Canada-U.S. Relations

Fraser Forum: Canada-U.S. Relations

This month’s Fraser Forum focuses on Canada-U.S. Relations. Contributors discuss a variety of pertinent topics, including health care, trade, protectionism, border security, and Arctic sovereignty. Editor Kristin Fryer writes that even in the face of economic recession, Canada and the U.S. must continue to cooperate, recognizing that working together is beneficial to both countries. Read

 

Toward A Better Border

Last month, the Canadian International Council and The Brookings Institution hosted a conference in Washington to help shed light on the evolving security and economic challenges associated with the Canada-U.S. border and to examine recommendations for improving border policy. U.S. Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano delivered the keynote address. Read

 

Developments and Priorities in the Canada-U.S. Relationship

David Stewart Patterson, Executive Vice-President of the Canadian Council for Chief Executives appeared before the Standing Committee on International Trade in the House of Commons to report on last week’s meetings in Washington with a wide range of key actors in American politics, business, and academia. He shares his initial reflections on three key topics: the fiscal and monetary response to the economic crisis; trade and protectionism; and defence and security. Read

 

Canada's Economic Relationship with the United States
As we near the end of a very turbulent first decade of the twenty-first century, Canadians can take some comfort in NAFTA provisions which will shield them from the potential of protectionism. However, dire economic conditions in the United States are going to reverberate in Canada to an extent not seen since the early 1980s, says the Institute for Research on Public Policy's Earl Fry. Read

 

Potholes and Paperwork

While the auto industry in Canada faces tough financial and product development challenges, another threat to its sustainability looms – the increasing divergence of Canada-U.S. regulations, In a study released by the C.D. Howe Institute, author Michael Hart examines one critical aspect of government policy that requires greater Canada-U.S. cooperation: the need for common regulations governing safety, fuel consumption and environmental protection.  Read

 

 

Foreign Policy

The Defence Budget after Afghanistan

On March 27, the government announced its funding plans for the Canadian Forces for the next three years. The news is not entirely positive, comments Jack Granatstein of the Canadian Defence and Foreign Affairs Insitute. Granatstein forecasts that under the new military budget, money is going to be tight and the numbers of personnel will continue to be insufficient to perform their required tasks. Read

 

 

Economy

Canadian Business Leaders Speak

What lessons should Canadian companies and policymakers learn from the current economic downturn? How can we strengthen the ability of Canadian-based enterprises to compete and grow in global markets? What steps are Canada's leading energy producers taking to reduce their impact on the environment? The Canadian Council of Chief Executives addresses these and other questions in its Spring 2009 issue of Perspectives, a collection of excerpts from recent speeches and essays by Canada's business leaders. Read

 

Breaking the Cycle

A new report released by the University of Alberta’s Parkland Institute shows that Alberta may be impacted more harshly than other jurisdictions by the current global recession. Authors Greg Flanagan and Diana Gibson outline the key principles and actions that must form part of a provincial economic stimulus plan for Alberta. These include such measures as a return to counter-cyclical spending, targeting 2% of provincial GDP for stimulus spending, focusing on high job-growth areas like health, education and transit, tackling Alberta’s infrastructure deficit, and investing in renewable energy and green infrastructure. Read

 

 

Public Policy

Gender Aspects of Employment Insurance

Ken Battle of the Caledon Institute of Social Policy appeared before the Commons Standing Committee on the Status of Women. His presentation discusses gender aspects of the Employment Insurance program. Read

 

 

Energy and Environment

Open Letter to the G-20 Heads of State

In an open letter to the G-20 heads of state, Mark Halle of the International Institute for Sustainable Development calls for moral and practical leadership in making the right decisions on financial reform and the deployment of stimulus packages.  He stresses that investments need to assess the sustainability of post-recession growth.  Read

 

 

Science and Technology

Social Networking and Governance for Sustainable Development

Communications technology has enabled new approaches to governance in which stakeholders across sectors and jurisdictions are engaged in consensus building and implementation processes. Writing for the International Institute for Sustainable Development, Terri Willard explores mechanisms through which online social networking may impact on governance for sustainable development. She asks whether social networking sites are useful tools for sustainable development, and how we can ensure that they live up to their potential. Read

 

Bioengineered Protein Yields New Way to Tackle Cancer

University of Toronto researchers have discovered that re-engineering a protein that helps prevent the growth and spread of tumours has created a potentially powerful therapy for people with many different types of cancer. In a study published in the first issue of EMBO Molecular Medicine, Professor Michael Ohh of laboratory medicine and pathobiology describes how his research team modified the tumour inhibiting protein known as von Hippel-Lindau and demonstrated that it could suppress tumour growth in mice. Read