Opioids, pot and economics: three ways politics touched Canadians this week
OTTAWA — It was the final week of Parliament before Christmas, and all through the House…. the Liberals did their best to make sure no one had any time to think about ethics or fundraising before heading home for the holidays.
By the time MPs agreed Wednesday afternoon to rise until the end of January, the government had announced a new opioid strategy, ramped up negotiations with the provinces on health care funding, welcomed a complicated blueprint on how to legalize pot, set up a different system for new Canadians to bring in their parents and grandparents and launched a review of the assisted-dying law.
None of that kept the criticism at bay, and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau repeatedly found himself being asked why he believes it’s acceptable to consort with — and accept $1,500 fees from — donors with vested interests.
In a policy-heavy week, there were more than a few things worth pondering. Here are just three of the ways politics touched everyday lives, from how the government wants to control drugs to how the Conservatives deal with economics.