Published in the Huffington Post Wednesday April 20, 2016

Two of Canada’s provinces that rely heavily on oil revenues are responding in completely different ways to the drop in oil prices.

Both brought down new budgets last Thursday. One is looking after its people through the tough times. The other is turning the screws on its hardest hit, just when they can afford it least.

I know which one I prefer.

This was published in the Huffington Post on Thursday March 31, 2016

The Employment Insurance changes in the federal budget last week mark a significant and positive change in attitude coming out of Ottawa.

Under the former Conservative Government, workers who lost their jobs had come to learn that Ottawa would not be there for them with an EI plan that would see them through the tough times of looking for a job as the government repeatedly chipped away at the eligibility for collecting benefits.

This was published in the Huffington Post on Thursday March 24, 2016

The first budget from the new Liberal government is full of promise, and even a few good moves on a several fronts. But it also fails to deliver in too many ways, such as support for the key auto and aerospace sectors.

Don’t get me wrong, there is much to celebrate in this budget, including the essential move to reject austerity and use the tools of government to simulate a weakening economy. But on each count, it seems, an opportunity was lost to do more.

This was published in the Huffington Post on Wednesday March 9th

The next seven months could be very nervous times in Canada’s forestry sector, particularly softwood lumber.

That’s because the Softwood Lumber Agreement that Canada signed with the U.S. in 2006 expired last October 12. Canada had hoped to simply renew the agreement at that time, but the U.S. refused. Instead, we have a one-year grace period in which the United States is obliged to refrain from brining new trade cases against Canadian lumber for one year. That ends next October.

Published in the Huffington Post Wednesday March 2, 2016

After some rather minor tinkering with one part of the CETA free trade deal with Europe, our new Liberal government is now saying the deal could be signed, ratified and in force by 2017.

Not so fast.

There is still much to be concerned with here. But we can still fix what’s wrong, and not just with CETA. The announcement Monday proves that.

Published in the Huffington Post February 24, 2016

Now is no time to be slaying deficits.

Ever since Federal Finance Minister Bill Morneau announced Monday that the federal deficit would top $18.4 billion, all the familiar voices of right wing commentators, Bay Street analysts and Conservative politicians have made their all-too predictable calls for budget cuts and curtailed spending.

They couldn’t be more wrong.

Published in the Huffington Post February 17, 2016

The real threat of Uber goes well beyond taxis and how we hail a cab.

It goes to basic respect for the laws of the land, the willingness or ability of governments to enforce those laws, and to the responsibility we all bear to pay our taxes to support the kind of society we want for ourselves and our families.

Published February 3, 2016 in the Huffington Post.

It took only a few minutes, but with a quick motion in the House of Commons last week, the new Liberal government moved to repeal two appalling pieces of federal labour legislation brought in by the former Harper government, Bills C-377 and C-525.

Almost immediately, Conservatives in the Senate promised to do all they could to block that repeal. We can’t let that happen. For those who thought this particular struggle was over, there is still much work to be done.

Published in the Huffington Post February 10, 2016

Now that the Trans Pacific Partnership has been signed, maybe we can have the honest, open and transparent debate that Canadians were denied during the federal election – and which the new Liberal government in Ottawa has promised.

Trade Minister Chrystia Freeland signed the TPP last week, saying it was merely a formality before the deal could be put before Parliament for debate. So, let’s have that debate. There’s certainly a lot to talk about.

By Jerry Dias

This was published in the Huffington Post Wednesday January 27, 2016

At a time when our consumption of the news is at an all-time high, the very institutions at the heart of our news media are in crisis -- and demanding the attention of our political leaders.

In just the past week, Postmedia combined newsrooms in Ottawa, Edmonton, Calgary and Vancouver in a move that not only saw many talented and dedicated journalists pushed out the door, but also saw distinctive voices quieted.