The Globe and Mail · Montreal Gazette · Ottawa Citizen · Edmonton Journal
Colin Robertson
Last published Jan. 2026 · On our record since 2009
Where this writer stands
Defence1 piece
Restrain spending and deploymentsHigher spending and more capability
“That requires serious defence capability, economic resilience, technological competence, and sustained investment in diplomacy and development assistance.” Read the piece
Trade1 piece
Diversify away from one partnerDeeper continental integration
“That means choices long avoided: diversifying economic and security ties; investing seriously in defence and resilience;” Read the piece
Only opinion columns and editorials are scored. Each piece is read twice by a language model, which records the author's own stance on a policy topic only where the piece argues one, with a quote that must appear in the piece. An author's position on a topic is the average of their pieces, weighted by the model's confidence. News reporting is listed but never scored.
Recent work
- Opinion: As the old order fractures, middle powers must seize the momentOpinion · The Globe and Mail · Jan 20, 2026
- Opinion: Canada needs to be realistic about what it can get from China with its relations resetOpinion · The Globe and Mail · Jan 4, 2026
- Opinion: To truly support our allies, Canada needs a C.D. Howe momentOpinion · The Globe and Mail · Mar 17, 2022
- Opinion: Climate change is increasing global security threats. Canada can helpOpinion · The Globe and Mail · Nov 15, 2021
- Opinion: Practising good diplomacy will require Canada to recognize the Taliban in AfghanistanOpinion · The Globe and Mail · Aug 29, 2021
- Opinion: G7 and NATO summits showed that multilateralism enduresOpinion · The Globe and Mail · Jun 15, 2021
- Opinion: Canada must sanction Chinese officials for their gross human-rights abuse of the MichaelsOpinion · The Globe and Mail · Mar 21, 2021
- Opinion: Canada has been without a U.S. ambassador for too longOpinion · The Globe and Mail · Feb 21, 2021
- Opinion: Parliament should bring back the Canada-China special committeeOpinion · The Globe and Mail · Sep 21, 2020
- Opinion: It’s not me, it’s you: Trump’s aluminum tariffs are a byproduct of his re-election woesOpinion · The Globe and Mail · Aug 10, 2020
- Opinion: Canada needs a more strategic, region-based approach to reopening the borderOpinion · The Globe and Mail · Jun 22, 2020
- Opinion: For the G20 project – and multilateralism itself – the coronavirus is an existential threatOpinion · The Globe and Mail · Mar 21, 2020
- Opinion: The NAFTA replacement isn’t perfect , but it’s good enough. Ottawa should pass itOpinion · The Globe and Mail · Feb 23, 2020
- Opinion: To win a UN Security Council seat, Canada needs to compete hardOpinion · The Globe and Mail · Jan 29, 2020
- Opinion: If we can put partisan politics aside, we might find a smart China policyOpinion · The Globe and Mail · Dec 22, 2019
- Opinion: Canada cannot cut foreign aid. We’re already not doing enoughOpinion · The Globe and Mail · Oct 1, 2019
- Opinion: As champions of liberty and democracy, G7 leaders must speak out on Hong KongOpinion · The Globe and Mail · Aug 18, 2019
- Donald Trump has ushered in a new global order. Here’s how Canada can protect itselfOpinion · The Globe and Mail · Jan 21, 2019
- The U.S. legislative class of 2019 is a golden opportunity for Team CanadaOpinion · The Globe and Mail · Jan 3, 2019
- Why the G20 still mattersOpinion · The Globe and Mail · Dec 2, 2018
- On China trade, Canada should tread carefullyOpinion · The Globe and Mail · Oct 21, 2018
- Don’t celebrate just yet. USMCA is far from being a done dealOpinion · The Globe and Mail · Oct 1, 2018
- Canada-Saudi rift: The next steps forward for OttawaOpinion · The Globe and Mail · Aug 13, 2018
- Why Canada should invest more - and now – in our own securityOpinion · The Globe and Mail · Jul 9, 2018
- In NAFTA talks, Canada and Mexico need to stick togetherOpinion · The Globe and Mail · May 22, 2018
- The Rohingya refugee crisis will test whether ‘Canada is back’Opinion · The Globe and Mail · Apr 24, 2018
- Canada should use its G7 meeting to tackle the Putin problemOpinion · The Globe and Mail · Mar 26, 2018
- How Canada must respond to Trump’s trade threatsOpinion · The Globe and Mail · Mar 5, 2018
- Opinion: Why your backyard rink is turning into a wading poolOpinion · Montreal Gazette · Mar 5, 2018
- How Canada must respond to Trump’s trade threatsOpinion · The Globe and Mail · Mar 5, 2018
- Why Canada needs to revisit its stance on ballistic missile defenceOpinion · The Globe and Mail · Nov 28, 2017
- Why Canada needs to revisit its stance on ballistic missile defenceOpinion · The Globe and Mail · Nov 28, 2017
- Why Canada needs to revisit its stance on ballistic missile defenceOpinion · The Globe and Mail · Nov 28, 2017
- Why Canada needs to revisit its stance on ballistic missile defenceOpinion · The Globe and Mail · Nov 28, 2017
- Why Canada needs to revisit its stance on ballistic missile defenceOpinion · The Globe and Mail · Nov 28, 2017
- Why Canada needs to revisit its stance on ballistic missile defenceOpinion · The Globe and Mail · Nov 28, 2017
- How Canada must navigate the new normal of global relationshipsOpinion · The Globe and Mail · Jun 4, 2017
- How Canada must navigate the new normal of global relationshipsOpinion · The Globe and Mail · Jun 4, 2017
- Why Trudeau’s ‘Goldilocks’ strategy with Trump is the best approachOpinion · The Globe and Mail · Feb 5, 2017
- Why Trudeau’s ‘Goldilocks’ strategy with Trump is the best approachOpinion · The Globe and Mail · Feb 5, 2017
- Harper needs to play the ‘reliable ally’ card at the G20Opinion · The Globe and Mail · Sep 3, 2013
- Harper needs to play the ‘reliable ally’ card at the G20Opinion · The Globe and Mail · Sep 3, 2013
- They don’t make cabinet ministers like they used to – for better or worseOpinion · The Globe and Mail · Jul 15, 2013
- They don’t make cabinet ministers like they used to – for better or worse Add to ...Opinion · The Globe and Mail · Jul 15, 2013
- No wonder diplomats are on strike: The foreign service needs fixing Add to ...Opinion · The Globe and Mail · Jun 11, 2013
- No wonder diplomats are on strike: The foreign service needs fixingOpinion · The Globe and Mail · Jun 11, 2013
- No wonder diplomats are on strike: The foreign service needs fixingOpinion · The Globe and Mail · Jun 11, 2013
- Canada should punish the U.S. over labelling, but does it justify a trade war?Opinion · The Globe and Mail · May 16, 2013
- Canada’s shipbuilding program is too important to run aground on poor planningOpinion · The Globe and Mail · May 7, 2013
- Canada’s shipbuilding program is too important to run aground on poor planningOpinion · The Globe and Mail · May 7, 2013
- A border-crossing fee is exactly what the U.S. and Canada do not needOpinion · The Globe and Mail · Apr 23, 2013
- A border-crossing fee is exactly what the U.S. and Canada do not needOpinion · The Globe and Mail · Apr 23, 2013
- North Korea’s threats show that Canada needs to be part of U.S. missile defence pactOpinion · The Globe and Mail · Apr 2, 2013
- North Korea’s threats show that Canada needs to be part of U.S. missile defence pactOpinion · The Globe and Mail · Apr 2, 2013
- Once-poor BRICS countries are preparing a better future without usOpinion · The Globe and Mail · Mar 26, 2013
- The CIDA move's not radical. Canada is just playing catch upOpinion · The Globe and Mail · Mar 21, 2013
- Opinion: The CIDA move's not radical. Canada is just playing catch upOpinion · The Globe and Mail · Mar 21, 2013
- We need a national ecological strategy to match our energy ambitionsOpinion · The Globe and Mail · Mar 12, 2013
- We need a national ecological strategy to match our energy ambitionsOpinion · The Globe and Mail · Mar 12, 2013
- NATO’s toughest battle is the discussion about its futureOpinion · The Globe and Mail · Feb 19, 2013