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Max Fawcett

Max Fawcett

The Walrus

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Canada’s political food fight is about to get even messier

Canada’s political food fight is about to get even messier

No, the carbon tax didn't meaningfully add to food price inflation in Canada. But that never stopped Conservative politicians and pundits from...

yesterday 10

National Observer

Max Fawcett

Pierre Poilievre’s auto plan shows he still believes in America

The majority of Canadians now see the United States as more foe than friend. But the Conservative leader begs to differ.

18.03.2026 10

National Observer

Max Fawcett

Reconciliation was never supposed to be easy

Land acknowledgments are easy, even if some people insist on complaining about them. It's when Indigenous rights intersect with our own that the...

13.03.2026 20

National Observer

Max Fawcett

The federal NDP is flirting with oblivion

The party is down to just six members of parliament, a number that may shrink in the days to come. Can Avi Lewis, the overwhelming favourite to become...

12.03.2026 20

National Observer

Max Fawcett

Pierre Poilievre’s great reset

The leader of the Conservative Party of Canada is rolling out a kinder and gentler version of himself. But can he stick to the script, or will he...

05.03.2026 30

National Observer

Max Fawcett

Fossil fuels will be collateral damage in Trump’s war on Iran

Canada's oil and gas industry and the politicians in its thrall will use the US attack on Iran as a justification for more pipelines. In reality, it...

03.03.2026 10

National Observer

Max Fawcett

Naheed Nenshi needs to step up — or step down

The former mayor of Calgary was supposed to bring the Alberta NDP back to political power. Instead, they're further away from it than they've been in...

23.02.2026 100

National Observer

Max Fawcett

An independent Alberta would have nothing in common with Norway

Norway is a country defined by aggressive climate policy, high taxes and public ownership of oil and gas operations. So why do Alberta's separatists...

20.02.2026 30

National Observer

Max Fawcett

Danielle Smith keeps feeding the beast

If there’s a Pandora’s Box that Alberta's premier hasn’t opened yet, it’s not for a lack of trying.

20.02.2026 20

National Observer

Max Fawcett

Jamil Jivani just can't stop digging

The rookie Conservative MP tried to freelance his way to a diplomatic and political win. Instead, he only reminded Canadians just how out of touch his...

18.02.2026 10

National Observer

Max Fawcett

Mark Carney just picked his lane on climate change

For all the recent talk about pipelines, it's clear that Mark Carney's economic strategy revolves around turning Canada into one of the world's...

15.02.2026 10

National Observer

Max Fawcett

Conservatives built the Alberta separatist movement. Now they have to break it

Former Alberta premier Jason Kenney spent years whipping voters into a frenzy against Ottawa. Now, at least, he's doing something to put out the fire...

12.02.2026 20

National Observer

Max Fawcett

Justin Trudeau never killed the oil and gas industry

The former prime minister's supposed hostility towards Alberta's defining industry is an article of faith among Canadian Conservatives. The facts tell...

07.02.2026 10

National Observer

Max Fawcett

Trumpism's war on the truth is coming to Canada. We need to be ready

The Trump administration has made it clear that it will use almost everything at its disposal in its broader war on the truth. If we're not careful...

05.02.2026 10

National Observer

Max Fawcett

Yes, Danielle Smith is a separatist

Alberta's premier says she supports "a sovereign Alberta within a united Canada." Her actions tell a much different story — one that makes her...

03.02.2026 20

National Observer

Max Fawcett

Pierre Poilievre’s troubles have only just begun

The Conservative Party of Canada leader will almost certainly survive Friday's leadership vote. Whether he makes it to the next election, never mind...

31.01.2026 10

National Observer

Max Fawcett

India is leapfrogging into clean energy. Alberta's separatists should pay attention

Sorry, separatists: Oil isn't going to make an independent Alberta great again. If anything, it might be its undoing.

29.01.2026 10

National Observer

Max Fawcett

Pierre Poilievre just can't meet the moment

After two days of uncharacteristic silence, the Conservative leader finally found his voice. What he had to say was the same thing he's been saying...

24.01.2026 10

National Observer

Max Fawcett

Canada’s fifth columnists are showing their hand

Donald Trump is threatening to invade Greenland, and Canada might be next. It's time to look around and figure out who would fight back — and who...

21.01.2026 20

National Observer

Max Fawcett

Mark Carney just shook up the world

His speech in Davos might be the most important one ever delivered by a Canadian prime minister. Its consequences will determine his place in history...

21.01.2026 40

National Observer

Max Fawcett

Doug Ford can't have it both ways on EVs

Ontario's premier has talked a big game about the importance of standing up to Donald Trump. But when it comes to EVs, he just showed that he's more...

17.01.2026 20

National Observer

Max Fawcett

The triumph of clean energy is inevitable

The ever-improving economics of technologies like wind, solar, EVs, and battery storage have become insurmountable — and, for countries in the...

16.01.2026 10

National Observer

Max Fawcett

Twitter is a litmus test for Canada

With Twitter, the medium really is the message — one that should be clearly unacceptable for our elected officials and political leaders.

14.01.2026 10

National Observer

Max Fawcett

Danielle Smith's separatism games are coming at a dangerous moment

Alberta's premier loves to talk about standing up for her province. Will she ever show the same enthusiasm when it comes to Canada?

09.01.2026 10

National Observer

Max Fawcett

Donald Trump just killed Alberta's pipeline dreams

Albertans love to accuse Justin Trudeau of trying to cripple their oil and gas industry. Now, Donald Trump might actually end up doing it — by...

07.01.2026 10

National Observer

Max Fawcett

How to (still) be a climate optimist

2025 was a year defined by climate policy retreats in North America — and climate technology expansion in the rest of the world. Good news: Nothing...

02.01.2026 10

National Observer

Max Fawcett

Alberta’s separatist movement is no joke

For months now, Alberta’s premier has been catering to the separatists who dominate the membership of her United Conservative Party. Their appetite...

19.12.2025 20

National Observer

Max Fawcett

The immigration debate has only just begun 

Anti-immigration politics — and politicians — are riding high in most western democracies right now. Canada won't be safe from either for much longer.

17.12.2025 20

National Observer

Max Fawcett

Canada’s premiers need to stop attacking the courts

From Alberta and Ontario to Quebec and British Columbia, Canada's premiers have been ratcheting up their anti-judge rhetoric. It won't lead us...

16.12.2025 20

National Observer

Max Fawcett

Mark Carney's grand bargain is more popular than you think

So far, the deal with Alberta hasn't cost the Liberal Party of Canada much support in the polls. Has the prime minister actually read the public mood...

12.12.2025 10

National Observer

Max Fawcett

Climate abundance is the only way forward 

Retreats can precede, and even produce, great victories. When it comes to climate change, that means focusing far more on reducing costs than raising...

10.12.2025 10

National Observer

Max Fawcett

Canada needs its own transition commission

The federal government has done a poor job of preparing the public for the possibility of a post-oil economy. It's time for it to do something about...

08.12.2025 10

National Observer

Max Fawcett

Danielle Smith keeps stepping on her own rakes

Alberta's premier got booed by her own supporters for trying to do a deal with Ottawa. Who knew that constantly whipping people up into a frenzied...

04.12.2025 10

National Observer

Max Fawcett

Mark Carney’s grand bargain on climate shouldn’t be a surprise

The prime minister seems determined to pick better political battles on climate policy than his predecessor. Time will tell whether they produce...

03.12.2025 10

National Observer

Max Fawcett

The method to Mark Carney’s madness

The memorandum of understanding with Alberta might look like surrender. Look closer

28.11.2025 10

National Observer

Max Fawcett

We’re not ready for an aging population — and it's going to cost us

Canada's government budgets keep getting squeezed by our aging population. When are we going to do something about it?

26.11.2025 20

National Observer

Max Fawcett

The energy poverty trap

Will more oil and gas production in Canada help alleviate energy poverty in the developing world? Of course not — but that hasn't prevented...

25.11.2025 10

National Observer

Max Fawcett

What the IEA's latest report says about the energy transition — and what it doesn't

The International Energy Agency's latest landmark report looks like an act of surrender to the Trump administration's fossil fuel agenda. But when you...

21.11.2025 10

National Observer

Max Fawcett

The use of the Notwithstanding Clause is out of control. It’s up to voters to stop it

The architects of Canada's Charter of Rights and Freedoms thought the Notwithstanding Clause would only be used in exceptional circumstances....

20.11.2025 10

National Observer

Max Fawcett

Alberta’s pipeline math still doesn’t add up

The biggest obstacle standing between Alberta and its premier's repeated pledge to double oil production isn't the tanker ban, the emissions cap, or...

18.11.2025 10

National Observer

Max Fawcett

Danielle Smith is playing her separatist supporters for fools

Albertans who oppose the idea of separatism should be annoyed by the government's refusal to actually model its impacts. But those who support it...

13.11.2025 10

National Observer

Max Fawcett

In the age of selfishness, let’s rediscover our sense of shared sacrifice 

Remembrance Day is a reminder of what we were willing to fight for in the past — and how much it mattered that we fought together.

11.11.2025 7

National Observer

Max Fawcett

Donald Trump's immigration policy is a gift to Canada

Canada’s ability to integrate people from around the world has long been a source of comparative strength. It's all the more important right now.

10.11.2025 20

National Observer

Max Fawcett

Mark Carney wants results, not rhetoric 

What does his government's decision to eliminate a Trudeau-era luxury tax have to do with climate policy? More than you might think

06.11.2025 10

National Observer

Max Fawcett

The LNG bridge is starting to collapse

Global demand for LNG is supposed to be driven by its role as a so-called "bridge" between coal and renewables. What happens when the shores it's...

04.11.2025 10

National Observer

Max Fawcett

Bill Gates bends the knee on climate change

The Microsoft mega-billionaire's new letter on climate change claims to tell "tough truths". What it really does is display the same easy cowardice...

01.11.2025 10

National Observer

Max Fawcett

Mark Carney needs to come clean on climate 

The prime minister has been conspicuously quiet about an issue that seemed to define his politics before he entered the partisan arena. That needs to...

30.10.2025 20

National Observer

Max Fawcett

Alberta is the richest province in the country — except where it really counts

How does the province with the highest fiscal capacity in the country also have the lowest per-capita funding for students in its public schools?...

28.10.2025 7

National Observer

Max Fawcett

Danielle Smith’s pipeline still doesn’t have a business case

The biggest obstacle standing in the way of another pipeline to the West Coast isn't the tanker ban or federal climate policies. It's oil...

24.10.2025 10

National Observer

Max Fawcett

What is the Alberta NDP waiting for?

The UCP government continues to flirt with separatists, pander to conspiracy theories and get embroiled in ethical scandals. So why is it still on...

22.10.2025 20

National Observer

Max Fawcett