logo
Bell: Danielle Smith's environment boss tells Carney to hurry up — the clock ticks

Bell: Danielle Smith's environment boss tells Carney to hurry up — the clock ticks

Calgary Herald3 days ago
Carney instead of getting rid of bad laws hurting investment cooks up another law where a select number of so-called nation-building projects will be hand-picked to go around those bad laws.
By the way, Alberta wants a bitumen pipeline to the B.C. port of Prince Rupert.
Of course, the obvious question is asked by the Alberta government.
Why not, for starters, just get rid of the emissions cap on oil and gas and the net-zero power regulations and do a monster makeover of the No More Pipelines law so it becomes the More Pipelines law?
Carney allowing certain projects to work around bad laws shows they are bad laws.
Schulz circles back to Carney. The man sure talks a lot. Maybe he thinks his words somehow speak louder than actions.
'He's going to have to abandon these bad laws that stifle investment. Unfortunately we've seen a lot of lip service. It's time for the prime minister to be the prime minister. He needs to move fast. He needs to show Canadians and Albertans he's heard their concerns.' Prime Minister Mark Carney speaks with reporters during a news conference in Ottawa, Wednesday, July 30, 2025. Adrian Wyld/The Canadian Press
We are told to wait for the federal politicians to come back to Ottawa in the fall.
'But I would say we don't need Parliament to sit for Mark Carney to stand at a podium. He could do it tomorrow. He could stand at a podium and say: I've heard Albertans, I've heard Canadians. We are not moving forward with an oil and gas emissions cap.'
Come to think of it, why doesn't he stand at the podium and announce that decision? Headline writers are standing by.
Schulz has a few words for Alberta NDP Leader Naheed Nenshi who has accused the Smith government of picking fights and fuelling Alberta separatism.
Schulz believes Nenshi is not listening to Albertans and that's why he is 'tanking in the polls.'
Where do we go from here?
At the Alberta Next gatherings, Schulz says they hear a lot of support for Alberta having 'more sovereignty' within Canada and not having a federal government infringing on the province over and over again.
Schulz speaks of cautious optimism facing the future while knowing there is 'a real risk of a national unity crisis' if things don't turn out well.
'I'll be honest. Every day that goes by, that optimism starts to fade. The ball is in Carney's court.'
Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

Pharmacare at risk
Pharmacare at risk

Winnipeg Free Press

time18 minutes ago

  • Winnipeg Free Press

Pharmacare at risk

Opinion The federal Pharmacare plan appears to be in jeopardy. In the spring election, Mark Carney promised that he would protect Pharmacare and other valued health care services if he won — contrasting his commitment to protect health care with the cuts that Canadians could expect if they elected Pierre Poilievre. It worked, and Canadians gave the Liberals another term with Carney at the helm. Now in power, the Carney government seems to be backtracking from this promise. As Canada faces unprecedented economic threats from the United States' trade policy, Pharmacare is being increasingly framed as a luxury we cannot afford. But Pharmacare is health care. Access to prescription drugs is life saving and medically necessary, not something that's simply 'nice to have' in times of plenty. Manitoba was the first province to sign onto the federal Pharmacare plan. It's a deal that's worth over $200 million in federal funding. That's a lot of money that provides a lot of help to Manitobans who need it. Still, the current federal Pharmacare plan is far from perfect. It's limited in its coverage, typically only applying to diabetes treatments and contraceptives. In Manitoba, due to the provincial government's leadership, the plan also covers hormone replacement therapies. As important as it is, this limited coverage was only meant to be the first step in developing the federal Pharmacare plan. In this first phase, the federal government committed to signing deals with all the provinces and territories to develop a truly national Pharmacare system. The past federal government set aside $1.5 billion for this initial phase of the program. So far, only Manitoba, PEI, BC, and the Yukon have signed on. Establishing a universal, single-payer Pharmacare plan across the country was always supposed to be the second phase of the federal Pharmacare deal. The new federal health minister is now saying that this is a different government, with a different set of priorities and circumstances. The Liberals claim they will protect the existing deals, but with so few provinces and territories signed on, the whole program could be at risk of being eliminated. Even if the established deals do hold, there is little chance of expanding Pharmacare to offer universal coverage if the federal government is no longer committed to completing the first phase of the program. This is an issue of fairness. It is about adherence to the letter and spirit of the Canada Health Act (CHA). The CHA establishes that all Canadians deserve a common standard of health care services, regardless of which province they live in. A deal that only includes three provinces and one territory doesn't meet that important benchmark. As it currently stands, the federal Pharmacare plan is neither universal nor comprehensive, with access to the program determined by your postal code, not your medical needs. If they are willing to backtrack on their commitment to truly protect Pharmacare for all Canadians, what else will the Carney Liberals try and push through in the name of defending against Trump's tariffs and the economic upheavals they bring with them? Are federal health transfers next on the list of broken promises? What about the Canadian Dental Care Plan? In these challenging times, with much talk of nation- building projects, we must ask ourselves: what kind of nation-building are we investing in? Why is universal health care — so prized by Canadians — not a fundamental plank of this government's planned response to Trump and his threats to Canadian sovereignty? No one is denying that things are tough right now. The cost of living continues to rise. Tariff threats from the United States are becoming realities and jeopardizing the livelihoods of many Canadians. Now more than ever, with so much economic uncertainty and risk of job losses, people need to be able to depend on the public health care system. Manitoba has a Pharmacare deal, for now. But it will take leadership and political will to keep the existing program intact and to push for its full expansion into a system that offers all Canadians universal prescription drug coverage. Thomas Linner is the provincial director of the Manitoba Health Coalition.

A long-standing problem needs a Plan B
A long-standing problem needs a Plan B

Winnipeg Free Press

time18 minutes ago

  • Winnipeg Free Press

A long-standing problem needs a Plan B

Opinion In his column Public patience wearing thin waiting for NDP health fix of Aug. 1, Tom Brodbeck outlines the NDP failure to address the health care 'disaster' the Conservatives left behind. His criticism is unfair to both parties. There were significant problems in Manitoba's health care system for years before Brian Pallister was elected in 2016 and before Gary Doer in 1999 and so on. Serious problems in surgical capacity, emergency roo, wait times and primary care access, among others, continue to this day — just like they do in every other province, no matter which party is in power. David Foot's 1996 book 'Boom, Bust and Echo' outlined the impact the baby boom generation has had at various life stages on education, housing, employment and health care and how Canada has largely been reactive rather than proactive in dealing with it. The median baby boomer turns 70 this year and with a 15 year life expectancy, aging Boomers' extensive, and expensive health care needs will continue to be a major challenge until at least 2040. Waiting for the Boomers to die off isn't much of a plan. Tossing money at the health care problems hasn't worked — there hasn't been enough money and won't be in the future, given deteriorating economic conditions and government debt at the national and provincial levels. Mr. Brodbeck's Aug. 6, 2025 column NDP, living in fiscal fantasy world, must face reality accurately describes the dilemma we face. Restructuring the health care system and bureaucracy hasn't worked either. The seemingly never-ending reorganizations give the appearance of taking action but in the end, most have produced marginal net improvements, or worse. A shortage of doctors in Canada has been part of the problem since the 1990s when all governments in Canada agreed to restrict medical school enrolments as part of a deliberate strategy to reduce the number of doctors (which was intended to reduce health care costs). We have never fully recovered from that mistake. However, positive changes are being implemented to make better use of doctors' time, including the introduction of virtual appointments, increased use of technology (e.g. AI note-taking during patient visits) and initiatives to reduce the administrative work required of doctors (e.g. eliminating most 'doctor's notes'). The creation of Minor Illness and Injury Clinics has diverted some patients from doctors' offices and ERs. The clinics are excellent and more are needed. But it will take years to obtain and, as importantly, retain more doctors especially in the areas of practice and locations where they are needed most. Fortunately, pharmacists, nurses, paraprofessionals, technologists, clinical assistants, physician assistants and others have extensive training, plus an interest in and aptitude for health care. Expanding the medical work these groups do can free up doctors for work that cannot be downloaded to others. While voters are clear that they want the problems in the health care system resolved, they reject any solutions that involve privatization and in doing so, work against their own interests. The question is not whether there will be private health care. It already exists — 30 per cent of health care costs in Canada are paid by patients or private insurance companies. Private health care has evolved differently in each province in the absence of a coherent national policy with for example, some types of surgeries provided in private clinics in various provinces but not others. In Manitoba, it can take over a year to get joint replacement surgery leaving patients in pain and with limited mobility for a lengthy period of time. The delay can cause or exacerbate clinical depression, chemical dependency and musculoskeletal issues arising from prolonged periods of restricted movement. We should not allow that to become the standard of treatment that a patient just has to accept. Mr. Brodbeck is correct when he suggests a need for benchmarks of service. But for benchmarks to be meaningful, there must be a Plan B. So the question really should be this: 'If the delay in providing service in the public system is serious enough, will we use private health care to alleviate patient pain and suffering?' A Plan B that involves a commitment to use out of province and even out of country medical services at government expense is required — regardless of whether those services are provided by the public or private sector in that jurisdiction. To be clear, this is not a slippery slope on the way to privatization. We can have it both ways. A public system with a stop-gap measure that may involve the private sector if required is part of humane treatment of patients. It does not undermine Canadians commitments to public health care. Robert Pruden writes from Winnipeg.

Letters to the Editor, Aug. 9, 2025
Letters to the Editor, Aug. 9, 2025

Toronto Sun

timean hour ago

  • Toronto Sun

Letters to the Editor, Aug. 9, 2025

Saturday letters Photo by Illustration / Toronto Sun THIEVING LIBERALS This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. THIS CONTENT IS RESERVED FOR SUBSCRIBERS ONLY Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account. Get exclusive access to the Toronto Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on. Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists. Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists. Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. SUBSCRIBE TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account. Get exclusive access to the Toronto Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on. Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists. Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists. Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. REGISTER / SIGN IN TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account. Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments. Enjoy additional articles per month. Get email updates from your favourite authors. THIS ARTICLE IS FREE TO READ REGISTER TO UNLOCK. Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments Enjoy additional articles per month Get email updates from your favourite authors Don't have an account? Create Account In the last election, Mark Carney and his Liberals knew they had to steal all the plans the Conservatives had to repair the damage Justin Trudeau did to our country, or the Liberal Party would be history. Unfortunately, certain Canadians fell for these promises again. Carney has no intention of stopping Trudeau's catch-and-release program for violent criminals or getting rid of the bills that prevent our country from being prosperous again. Do you still believe he is the only person who can deal with Donald Trump? Barry Harris Edmonton (Didn't then and don't now) FIRED UP Re 'Firing paramedic for her incorrect Israel comment was wrong' (Jerry Agar, Aug. 5): The paramedic who was cashiered because of her employer's (York Region) objection to her social media posting would do well to seek direction from Jordan Peterson. Having similarly faced disciplinary action from an employer arising from his comments on social media, and following lawsuits to pursue his cause, all unavailing, Peterson's sage counsel would undoubtedly be to head in a southerly direction, as he has done, to the land of the free where the first amendment ensures that freedom of expression reigns, as in a democracy it must, unfettered and absolute. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Carol-Faye Petricko Toronto (Well spoken … and no charge) AIRPORT ANGST Why, when you arrive on a flight from anywhere at Pearson airport, do you have to walk a half mile to get to the customs hall or the baggage claim? On your journey, you will encounter several moving walkways to assist you, but my experience has been that they never work. They have barriers in front of them and have mostly been taken apart. And when you see these broken walkways, no one is ever working to fix them. Is there a shortage of mechanics? Surely in a supposedly world-class airport, everything should be working to help get passengers on their way. Wilf Townley (Considering the taxes and charges that passengers pay to use Pearson, working walkways are a small ask) Toronto Blue Jays Editorials Tennis Toronto & GTA Columnists

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into a world of global content with local flavor? Download Daily8 app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store