Canadian Economics and the Keystone Pipeline Debate

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As oil prices remain volatile on global markets Canadians across the nation are reacting quite differently. Some are pleased with the overall dip in fuel prices at the pump, while others are pessimistic over the downward spiral of the Canadian dollar. The Harper government has placed a considerable amount of store in the extraction of oil, a topic which we previously broached in brief. But given the ongoing saga of the Keystone pipeline stateside, perhaps it’s time we revisit Canada’s position in the global economic system to further assess the wider impact of recent events. 

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Majority Politics in Canada: Foreign Investment with the Asia-Pacific

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The Canadian government of Stephen Harper recently confirmed that is has ratified a foreign investment treaty with China. In the works for more than two years, the Canada-China Foreign Investment Promotion and Protection Agreement (FIPA) will come into force this Wednesday October 1, effectively ushering in a new era in Canadian economics. Shrouded in mystery since being first announced in 2012, the deal and its unexpected ratification have been met with immediate and strong opposition. While some consider the agreement a bold and potentially lucrative economic move, reaction in Ottawa, the media and the public seems overwhelmingly critical. One of the most potent arguments has charged the Harper government with putting Canada’s long-term economic sovereignty at risk. Is this criticism warranted, and should Canadians be concerned of the potential pitfalls of a foreign investment deal with China? In today’s post we delve into this issue by exploring in brief Canada’s economic history with the Asia-Pacific.

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Cold War Economics: The Interesting Case of Canada and Cuba

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This past year Clio’s Current examined Canada’s role in the Cold War which lasted roughly from 1945 to 1991. Throughout that time the United States combated the spread of communist ideology, and as a close North American partner Canada certainly did its part. Our examination of Canada in the Cold War thus focused on the evolution and development of bilateral relations between Canada and the US. Seldom in our five-part series did we stray far from that narrative, and so to not suggest that Canada’s Cold War was predicated solely by its relationship to the US, in today’s post we examine Canada’s economic policy towards Latin America with a particular focus on Cuba.

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Uncharted Territory: EU Negotiations and Canadian Economic Policy

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The CBC’s Chris Hall recently reported that Canada and the European Union (EU) are preparing to release the final details of a Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement. The announcement will be made on September 25, effectively ending a negotiating period that has lasted a staggering 10 months. According to the report, Prime Minister Stephen Harper flew to Brussels to sign an agreement-in-principle with EU President José Manuel Barroso, and the text of the full agreement will be made public as part of a formal summit to be held between the two sides in Ottawa. In today’s post we briefly examine postwar Canadian economics in an attempt to postulate the positive and negative implications of the pending Canada-EU free trade agreement.

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Wheat and Oil: Diefenbaker, Harper and Canadian-American Trade by Matthew Wiseman

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Matthew Wiseman, a PhD candidate at Wilfrid Laurier University, explores some of the ways in which Canadian prime ministers of the past have capitalized on Canada's resource-rich environment. He provides a historical background to debates surrounding Alberta's tar sands and Canadian economic policy.

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