From Aging to Aged
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From Aging to Aged

When the results of Census 2021 were released, headlines labelled Canada an aged society. The previous census described Canada as an aging society. Is the shift from aging to aged significant? Census 2021 highlighted a dramatic growth in the population over 85 years (a 12 percent growth since 2016) as well as the reality that…

Budget 2022 marks transition from old to new economy
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Budget 2022 marks transition from old to new economy

Federal Budget 2022 turned out to be a sober document, contrary to media hype about New Democrats hijacking the agenda, fears of reckless spending and Corporate Canada’s push to return to 1990s-era budgeting. Instead, this budget charts a middle-of-the-road approach, bending over backwards, it seems, to dispel fears that the Liberals have become socialists. It…

The Liberal-New Democrat pact
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The Liberal-New Democrat pact

Justin Trudeau’s minority Liberal government in Ottawa entered into a supply and confidence agreement with Jagmeet Singh’s New Democratic Party in an effort to prolong the life of the current parliament until September 2024. Although such pacts are unusual in Canada, they are not entirely unprecedented. In 1985, Ontario’s Liberal leader David Peterson made a…

Tam asks faith leaders to remain ‘vigilant’, promote vaccine acceptance
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Tam asks faith leaders to remain ‘vigilant’, promote vaccine acceptance

Canadian faith leaders have an important role to play in promoting COVID-19 vaccines, including helping their members overcome vaccine hesitancy. That was the message Dr. Theresa Tam, Canada’s chief public health officer, delivered to more than 1,300 participants of an online information event last Wednesday. The event was arranged by the Canadian Council of Churches, Canadian…

Trudeau strikes again

Trudeau strikes again

In the absence of a popular consensus on an issue, there is much to be said for party leaders permitting their members to vote their conscience. Whether the controversial measure passes or is defeated, the party as a whole does not have to assume collective responsibility and can focus instead on other potentially less divisive issues. It can thereby avoid alienating potential voters.

Like father, like son: The Trudeau legacy

Like father, like son: The Trudeau legacy

Trudeau famously asserted that “there’s no place for the state in the bedrooms of the nation” and that “what’s done in private between adults doesn’t concern the Criminal Code.” As a belated recognition of the intrinsic limits of government, this statement would appear indisputable. After all, a law against non-marital sexual activity could hardly be enforced with any consistency and would necessitate something close to a totalitarian surveillance state.