Carol Hughes’ Column
Carol Hughes’ Column – Prime Ministers Admission on Broken Electoral Reform Promise is Frustrating
On October 1st, the Prime Minister made an astonishing admission that hasn’t made much of a ripple on most mainstream Canadian media. That day, he appeared on Liberal MP Nathaniel Erskine-Smith’s Uncommons podcast to discuss his thoughts on the next … Continue reading
Carol Hughes’ Column – Health Care Privatization is a Fool’s Errand
Canadians are understandably feeling a little anxious about health care these days. The past few years saw the Canadian health care system strain under the pressures of the Covid-19 pandemic. Doctors and nurses who did everything they could to keep … Continue reading
Carol Hughes’ Column – German Envoy’s Comments on Natural Gas a Sign of Energy Discussions to Come?
In late September, Jennifer Morgan, the German state secretary and special envoy for international climate action made a relatively innocuous comment that seemed to prod a wide range of responses from businesses and political leaders across Canada. As an environmentalist … Continue reading
Carol Hughes’ Column – The Supply and Confidence Agreement has Run its Course
In the first week of September, following Labour Day, New Democrats formally ended the Supply and Confidence Agreement with the governing Liberals. While some observers seemed shocked by the deal breaking when it did, others seemed to have been surprised … Continue reading
Carol Hughes’ Column – PBO Report on Fiscal Sustainability Shows We Have Room for Big Ideas
At the end of August, the Parliamentary Budget Officer Yves Giroux released his department’s Fiscal Sustainability Report. While not necessarily the most attention-grabbing item on the agenda at the end of summer, it’s a deep dive into how well federal … Continue reading
Carol Hughes’ Column – Abuse within Temporary Foreign Workers Program Needs to End
During the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, the federal government made changes to the Temporary Foreign Workers Program (TFWP) to help businesses cope with low unemployment rates that made it hard for some of them to find employees. While changes … Continue reading
Column Carol Hughes- Collective Bargaining Must Win Out in CP and CPKC Negotiations with Rail Union
After months of unsuccessful attempts at a fair collective bargaining process, there is a large impasse between rail workers with the Teamsters union and the Canadian National Railway (CN Rail) and Canadian Pacific Kansas City (CPKC) companies. It’s an exceptionally … Continue reading
Carol Hughes’ Column – Jasper Wildfires Another Tragic Reminder of Our Need for a National Wildfire Fighting Force
Last summer, much of the country was blanketed by a cloud of smoke from an exceptional forest fire season. By the end of summer, 16.5 million hectares of land had been torched, compared to the annual average of 2.5 million. … Continue reading
Carol Hughes’ Column – Threats to Defund the CBC don’t Mesh with Reality for Many Canadians
In recent weeks, the Federal Conservative leader, much like his last several predecessors, has threatened to defund the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. This is not a new policy direction for their party, but the ramping up of attacks on our public … Continue reading
Carol Hughes’ Column – Bread Fixing Scheme Leads to Largest Class Action Settlement in Canadian History
Last week, Loblaw Cos. Ltd., as well as its parent company, George Weston Ltd., agreed to pay $500 million to settle a class-action lawsuit for their part in a 14-year industry-wide bread price-fixing scheme. It’s alleged that Loblaws, along with … Continue reading