Commentary

Symbolism, thy name is Vancouver civic politics. Two critical tests about occupancy now challenge the administration of the city’s municipal government: what it is doing about empty homes and what it is not doing about busy marijuana dispensaries.

Try to recall: when was the last time the city did anything for the motorist? Last week it pumped up the parking fees in the busiest parts of the city, where the presence of cars indicates the greatest need for parking.

Last December in Paris at the 21st Conference of the Parties (COP21), 195 countries reached an unprecedented agreement to combat climate change.

There is no doubt the surprise election of Donald Trump as president of the world’s second-largest greenhouse gas emitter will deal a blow to international efforts to cut emissions.

President Donald Trump. Well now, there’s a phrase we didn’t bank on.

While B.C. has recently posted some impressive economic numbers compared with the rest of the country, in a few areas we continue to underperform. The most glaring example is non-residential business investment.

The case for an expanded Canada Pension Plan (CPP) is all about providing secure retirement income. The Fraser Institute recently argued that the federal government has failed to make a convincing case for CPP expansion.

In the U.S. it’s called “dark money,” a way to spend big bucks on politics and remain relatively anonymous.

Ottawa recently announced a series of new regulations for the housing market to “protect the long-term financial security of borrowers and all Canadians.” You have to love the irony.

The Stanley Park protest last week was Justin Trudeau’s most substantial encounter with dissent as prime minister.