Policy Options

The dark side of branding must be reined in. New rules are needed to contain nefarious behaviour and curtail the most despicable acts. In Democratizing the Constitution: Reforming Responsible Government, Peter Aucoin, Mark Jarvis, and Lori Turnbull argue that proposals for democratic reform in Canada must establish clear objectives, place formal constraints on prime ministerial […]

Much has been written about the roles members of Parliament play, but surprisingly little is publicly known or discussed about Canada’s parliamentary staffers. The pejorative label “the boys in short pants” has recently been used to describe some staffers; others have been called “ruthless, cutthroat psychopaths” and “25-year-old jihadis.” (Those latter two quotes were from […]

The latest chapter in the IRPP’s trade volume describes the emerging phenomenon of technology-enabled (‘online’) trade. In this chapter, authors Usman Ahmed and Hanne Melin (eBay Inc.) analyze a unique dataset of Canadian firms using eBay in 2008-13. The experiences of these businesses demonstrate that technology-enabled trade is broader and more inclusive than traditional trade. […]

E-commerce is revolutionizing the way we trade by giving businesses unprecedented access to new markets. Tools such as eBay have become the great equalizer of international trade: empowering small businesses in a globalized trade environment traditionally dominated by large firms. With so much to gain from these emerging trade patterns, Canadian trade policy can’t afford […]

On April 19, 2021, Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland presented the first federal budget in two years. Among the many new and updated policies, one stood out especially – the promise of affordable universal childcare for all Canadians. Universal child care had been promised in the past and never come to fruition, not for lack of […]