Economic recovery requires Ottawa to change direction

In its first steps, the Trudeau government raised taxes on most taxpayers (despite promising tax relief for the middle class) and dramatically increased spending and borrowing. BLAIR GABLE/REUTERS FILES

Opinion: The Liberal mix of higher taxes, more government spending and deeper indebtedness did not result in a robust economy as promised

By Jason Clemens, Milagros Palacios and Niels Veldhuis

The Trudeau Liberals were elected in 2015 promising a new direction in fiscal policy. Their 2015 platform stated that: “Canada’s economy has faltered … It is time for smart, strategic investments that will turn our economy around and get it growing again.” In their inaugural budget in 2016, they talked about the need for “fundamental change” and massive “investments” by government.

In its first steps, the Trudeau government raised taxes on most taxpayers (despite promising tax relief for the middle class) and dramatically increased spending and borrowing. These changes, the government argued, would produce a stronger, more robust economy.

James Alexander Michie | THE STAR: Trudeau to Facebook: Fix your fake news problem or face stricter regulations

OTTAWA—Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has warned social networking giant Facebook it needs to fix its “fake news” problems or face stronger regulation from Ottawa.

Trudeau told Facebook chief operating officer Sheryl Sandberg in November he was concerned the company wasn’t doing enough to stop the spread of misleading information on their platform, a source with direct knowledge of the conversation told the Star.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau chats with Sheryl Sandberg, Facebook chief operating officer during a bilateral meeting in Davos, Switzerland on Jan. 20, 2016. The pair met again in November 2017 and Trudeau warned the Facebook COO that the company could face stronger regulation in Canada. (ANDREW VAUGHAN / THE CANADIAN PRESS)

Facebook has been under intense international scrutiny for allowing so-called “fake news” — false and often outlandish information presented as legitimate journalism — to propagate on its network.

Sometimes the “articles” are simply hoaxes, designed to profit from Facebook users’ clicks.

But as seen during the 2016 U.S. presidential election, the tactic can also mislead or manipulate citizens to further political ends – whether by partisan actors domestically, or hostile nations internationally. Facebook has also faced criticism about a lack of transparency around who is buying ads on its platform.

Read the full story here:
http://jamesalexandermichie.com/james-alexander-michie-star-trudeau-facebook-fix-fake-news-problem-face-stricter-regulations/