Ottawa is now accepting public comment on the recently released report of its expert panel on the modernization of the National Energy Board (NEB).

The panel made 46 recommendations to the minister of natural resources. Many recommendations, if accepted, would fundamentally change the structure, mandate and governance of the NEB. They would also change how decisions are made about pipelines and transmission lines that cross provincial borders. Unfortunately, the report missed a major opportunity to restore the tattered reputation of the NEB.

Reform is needed to assist the federal government and the NEB, or any successor organization, to regain public credibility and trust in decision-making related to federally…

Last week, politicians made it harder for Canada to meet its greenhouse gas emissions reduction target.

Think I’m talking about Donald Trump’s withdrawal from the Paris agreement? No, it’s a potential attempt by B.C. politicians to block the building of Kinder Morgan’s Trans Mountain pipeline. By rejecting the pipeline, B.C. politicians are going to make it harder to reduce Canada’s emissions.

The B.C. NDP and Green parties agreed to “immediately employ every tool available to the new government to stop the expansion of the Kinder Morgan pipeline,” despite federal approval of the project, itself subject to many conditions regarding safety and environmental concerns.

First, let’s admit to one thing: more pipelines…

Ontario and Alberta will soon dramatically increase their minimum wages to $15 an hour. Unfortunately, these fast and sizable minimum-wage increases are likely going to reduce employment and increase poverty, particularly for the low-income families that the governments are seeking to help.

The Ontario government introduced legislation on June 1 to raise its minimum wage from $11.40 an hour to $14 next year and then to $15 on Jan. 1, 2019. As soon as Jan. 1, 2018, Ontario will face – under the legislation – the largest one-year increase in the minimum wage rate (22.8 per cent) of any province over the past two decades.

In June, 2015, Alberta was the first province to plan a $15 minimum wage, which would amount to…