canada to share its vision on policies that benefit the middle class and those working hard to join it as it hosts the first OECD Social Policy Forum held outside Paris
May 12, 2018 Gatineau, Quebec The Canadian Government is committed to creating a growing economy that leaves no one behind. Canada’s effort to advance innovative social policies that help the middle class and those working hard to join it, including the Canada Child Benefit and the National Housing Strategy, is attracting international attention. […]
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Loose Fiscal Controls Lead to Blown Budgets – C.D. Howe Institute
May 10, 2018 – Over the past 15 years, Canada’s federal, provincial, and territorial governments have regularly missed budget spending and revenue targets, with spending overshoots of $69 billion combined. The new report from the C.D. Howe Institute, “Blown Budgets: Canada’s Senior Governments Need Better Fiscal Controls,” reveals a consistent lack of fiscal accountability by […]
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The (in)justice system and Indigenous people – Policy Options
April 30, 2018 The recent acquittal by a jury of Gerald Stanley, a white farmer, in the shooting death of Colten Boushie, an Indigenous man from the Red Pheasant First Nation in Saskatchewan, has again raised issues about the way the criminal justice system deals with Indigenous people. The concerns the case raised focused not […]
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Abandoning Trans Mountain harms economic prosperity and climate action: Arthur Hoole for Inside Policy – MLI
The Trudeau government must act deliberately and quickly now to build the Kinder Morgan Trans Mountain Pipeline Expansion. The full force of Canada’s constitutional mandate should be brought to bear to make this happen. The project’s support and approval is a key element in advancing Alberta’s Climate Leadership Plan, Canada’s contribution to reduce global greenhouse […]
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Governments have an interest in restorative justice because it generates significant benefits to society. – Policy Options
April 19, 2018 The trial is over, the sentence was handed down months ago, but Jeanne (not her real name) still doesn’t feel the closure she had been hoping for since the whole ordeal began. Many unanswered questions remain, and she agonizes over them every day. Why her? Why did this man decide to violate […]
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Gender Inequities Persist in Canadian Post-Secondary Education and the Workforce – The Conference Board of Canada
Ottawa, April 19, 2018 — Although women make up over half of post-secondary graduates, they continue to be underrepresented in senior decision-making roles, certain academic and professional fields, and the workforce. Additional efforts also need to be made to include more Indigenous peoples, people with disabilities, LGBTQ2S, and racialized Canadians. A new report by The Conference Board […]
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Reconsidering geography in Canada’s foreign and defence policy: New MLI study
OTTAWA, ON (April 12, 2018): With domestic political stagnation in the US and persistent doubts around Washington’s resolve, it is time to reconsider the role of geography on Canada’s foreign and defence policy, write Andrew Pickford and MLI research associate Jeffrey Collins. MLI’s latest study, Reconsidering Canada’s Strategic Geography, looks to history and the Australian experience in […]
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The International Recognition of Indigenous Resource Rights: Coates and Holroyd for Inside Policy – MLI
March 26, 2018. Canadians are slowly getting used to the re-empowerment of Indigenous people and their governments. It has taken a great deal of time to secure the constitutional, political and legal power needed to protect Aboriginal interests. Less noticed is the degree to which Indigenous rights have become a global issue. Taiwan is a […]
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Pod Bless Canada Ep. 6 – Canadian History and the Political Uses and Abuses of Memory with Crowley and Patrice Dutil – MLI
Managing Director Brian Lee Crowley and Ryerson University’s Patrice Dutil discuss Canada’s history and its impact on the current political agenda on the latest episode of Pod Bless Canada. Read More: https://www.macdonaldlaurier.ca/ep-6-canadian-history-political-uses-abuses-memory-crowley-patrice-dutil/
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Taking the next step towards a post-colonial Canada – Policy Options
When you come to speak to us about Canada, remember that we have been thinking about Canada for a very long time. Here we are again. It’s a familiar place and feeling, trying to parse the words of Canada announcing another a new approach to Indigenous policy – this time called a “Recognition and Implementation […]
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Rediscovering the Case for Enterprise: New MLI Commentary by Sean Speer
OTTAWA, ON (March 19, 2018): The case for the free enterprise system is being lost in the national conversation. And those who believe in the economic and social benefits of entrepreneurship, markets, and profits are partly to blame. That is the conclusion of Munk Senior Fellow Sean Speer’s latest MLI commentary, titled “Rediscovering the Case for […]
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Investment, Exports Suffering in Business-Unfriendly Canada: MLI Quarterly Economic Report
OTTAWA, ON (March 14, 2018): Failure to transition away from household and government spending means the Canadian economy is still overly-reliant on debt for growth, Munk Senior Fellow Philip Cross said today upon release of MLI’s latest Quarterly Economic Report. Prospects for an economic turn-around are not ideal. Budget 2018 has been rightly criticized as […]
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Widening the margins of public policy – Queen’s Gazette
March 6, 2018 The Policy Speakers Series featured Marlene Brant Castellano on her experiences advocating for the rights of Indigenous peoples. The latest Policy Speakers Series lecture focused on an important conversation for Canada: How do servants of the public good listen to and account for the marginalized in society? Marlene Brant Castellano, Professor Emerita […]
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MLI’s Second Justice Report Card: Ontario Most Improved While BC And Quebec Drop In Rankings
OTTAWA, ON (March 5, 2018): Canada’s criminal justice system is facing a litany of serious challenges including significant under-reporting of crime by victims, delays and inefficiencies, rising costs, and considerable over-representation of Indigenous people in prison, MLI Munk Senior Fellow and law professor at the UBC Peter A. Allard School of Law Benjamin Perrin said today. […]
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Young Canadians to guide country’s first youth policy
Ottawa, Ontario – February 13, 2018 The Prime Minister and Minister of Youth, Justin Trudeau, today announced several ways for young Canadians to take part in the development of Canada’s first youth policy. Starting today, young Canadians can access an easy-to-use, interactive online platform – youthaction.ca – where they can share their ideas and perspectives on what a […]
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“White settler revisionism” threatens Métis-Crown reconciliation – Policy Options
The 2016 census revealed explosive growth in the self-identified Métis population in Canada. The 51.2 percent growth of self-identified Métis from 2006 to 2016 easily surpassed the growth of First Nations and Inuit populations. The growth is spread unevenly across Canada. Notably, the Métis population skyrocketed in areas where no historic Métis communities were located. […]
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Muskrat Falls Inquiry: A missed opportunity for reconciliation – Policy Options
The terms of reference of the Muskrat Falls Inquiry don’t address the concerns of Labradorians about the impact of the dam on their lives. The Muskrat Falls hydroelectric project in Labrador has been plagued by problems and has even been publicly labelled a “boondoggle” by Stan Marshall, CEO of Nalcor Energy, the provincial Crown corporation overseeing it. […]
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CCPA: Dramatic change to regional-based forestry needed to best serve British Columbians and forest-dependent communities, says new report
January 22, 2018 VANCOUVER—BC must dramatically change how forestry is managed and governed if it hopes to reverse today’s troubling trends, says Bob Williams, who served as the province’s forest minister in the early 1970s, in a new report for the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives. Williams says it is essential to shift decision-making away […]
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Many Working Families Face Tax Trap – C.D. Howe Institute
January 9, 2018—Working parents with children—particularly low-income families— face prohibitive tax rates that discourage taking on extra employment to get ahead, according to a new report from the C.D. Howe Institute. In “Two-Parent Families with Children: How Effective Tax Rates Affect Work Decisions” author Alexandre Laurin finds that mothers and poorer families are the most […]
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The false francophone-Indigenous conflict over SCC judges – Policy Options
Maxime St-Hilaire, Alexis Wawanoloath, Stéphanie Chouinard, Marc-Antoine Gervais December 18, 2017 Late in November, Sheilah L. Martin, a bilingual Anglo-Montrealer, who has had a prestigious career in Alberta, was nominated as a Supreme Court of Canada (SCC) justice, filling the vacancy left by Chief Justice Beverley McLachlin’s retirement. This appointment has fuelled the debate over the requirement that SCC justices […]
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Inside Policy, December 2017: MLI names Jody Wilson-Raybould as Policy-Maker of the Year
OTTAWA, ON (Dec. 18, 2017): The Macdonald-Laurier Institute is pleased to name Minister Wilson-Raybould as the “Policy-Maker of the Year” in this issue of Inside Policy. Canada’s Justice Minister and Attorney General Jody Wilson-Raybould has a mandate from Prime Minister Justin Trudeau that covers a particularly wide and important range of issues – from marijuana legalization […]
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Media Advisory – Examining the Power of Inclusion: The Conference Board of Canada’s Diversity and Inclusion 2017 Conference
TORONTO, Dec. 8, 2017 – The Conference Board of Canada will host Diversity and Inclusion 2017: The Power of Inclusion in Toronto on December 11 and 12. This two-day event will bring together thought-leaders from across the country and the continent including, The Hon. Senator Murray Sinclair, Former Chair, Indian Residential Schools Truth and Reconciliation Commission. The Senator will address reconciliation and the corporate response […]
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NTI Contribution Policy
November 29th, 2017 The purpose of the Contribution Program, based on NTI’s Contribution Policy, is to provide financial support and assistance to organizations and Inuit engaged in activities that promote the development of Nunavut Inuit economic, social and cultural well-being. A copy of NTI’s Contribution Policy can be found on NTI’s website (www.tunngavik.com). ELIGIBILITY AND […]
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President Chartier Defines Key Elements of new Canada-Métis Nation Relationship at Policy Conference in Ottawa
November 28, 2017 At a policy conference exploring the characteristics of the nation-to-nation relationships being established by Canada with the Métis Nation, First Nations and Inuit, MNC President Clément Chartier defined the characteristics and how they evolved from the perspective of the Métis Nation. President Chartier presented his ideas, along with National Chief Perry Bellegarde […]
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CCPA: Time for a New Social Contract to Eradicate Child and Family Poverty
NOVEMBER 21, 2017 Halifax – The 2017 Report Card on Child and Family Poverty in Nova Scotia reveals that 35,870 children or more than 1 in 5 children in Nova Scotia were living in poverty in 2015. As primary author, Acadia University Professor Lesley Frank says, “We should celebrate the fact that 1,600 children were lifted out of […]
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Fraser Institute: First Nations generating billions in revenue, often from sources other than natural resources
November 21, 2017 VANCOUVER—First Nations across Canada are generating billions in revenue for themselves—and not only from natural resources, finds a new study released today by the Fraser Institute, an independent, non-partisan Canadian public policy think-tank. “First Nations are finding new and unique ways to generate income for their members that don’t necessarily rely on […]
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Welfare in Canada, 2016 – Caledon Institute of Social Policy
Anne Tweddle, Ken Battle and Sherri Torjman, November 2017 This report focuses on the incomes of four different households living on social assistance, commonly known as “welfare.” It is a continuation of the welfare incomes series published regularly by the former National Council of Welfare. Total welfare incomes consist of the sum of the following components: social […]
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NPI: Working together for a stronger Northern Ontario
Northern Policy Institute releases its 2016-2017 Annual Report October 17, 2017 – The fourth annual report released by Northern Policy Institute puts the spotlight on the importance of partnerships and collaboration, as NPI builds on their work to inspire new ideas and identify opportunities that will lead to stronger, more sustainable communities across Ontario’s northern […]
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From NAFTA 1.0 to NAFTA 2.0, Council of Canadians’ Maude Barlow outlines a NAFTA renegotiation agenda for the rest of us
October 16, 2017 OTTAWA — NAFTA renegotiations continue today in Arlington, Virginia. To shed light on the issues, the Council of Canadians today released Getting It Right: A People’s Guide to NAFTA, by Maude Barlow, its honorary chairperson and veteran NAFTA critic. It explains in plain language what’s at stake in the deal for our jobs, our […]
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For Indigenous nations to live, colonial mentalities must die – Policy Options
October 13, 2017 Envisioning a just future beyond the Indian Act starts with recognizing that the root of the problem we are facing is not one of laws or policies, of funding disparities or even of governmental capacities at any level. The root of the problem besetting Indigenous communities is the colonial mentality that has gained a […]
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New OHRC policy statement explains the duty to accommodate under Ontario’s Human Rights Code
October 12, 2017 Toronto – Today, the Ontario Human Rights Commission (OHRC) released a new policy statement explaining the purpose and importance of the duty to accommodate under the Ontario Human Rights Code (Code). Employers and unions, housing providers and service providers have a legal duty to accommodate the Code-related needs of people who are adversely affected by a requirement, rule […]
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Reforming the Indian Act to allow for online voting – Policy Options
October 12, 2017 Today, more than 50 First Nations in Canada have deployed online voting, and many more communities are looking to follow suit. Online voting is seen as a way to promote voter access (particularly among off-reserve members) and to boost turnout, engage youth, enhance self-determination and modernize voting processes. But while online voting […]
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Fine words need to be matched by action on Indigenous issues: Ken Coates for Inside Policy – MLI
Oct. 5, 2017 Prime Minister Justin Trudeau gave a rousing and warmly received speech at the United Nations on September 22. The talk was a tad self-congratulatory, but it was perhaps the most powerful mea culpa in Canadian diplomatic history. The Prime Minister laid out, quite graphically, the nation’s responsibility for the social, cultural and […]
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Tickets are on sale now for MLI’s 2018 Gala Dinner (February 13, 2018)
Celebrate the Canada-US friendship with the Macdonald-Laurier Institute! MLI will host its Annual Gala Dinner at the Canadian War Museum on Feb. 13, 2018, featuring a lively discussion about the long-standing friendship between Canada and the United States. Tickets are on sale. Get yours now! Under the broader theme of the “The Future of Canada-US Relations,” we […]
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Fraser Institute: OSFI’s proposed mortgage stress test is unnecessary, harmful – CP
Source: The Canadian Press Oct 11, 2017 TORONTO _ A prominent Canadian think tank has come out against requiring a new stress test for all uninsured mortgages. A Fraser Institute study published Wednesday argues that it’s unnecessary to impose the stress test on “financially sound” home buyers. The study’s author also argues the proposed stress test “will […]
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Court’s ‘land title’ decision threatens economic prosperity of First Nations in B.C. – Fraser Institute
October 05, 2017 VANCOUVER—A Supreme Court of Canada ruling has made it unclear how First Nations can use and develop their own land, threatening the potential for economic prosperity, finds a new study released today by the Fraser Institute, an independent, non-partisan Canadian public policy think-tank. “The legal uncertainty surrounding land use in B.C. not […]
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A 19th century Indian Act for 21st century objectives? – Policy Options
October 03, 2017 The Indian Act is a seriously flawed piece of legislation that has persisted for over a century and become institutionalized and entrenched. Both the Indian Act and the Indian Department have evaded every attempt at substantial reform. As such the oppressive, restrictive and discriminatory principles of this 19th century legislation have been carried into the modern […]
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A chance to get affordable housing right
October 2, 2017 The federal government’s anticipated national housing strategy could launch a long-term transformation of Canada’s housing system. Or it could go down as one of the most painfully squandered opportunities in years. That’s a lot of pressure for any government and, as municipal leaders, we do recognize the positive steps this government has […]
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Minister MacAulay wraps up A Food Policy for Canada regional sessions in Winnipeg, Manitoba
September 29, 2017 – Winnipeg, Manitoba – Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada A Food Policy for Canada will set a long-term vision for the country’s health, environment, social, and economic goals related to food; while also identifying actions that can be taken in the short-term to improve Canada’s food system. Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food Lawrence MacAulay, along […]
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A new “Indian register” for Indigenous DNA? – Policy Options
September 28, 2017 Science policy is divided into two central domains: science for policy, which pertains to the policy infrastructure and uses of scientific knowledge in government decision-making (for example, “evidence-based decision making,” or science advice), and policy for science, which deals with the roles of research and the creation of knowledge in a given […]
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The one-sided “accountability” of the Indian Act – Policy Options
September 25, 2017 In 1886, Her Majesty, with the advice and consent of the Senate and the House of Commons of Canada, created the Indian Act, which included this line: “The expression ‘person’ means any individual other than an Indian” (chapter 43). This action and the imposition of the reserve system or Ishkoonigun (leftover) took away the autonomy […]
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Join the Conversation to move Northern Ontario forward – Northern Policy Institute
Speaker lineup for State of The North Conference includes experts from around the country September 12, 2017 – Northern Policy Institute is pleased to announce the speaker lineup for the upcoming State of The North Conference September 27th – 28th in Timmins, ON. State of the North is an annual conference that brings together members […]
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Businesses Owned by Women and Minority Groups are a Dynamic Component of the Canadian Economy – The Conference Board of Canada
Ottawa, September 21, 2017 – Despite the benefits of greater competitiveness, not enough Canadian businesses and government organizations are adopting supplier diversity practices that help women and minority-owned businesses gain access to larger organizational supply chains, according to a new Conference Board of Canada report. Diverse supply chains can help companies reduce costs, enhance innovation and […]
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The Indian Act: Breaking Its Stubborn Grip – Policy Options
The 141-year-old colonial legislation called the Indian Act has had an odious and ridiculously stubborn run on Canada’s law books, with roots that extend back before Confederation. The Act has framed the relationship between the Crown and First Nations peoples in paternalistic, settler terms, ignoring the commitments and spirit of the treaties, Indigenous governance structures, […]
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Negotiations between Ottawa and Métis may do more harm than good – Fraser Institute
September 12, 2017 VANCOUVER—Due to the ambiguity regarding who is—or isn’t—Métis, and what constitutes Métis land, current negotiations between Ottawa and several Métis associations may create more problems than they will solve, finds a new study released today by the Fraser Institute, an independent, non-partisan Canadian public policy think tank. “Unlike First Nations that have […]
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Fraser Institute Media Advisory: What’s at stake in Ottawa’s negotiations with the Métis? New study coming Tuesday, Sept. 12
VANCOUVER, BC–(September 11, 2017) – On Tuesday, Sept. 12, the Fraser Institute will release a new study on Canada’s Métis population. In an effort to fulfill a 2015 campaign promise, the federal Liberal government has begun talks with several Métis associations in Canada. The study, The Debate about Métis Aboriginal Rights — Demography, Geography, and […]
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The Rosy Past – FCPP
September 6, 2017 Most of us tend to be nostalgic about our ancestral past. Researching one’s family tree has become a popular and passionate pastime. We imagine that when our forefathers lived, things were simpler, and in some ways, better than the complicated lives we live now. But when we dig into our past, we […]
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