Canada Archives - Americas Quarterly

Alberta’s Left Turn

Until this year, Alberta was known as Canada’s most conservative province. But in May, Albertans elected for the first time the left -of-center New Democratic Party (NDP) to run their government. The huge change at the top for Canada’s fourth-largest province in terms of population — and the country’s leading petroleum producer — will have … Read more

This week in Latin America: the Pope on climate change—teacher evaluations in Mexico—Brazil’s corruption scandal—the beautiful game

Here’s a look at some of the stories we’re following this week: Religious Leaders Respond to Pope Francis’ Climate Views: Reaction was swift and loud following the publication of Pope Francis’ encyclical on the environment, Friday. While his sweeping indictment of the global response to climate change inspired some to question the pontiff’s understanding of economic policy, the … Read more

Campaigns Matter in Canada Too

Canada’s Parliament is closing for the summer and the next election campaign has begun in earnest. While the official campaign start is on September 14 this year—gearing up for the country’s first fixed date election on October 19—the major political parties have actively been in election mode in the past year with ads, promises and … Read more

Monday Memo: Mexican Elections—G7 Climate Summit—EU-CELAC Summit—Argentine Debt—Honduras Protests

This week’s likely news stories: Mexico’s ruling party wins the congressional elections; Canada and Japan block a G7 statement on carbon emissions; Latin American officials to discuss Mercosur at EU-CELAC Summit; Argentina’s debt inflates after U.S. court ruling; protestors demand Honduran president’s resignation. Mexico’s Ruling Party to Maintain Majority in Lower House after Elections: Despite … Read more

Is Hillary Still the Best Candidate?

Following US presidential politics is a favorite Canadian pastime, and the2016 campaign will be no exception. While the Canadian opinion is ultimately inconsequential, as we will continue to be a key ally, friend and economic partner to the USA, no matter who wins the presidential election, I can already predict that an overwhelming majority of … Read more

Mexico and Canada Threaten U.S. with Sanctions over Meat-Labeling Rule

Mexico and Canada won a final appeal from the World Trade Organization (WTO) yesterday, when the trade body upheld an early decision that found that U.S. country-of-origin labeling (COOL) requirements for meat products violated international trade law. Both countries have warned that they may pursue punitive measures against U.S. exports unless the requirement, which was … Read more

2015 Pan American Games

This July, world-class athletes from North America, Latin America and the Caribbean will descend on Toronto, Canada’s most populous city, to compete in the third-largest international sports competition, the 2015 Pan American (Pan Am) Games. Surpassed in size only by the Summer Olympics and the Asian Games, the quadrennial event will feature baseball, wakeboarding, waterskiing, … Read more

Alberta’s “Revolution”

Any political party that loses an election after 44 consecutive years in office and ends up in third place is the object of some kind of “revolution.” Such was the fate of the Progressive Conservative Party in Alberta’s general elections on Tuesday. The left-leaning New Democratic Party (NDP), under the charismatic leadership of Rachel Notley, … Read more

The Experience Advantage for Harper and Clinton

Canada is about to face an intense political season, with the general election slated for October 19, 2015. Polls indicate the possibility of a minority government with the ruling Conservatives showing some momentum in recent surveys. This week, Prime Minister Stephen Harper presented his 2015-2016 budget, with a lot of goodies for seniors, families, and … Read more

Monday Memo: Summit of the Americas—Venezuela–U.S. relations—Citibank Inspection—Bolivian Missile Trial—Canada-Venezuela Oil

This week’s likely top stories: The Summit of the Americas commences in Panama; petition criticizes U.S. action against Venezuela; Argentine Central Bank inspects Citibank; TSJ initiates missiles trial in Bolivia; Canada and Venezuela discuss investment in Venezuelan oil. Americas Summit Begins This Week in Panama: The seventh Summit of the Americas will take place this … Read more

Politics and the ISIS Resolution Extension

When the Canadian House of Commons adopted a resolution back in early October 2014 to join the coalition to combat ISIS beyond its foothold in Syria and Iraq, there was a provision for a renewal of the commitment in six months. This Tuesday, Prime Minister Stephen Harper introduced a new motion to extend Canada’s role … Read more

Canada’s Balanced Approach and the 2015 Election

To many outside our country, Canada has been characterized as a stable, durable democracy with a consistently enlightened approach to matters of public policy. The political parties that have governed the country since its inception in 1867 have usually struck a balance between ideological pursuits and the general values Canadian hold dear. Canada’s Supreme Court, … Read more

Harper, Mulcair, Trudeau: 2015 Election Showdown

Shortly after winning his first majority government in 2011 (he won two minority governments in 2006 and 2008), Conservative Prime Minister of Canada Stephen Harper passed legislation to set the next election date no later than October 19, 2015. In a pre-holiday interview, Harper reiterated his commitment to holding the next general election on that … Read more

The Continuing Politics of Keystone

U.S. Republicans did not wait long after their midterm gains to provoke a congressional vote on the approval of the Keystone Pipeline project. It was not the first such try. Getting a strong and unequivocal vote in favor of Keystone in the House of Representatives, where the GOP has a strong majority, was easy. The … Read more