The Hub

.@faliceemo: What the battle over cattle traceability reveals about Canada’s regulatory regime and innovation gap thehub.ca/2026/05/14/wha…

Your tax dollars at work. thehub.ca/2026/05/15/you…

.@Sean_Speer: Indigenous rights laws deserve more scrutiny than they’re getting. thehub.ca/2026/05/15/ind…

The Hub's poetry of the week by @jackmitchell.

Federal Conservatives should ask tough questions about UNDRIPA As British Columbia’s Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples Act (DRIPA) has become a political flashpoint, reports this week suggested that the federal Conservatives are seeking to capitalize on growing concerns about its implications for private property, resource development, and investment in the province. But if Conservatives want to have a serious national conversation about Indigenous rights and their interaction with private property and broader economic interests, they don’t need to look as far as B.C. The federal government enacted its own version in 2021: the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples Act (UNDRIPA), formerly Bill C-15. Although, as @DwightNewmanLaw, a leading legal scholar, wrote for The Hub this week, the two laws aren’t precisely the same—the federal one is less prescriptive and, in turn, potentially less problematic than the B.C. one—that doesn’t mean there isn’t a risk that the judiciary will read new obligations and rights into UNDRIPA. The act explicitly affirms the declaration as a tool for interpreting Canadian law and commits the federal government to ensuring that federal statutes are “consistent” with it. That language in particular creates the possibility that courts, regulators, and litigants could come to influence federal law over time, including in areas such as permitting, environmental assessments, and natural resource development.  That’s why the issue matters well beyond B.C. Major national projects—from pipelines and transmission lines to mines and ports—depend on a regulatory framework that’s both respectful of Indigenous rights and sufficiently predictable to attract investment. If the practical effect of the federal legislation is to increase legal uncertainty, lengthen approval timelines, or expand the scope for litigation, it could further weaken Canada’s already poor record on major project development. The Conservatives recognized these risks when they opposed Bill C-15 in Parliament, warning that its ambiguity could undermine economic certainty and Indigenous participation in development. They were right then, and they should revisit the issue now. As British Columbians debate the consequences of DRIPA, federal Conservatives have an opportunity to broaden the discussion. They should challenge whether Ottawa’s law strikes the right balance between advancing reconciliation and preserving the legal certainty needed for investment and growth. That conversation could lead to targeted amendments to clarify the legislation’s intent and limits or ultimately its repeal. Either way, if Conservatives believe economic growth and state capacity depend on restoring confidence in Canada’s regulatory system, the federal UNDRIP law deserves much closer scrutiny.

Your tax dollars at work thehub.ca/2026/05/15/you…

.@Sean_Speer: Indigenous rights laws deserve more scrutiny than they’re getting thehub.ca/2026/05/15/ind…

‘We’re only on the edges of the fields of certainty’: @Rextag_data's Bill Whitelaw on why investors might still hesitate on the Alberta–Ottawa energy deal thehub.ca/podcast/audio/…

I speak to @Jerry_Amernic for @TheHubCanada, who was duped by the CBC activist prank show. As he describes it, he flown out to Vancouver on an all expenses paid trip, and was met by a Sir John A. Macdonald impersonator attempting to pull controversial quotes out of him, a woman in a strange wig, was initially told his segment would be taped at CBC HQ, and was paid in cash in a brown envelope. He is considering legal action. youtu.be/VF0WAC1yI0s?si…

ICYMI: ‘From the passenger seat to the driver’s seat’: @shelleykuipers and @judy_fairburn on why women may be Canada’s biggest untapped source of capital thehub.ca/podcast/audio/…

Canadian e-commerce growth slowed in 2025 as the rest of the world surged ahead thehub.ca/2026/05/15/can…

ICYMI: @ezralevant: The Winds of Change conference ultimately failed—but here’s why it still matters thehub.ca/2026/05/14/the…

.@riaz_kara: From Trump to COVID-19, Canada’s state capacity is under threat—here’s how to strengthen it thehub.ca/2026/05/15/fro…

Growing Canadian companies finding no VC investment a ‘wake-up call’ for Ottawa thehub.ca/2026/05/14/gro…

‘Taxpayer-funded political activism’: Why is the CBC running a prank show to humiliate conservatives? Full Press (@harrisonlowman, @TaraRHenley, and @Pagmenzies) discusses. thehub.ca/podcast/video/…

‘From the passenger seat to the driver’s seat’: @shelleykuipers and @judy_fairburn on why women may be Canada’s biggest untapped source of capital. thehub.ca/podcast/audio/…

.@ezralevant: The Winds of Change conference ultimately failed—but here’s why it still matters. thehub.ca/2026/05/14/the…

ICYMI: ‘It’s become unfair’: Tim Wu (@superwuster) on the lost economic promise of tech platforms This episode is presented in partnership with the @DonnerPrize. thehub.ca/podcast/video/…

ICYMI: Canada's pivot toward European economic models could be a costly mistake. While seeking new geopolitical partners makes sense, copying Europe's deficit-financed state investment approach over proven tax and regulatory reforms risks hampering growth when Canada needs it most. Read the latest from @charleslammam in The Hub. thehub.ca/2026/05/13/can…