February may be the shortest month in the calendar year, but in politics, it’s often one of the busiest. This year will be no exception. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau will travel to the United States in early February for a four-day visit to Los Angeles, San Francisco and Chicago, where he is expected to double down […] Read more
Stories by Kelsey Johnson
Capital Letters: Slow progress at NAFTA talks prolongs the uncertainty
If there’s one line that emerged in Montreal this week on NAFTA, it’s this: progress is being made, but there’s still quite a ways to go. The sixth round of North American Free Trade Agreement renegotiation wrapped up in Montreal Jan. 29 — nine days after trade officials first descended on the city. Despite “significant” […] Read more
Canada’s trade prospects becoming increasingly precarious
It’s a pinnacle time for the Canadian trade file. The North American Free Trade Agreement remains in jeopardy — a situation, it’s safe to say, few expected that Canada, the United States and Mexico would be embroiled in a year ago. It’s no secret that the future of the trade deal continues to be uncertain. An […] Read more
Parliament to resume hectic pace, including ag issues
Parliament’s hectic pace before it rose for its holiday break is expected continue when MPs return to Ottawa at the end of January. There are several files worth noting for Canadian agriculture, starting with this country’s future trading relationship with its southern neighbours . Canadian, Mexican and American negotiators are getting set to meet in […] Read more
Major companies get behind smart ag super cluster
The average Canadian might hold a romanticized view of agriculture in this country, but for a group of nearly 100 industry, academic, government folks, big data is key to the sector’s future. The $250 million Smart Agri-Food Super Cluster (SASC) is one of nine industry-led projects, and one of two that focuses on agriculture, to […] Read more
Federal food policy faces many hurdles
The federal government’s pending national food policy must take into account the acute labour shortage the agriculture sector is facing and find a way to help Canada’s young farmers overcome barriers, says a new report from the House of Commons agriculture committee. More than 20 recommendations were included in the House of Commons standing committee […] Read more
The unexpected was the norm in 2017, starting with trade
The year 2017 will likely go down in the political history books for being the year of the unexpected. To say it was a year of surprises would be an understatement. The arrival of U.S. President Donald Trump on the international political scene delivered a jolt not seen in decades to the way in which the […] Read more
Grain transportation system reform goes off the rails again
Time is ticking on the Liberals’ attempts to reform Canada’s grain transportation system. Bill C-49, the Transportation Modernization Act, has been stuck in the Senate since Nov. 2 — despite promises from Transport Minister Marc Garneau that the bill would be in place by the end of the year. The House of Commons is expected […] Read more
House agriculture committee risks losing its relevancy
It used to be that if you wanted a better idea of what the federal government’s plans for a respective sector was you skipped the House of Commons and headed straight to committee. Traditionally, committees were the backbone of Parliament. They allowed MPs to dig into a variety of issues that were of critical importance […] Read more
Life without NAFTA? Canada, U.S. ag sectors brace for worst
Is it time to start preparing for a post-NAFTA world? Canadian, American and Mexican negotiators gathered in Mexico City for a fifth round of North American Free Trade Agreement talks earlier this month. They met without their political counterparts — a scenario observers had hoped would help depoliticize the ongoing negotiations, allowing for some substantive progress. […] Read more
