Ottawa Insider

Natasha Bulowski reports from Ottawa with a slant on how federal policy is impacting British Columbians.

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828 Articles

13 people holding signs that say "Climate Now" and "follow your law" stand outside on the steps of a building

B.C. faces off against Sierra Club lawsuit, alleging inadequate climate plans

The B.C. provincial government is in court this week defending itself against allegations that it has failed to present an adequate plan to meet the province’s greenhouse gas emission reduction targets.

Natasha Bulowski

October 4th 2022

a woman with a short haircut and blue eyes looks past the camera

‘We haven’t found the magic recipe yet’ to address disinformation, agriculture minister says

Disinformation on federal fertilizer rules being peddled by politicians, the fossil fuel lobby and right-wing groups is “really frustrating” and “we haven't found the magic recipe yet” to address it, says Canada’s Agriculture Minister Marie-Claude Bibeau.

Natasha Bulowski

October 4th 2022

A man with glasses, a short grey beard and grey hair stands in a suit, looking right at the camera

Senate group pushes for a climate lens for all legislation

Few senators are climate experts, but if armed with the right knowledge, they can use their collective power to ensure climate change is top of mind in the legislative process.

Natasha Bulowski

September 29th 2022

Canada's new climate plan for aviation rests on carbon offsets and cleaner fuel

Canada’s new climate plan for the aviation industry sets out a vision that hinges on sustainable aviation fuel and carbon offsets to reach net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050.

Natasha Bulowski

September 28th 2022

Canada wants hydrogen to heat our buildings. Dozens of studies disagree

The federal government is banking on hydrogen to help heat buildings in Canada’s energy transition, but an analysis of dozens of studies across the world says this isn’t a realistic role for the potentially low-carbon fuel.

Natasha Bulowski

September 27th 2022

Jamaica to investigate migrant working conditions, mistreatment claims on Canadian farms

Jamaica’s labour minister has appointed a fact-finding team to investigate the working conditions of seasonal farm workers in Canada after initially dismissing Jamaican workers’ claims of abuse in September.

Natasha Bulowski

September 23rd 2022

Jabs, digs, retorts — Poilievre and Trudeau face off on taxes, crypto and carbon pricing

Pierre Poilievre went toe-to-toe with Prime Minister Justin Trudeau for the first time in his new role as leader of the Conservative Party during a question period Thursday rife with jabs about cryptocurrency, jet fuel, the carbon price and “tax increases.”

Natasha Bulowski

September 23rd 2022

A man in a suit adjust his glasses in Canada's House of Commons, while sitting at a desk

Poilievre rewards loyalty with leadership team roles

While Pierre Poilievre’s nine-person leadership team is “reasonably balanced” by region, the new Conservative leader is likely more focused on rewarding loyal MPs, say political scientists.

Natasha Bulowski

September 22nd 2022

A man stands in front of a podium making a speech with one hand clenched into a fist

‘Polluters must pay’: UN secretary general wants to see windfall taxes on oil and gas companies

António Guterres implored developed countries to tax the windfall profits of fossil fuel companies and redirect those resources to countries hardest hit by the climate crisis in his sombre remarks to the UN General Assembly in New York.

Natasha Bulowski

September 22nd 2022

A bespectacled man wearing a suit is photographed mid-sentence

Inflation, taxes and cryptocurrency: Poilievre takes aim at Liberals in first question period as Opposition leader

Pierre Poilievre homed in on inflation, housing and tax increases during his first question period as leader of the official Opposition. He also fielded several retorts about his past comment that Canadians can “opt-out of inflation” with cryptocurrency.

Natasha Bulowski

September 21st 2022

A man in a plaid shirt raises his arm while holding a small piece of paper, face moslty turned away from the camera

B.C. municipalities rally against cruise ship pollution

B.C. municipalities are pushing for stronger environmental protections from the federal government to keep harmful cargo and cruise ship pollution out of the ocean.

Natasha Bulowski

September 20th 2022

A ‘grassroots’ group ran Facebook ads against the oil and gas emissions cap. Canada’s most powerful oil lobby paid for them

Canada’s most powerful oil lobby group is paying for Facebook ads urging Canadians to oppose greenhouse gas emissions limits on the oil and gas industry. Only the ads aren't coming from the lobby group — they're posted by a self-described “grassroots” oil and gas advocacy group.

The Influencers

Natasha Bulowski

September 19th 2022

a man in a suit stands at a podium, looking out at a crowd of people

Liberals, NDP unveil ‘single biggest expansion of public health care in 60 years’

The federal government is pledging a suite of measures to address affordability issues, including a temporary GST rebate hike, a one-time top-up to the Canada Housing Benefit and the long-awaited first phase of Canada’s national dental care plan.

Natasha Bulowski

September 15th 2022

two photos of politicians superimposed beside eachother. one with a blue backghround, the other green. Both men are mid-sentence, wearing suits

Feds can tackle affordability and climate change at the same time, says Steven Guilbeault

As affordability woes dominate the national political conversation, the Liberal environment minister says climate change is linked to cost-of-living concerns and will remain high on the federal government’s agenda.

Natasha Bulowski

September 14th 2022

a man in glasses and a suit talking against a blue backdrop

Opposition MPs already taking shots at Conservative leadership front-runner Pierre Poilievre

The federal Conservative Party will name its new leader Saturday evening, and the results will have serious implications for all Canadians, Liberal and NDP MPs say.

Natasha Bulowski

September 9th 2022