Canada is not a "failed state," but the longer Justin Trudeau remains as leader of the Liberal party and the Prime Minister, the more like one it becomes, says John Ibbitson in his recent column in the Globe and Mail. A failed state is one with no functioning, national government and by many accounts, Canada... Read More
Category: Politics
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau named eight new ministers to cabinet on Friday, December 20, a cabinet shuffle spurred by the resignation of Finance Minister and Deputy Prime Minister, Chrystia Freeland, on Monday. Trudeau not only had to account for the departure of Freeland, but also the recent departures of Sean Fraser and Randy Boissonnault, and... Read More
The Canadian Cattle Association (CCA) has joined a growing list of national agriculture groups that are cutting ties with the federal government's "Sustainable Agriculture Strategy." The national cattle producer organization sent a letter to Agriculture Minister Lawrence MacAulay on Thursday, Dec. 19, informing the minister of the association's withdrawal from the government's SAS advisory committee.... Read More
Today, on the same day that the Liberal government will present the Fall Economic Statement, Chrystia Freeland submitted her resignation as Finance Minister to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. In a letter dated Dec. 16, Freeland writes: "On Friday, you told me you no longer want me to serve as your Finance Minister and offered me... Read More
Trading nations face many hurdles as they work to develop global markets for the agricultural products they produce. In an era of increasing protectionism, a quick take on the business of world trade would likely conclude that politics and domestic concerns stand as the biggest hurdle to gaining access to global agricultural markets. But that's... Read More
A cascade of geopolitical events is helping shape current agricultural markets and the deluge of developments also promise to move markets into the New Year. Leading the surge is the Trump administration's tariff policies and the potential impact on North American trade. In this report, RealAgriculture's Shaun Haney and Steve Nicholson, Rabobank's global sector strategist... Read More
When 2024 started, the RealAg Issues panel referred to some big political decisions that would be made prior to the next review or negotiation of the CUSMA/USMCA trade deal. On the horizon was Mexico's national election; the U.S. was set to head to the polls in early November, and it was anyone's guess if Justin... Read More
In each province, to varying degrees and over time, rural development has been part of the agriculture portfolio. It comes and goes — Ontario was the latest province to spin rural affairs out of the ag mix and into its own ministry. There's an argument to be made for including or excluding rural development with... Read More
Protecting farmland, strengthening business risk management programs, and ensuring the future of agricultural education and research are top priorities for Green Party of Ontario leader Mike Schreiner as the prospect of a 2025 provincial election draws nearer. While addressing delegates attending the Ontario Federation of Agriculture annual general meeting last week, Schreiner took direct aim... Read More
Words matter. When it comes to strategic negotiations, choosing words carefully can mean the difference between a productive dialogue that gets everyone closer to a deal or act like a wedge that splits an insurmountable gap between parties. For Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and his cabinet, choosing the right strategy when working with incoming U.S.... Read More