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Seventy percent of Americans who voted for Donald Trump still believe that the 2020 US presidential election was stolen and that Trump really won. This, in spite of the fact that after the election the Trump campaign and allied interests filed and lost at least 63 lawsuits contesting election processes, vote counting, and the vote certification process in multiple states. Among the judges who dismissed the lawsuits were some appointed by Trump himself. Nearly all...

On September 22, 2021, the Quebec government adopted Bill 64, An Act to modernize legislative provisions as regards the protection of personal information, enacting significant changes to the requirements governing the use and protection of personal data in Quebec. Bill 64 grants Quebecers significantly increased rights and control over their personal data. The bill requires that data processors (from Facebook to Uber Eats to the smallest operation with a digital presence in Quebec) offer privacy settings...

In the federal government's most recent budget, there is a sub-heading in the chapter detailing tax changes entitled "Requiring Financial Institutions to Help Pay for the Recovery". The measure announced under the sub-heading is modest - a sleight increase in the Corporate Tax rate paid by Canada's largest banks and insurance companies. However modest the actual measure, the wording of the sub-heading is seen by Corporate Canada as "anti-business" and further proof that their current...

Reducing unemployment and increasing the wages of low and moderate income earners have become the overriding economic goals of top Canadian and U.S. policy makers, guiding objectives that will shape many of the big decisions being made in Ottawa and Washington in the months ahead. The U.S. and Canada's recent willingness to run historically large deficits in order to create good-paying jobs, marks a sea change in policy circles and more broadly in economic thinking....

Around the world, two headline crises – the COVID-19 pandemic and the mass awareness of racial injustice and segregation – have exploded not across entire countries but, most often, in specific neighbourhoods. In North America and Europe, these neighbourhoods are suburbs where high-rise and low-rise apartments dominate and where mostly non-white immigrants and other low-income groups have struggled to climb the economic ladder. In many cities, Covid-19 is now found primarily in these districts. What...

Ontario Morning News Round-up for November 25 On the same day Toronto Mayor John Tory called for $2 tolls for the Don Valley Parkway and Gardiner Expressway and a new tax on hotel rooms, a City  staff report called for the implementation of a far broader range of revenue generators. The Ontario Government has announced its next step in its ongoing efforts to reduce the gender wage gap - it's creating a new working group  to advise...

Federal Morning News Round-up The Liberals have introduced new legislation that repeals changes the Harper government made to Canada's Election laws. Amongst the changes being made under Bill C-33 are: the reinstatement of  voter information cards as identification; allowing vouching; and creating a national register of electors to pre-register youth aged 14 to 17. According to anti-poverty group Campaign 2000, Canada's child poverty rate has jumped from 15.8 per cent in 1989 when parliament passed a...

Federal Government announces new Food Health Strategy to revamp Canada Health Guide and improve food labelling.       Health Minister Jane Philpott announced Monday a new food strategy  comprised of policy measures that include revamping the Canada Food Guide, making the nutrition labels on food more readable, reducing harmful food additives such as trans fats and sodium, and restricting the marketing of unhealthy food and beverages to children. The main components of the strategy are...

Projected Ontario Legislative Business for Thursday, Oct. 20 (subject to change): 9:00 a.m. - Government Notice of Motion Number 2. Watch Live! Mr. Naqvi – That, pursuant to Standing Order 47 and notwithstanding any other Standing Order or Special Order of the House relating to Bill 37, An Act to amend the Early Childhood Educators Act, 2007, and the Ontario College of Teachers Act, 1996, when the Bill is next called as a Government Order, the Speaker shall put every...

Projected House business for Thursday, Oct. 20 (subject to change): The House is meeting between 10:00p.m. - 7:00 p.m. today. Watch All Chamber Proceedings Here! 10:30 a.m. - Government Business: Supply Motion may be debated. Watch Here! 11:00 a.m. Opposition Motion — Ms. Rempel (Calgary Nose Hill) — Genocide against the Yazidi people. Watch Here! 2:15 - Question Period. Watch Here! 3:15 - Government Business: Supply Motion may be debated. Watch Here! 5:30 p.m.Bill C-240 , Private Members'...