Deregulation, Privatization, and Fiscal Austerity: Remembering Why the Lac-Mégantic Rail Disaster Happened

G78 Board member Bruce Campbell recently wrote a commemorative article for the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives (https://www.policyalternatives.ca/) to mark the 12th anniversary of the Lac-Mégantic rail disaster. “On July 6, 2013, a train carrying 72 tank cars of toxic shale oil derailed and exploded. It killed 47 people, spilling six million litres of oil—obliterating the centre of… Continue Reading Deregulation, Privatization, and Fiscal Austerity: Remembering Why the Lac-Mégantic Rail Disaster Happened

Maude Stephany

This Time It’s Worse: The New International Debt Crisis

The Broadbent Institute (https://broadbentinstitute.ca/), a progressive Canadian think tank, recently published an insightful paper by Roy Culpeper, Past Chair of the Group of 78, on the current debt crisis facing low- and middle-income countries.  The paper argues that the most recent wave of debt began in 2010 and has persisted for the last fifteen years, threatening the social… Continue Reading This Time It’s Worse: The New International Debt Crisis

Maude Stephany

Thomas Homer-Dixon: New Analytic Tools for Defending Canadian Democracy

Economic precarity, the ingenuity gap, message distortion, and fragmentation of belief communities—these are four core factors driving the decline of democracy globally and in Canada. If we’re going to save, and even deepen, Canadian democracy, we must assess and respond to these issues through three lenses: worldviews, institutions, and technologies. That was the message of Dr. Thomas Homer-Dixon,… Continue Reading Thomas Homer-Dixon: New Analytic Tools for Defending Canadian Democracy

Maude Stephany

Save the date: October 10, 2025

The date for the Group of 78’s Annual Policy Conference has been set for October 10, 2025. As always, you can count on lively dialog with speakers, panelists, and other guests. Registration and schedule are forthcoming.

Maude Stephany

G78 to the Senate: It’s Your Duty to Fix Bill C-5

“It’s your duty to fix Bill C-5.” On June 23, 2025, that’s what the Group of 78 told the Speaker of Canada’s Senate, the Hon. Raymonde Gagné, and a dozen sitting Senators with interests in social, environmental and Indigenous policy issues.  The Senate is to review the legislation during the week of June 23-27 and has the power, opportunity… Continue Reading G78 to the Senate: It’s Your Duty to Fix Bill C-5

Maude Stephany

Canadian Environment Minister Briefed on Citizen-Driven Action to Fight Climate Change

On June 19, 2025, G78 Vice-Chair Susan Tanner wrote to Julie Dabrusin, Canada’s Minister for Environment and Climate Change, to underscore citizens’ deep commitment to fight climate change and their skepticism of the efforts to date of governments and the fossil fuel industry. Last fall’s G78 climate conference generated a wide range of recommended citizen actions at all… Continue Reading Canadian Environment Minister Briefed on Citizen-Driven Action to Fight Climate Change

Maude Stephany

Too Rushed, Too Much Power for Big Oil: G78 Objects to Bill C-5 in Letter to Mark Carney

In a letter to Prime Minister Mark Carney, the Group of 78 has registered its objection to the Government of Canada’s Bill C-5 on major projects as too rushed and giving enormous power to the fossil fuel industry, the major source of the greenhouse gas emissions warming the planet.  We call for Bill-5 to be carefully reviewed by… Continue Reading Too Rushed, Too Much Power for Big Oil: G78 Objects to Bill C-5 in Letter to Mark Carney

Maude Stephany

G78 Urges Mark Carney to reject 5% defence spending target at NATO Summit

On June 12, 2025, the Group of 78 wrote to Prime Minister Mark Carney urging him to speak out in the strongest terms against the defence-spending target of 5% of GDP to be debated at the upcoming NATO Summit and to join with other Allied countries to collectively and assertively reject this goal, which we believe is policy… Continue Reading G78 Urges Mark Carney to reject 5% defence spending target at NATO Summit

Maude Stephany

G78 Urges Prime Minister to Use G7 Presidency to De-Escalate Urkaine-Russia Conflict and Work for Peace

On June 9, 2025, the Group of 78 wrote to Prime Minister Mark Carney urging him to work with other leaders to de-escalate the Ukraine-Russia conflict and redouble multilateral efforts toward a lasting peace between these two important nations. “You have a unique opportunity,” read the letter, “to use your presidency at the G7 Summit to catalyze negotiations… Continue Reading G78 Urges Prime Minister to Use G7 Presidency to De-Escalate Urkaine-Russia Conflict and Work for Peace

Maude Stephany

G78 Update: Looking Ahead to an Exciting Year

The June edition of G78 Update is a newsletter that reports on our recent AGM and also reviews our productive past year of webinars on peace and conflict and economic and social justice as well as our major conference in September 2024 on citizens confronting the climate crisis.  The Update also looks ahead at our 2025-2026 plans for… Continue Reading G78 Update: Looking Ahead to an Exciting Year

Maude Stephany