By Chris Parsons and Christine Saulnier Nova Scotia’s Auditor General Michael Pickup calls the government’s decision to use a P3 model (public-private partnership) for the $2 billion Queen Elizabeth II redevelopment “reasonable and appropriate.” The problem is, we don’t know how he arrived at his conclusion. At a minimum, the…
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On June 23, 2020, Halifax Regional Council unanimously passed their new climate action plan, ‘HalifACT 2050: Acting on Climate Together’. The plan is focused on ensuring equity, creating thousands of jobs, reducing energy poverty, strengthening resilience and saving the municipality $22 billion over the course of the plan. Crucially, the…
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Over the past four months, Canadian governments have taken unprecedented measures to minimize the spread of COVID-19 as governments worldwide have enforced lockdowns, closed borders, changed public policy and provided various stimulus packages. As the pandemic has spread, we have witnessed politicians across the spectrum articulate a struggle to strike…
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As universities and colleges begin to re-open and develop plans for the fall semester, we need to think carefully about what health and safety looks like for students, staff, and faculty. Universities and colleges are not just institutions of higher learning, they are communities. Their campuses are places of work,…
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On July 8th, the federal government will release its first fiscal update since December 16, 2019. The aborted spring budget, which was set to be released on March 30th, 2020, was swept away in the need for emergency action to support Canadians as COVID-19 forced the shut down of our…
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The killings of Ahmaud Arbery, George Floyd and Breonna Taylor, all by current or former police officers, triggered a second tidal wave of the Black Lives Matter (BLM) movement in the U.S. this spring. Like the first wave in 2012, this one quickly burst the banks of international borders, spilling…
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Read part one of Michele and Chandra’s piece here. What does this mean for protecting public health? In order to have a hope of containing the virus, we need to know as quickly as possible who actually has the virus and who they in turn might have exposed. But as…
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The recent killing of unarmed Black Americans George Floyd and Breonna Taylor by police officers sparked a new wave of Black Lives Matter protests around the world. In the seven short years since its inception, the Black Lives Matter movement has fought to protect Black lives against police brutality. This message…
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On March 16, Chandra noticed a burning sensation in her ear canals and neck. She and her family were isolating at home due to the outbreak of COVID-19, but public health officials were warning only of fever and cough so she didn’t think too much of it. It wasn’t until…
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David Macdonald appeared as an expert witness before the federal Finance Committee June 18, to discuss banking and the government’s response to COVID-19. This is a copy of his prepared remarks. Thank you Mr. Chair and I’d like to thank the Committee for their invitation to speak to you today….
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