The Decibel

Last week, the federal government ended a 32-year ban on commercial cod fishing off the coasts of Newfoundland and Labrador. It reverses a policy decision that devastated the province and led to one of the biggest mass layoffs in Canadian history. While the reversal may seem like a reason to celebrate, some people in the industry are criticizing the news.

Dr. George Rose, a fisheries scientist at UBC’s Institute for the Oceans and Fisheries, has been studying the Northern cod population since the 1980s. Though he’s optimistic about the eventual return of the industry, he warns how this decision could undo decades of work.

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The first sign that there was fighting at the highest levels of power at Rogers Communications Inc. appeared in late September. That’s when it was announced that the company’s CFO, Anthony Staffieri, was leaving. Soon afterward, The Globe reported that his departure was connected to an attempt he made to oust Rogers’ CEO, Joe Natale, with the help of then-chair of the board, Edward Rogers.

In the weeks since then, there has been a lot of fallout as the rift in the company – and within the Rogers family itself – has deepened. The Globe’s telecoms reporter Alexandra Posadzki has been breaking news on this file for nearly a month now and is on the show to explain the cast of characters involved in this corporate drama and what it means for one of Canada’s biggest telecoms companies and the family that runs it.

On Monday, Rogers Communications Inc., Shaw Communications Inc. and Quebecor Inc. extended a deadline to mid-February that would finalize the largest telecommunications takeover in Canadian history. The deal would see Rogers buy Shaw for $20-billion. In an already concentrated industry, Canada’s Competition Bureau has argued that the deal would be bad for consumers who already pay some of the highest cell phone bills in the world.

Telecom reporter, Alexandra Posadzki explains the implications of this deal and why, even though it has cleared significant legal hurdles, Canada’s Federal Industry Minister Francois-Philippe Champagne won’t rush his signoff.

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In under two days, the narrative around Kamala Harris has completely shifted. It went from questioning her ability to replace Joe Biden, to a nearly complete coalescing around her presidential candidacy after Biden bowed out.

Globe columnist Doug Saunders believes that she is the right presidential candidate for the Democrats as they mount their third campaign against Donald Trump. He explains why her strengths – and even her perceived weaknesses – are suited for the moment.

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Last month, former Prime Minister Stephen Harper re-entered the headlines, after being appointed to chair the board of AIMCo, the Alberta Investment Management Corporation. His return followed mass upheaval at the company – with the Alberta government abruptly firing most of its senior leadership and board members.

AIMCo is responsible for managing hundreds of thousands of public-sector pensions, totaling more than $169 billion. What is happening at Canada’s sixth largest pension fund manager and what does it mean for these pensions?

James Bradshaw is the Globe’s institutional investing reporter. He’ll explain the shake up at AIMCo and why the separation of government from public pension funds is at stake.

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