The Globe and Mail
Donald Savoie
Publishing · On our record since 2008
Where this writer stands
Fiscal policy2 pieces
Higher taxes and public spendingLower taxes and tighter spending
“A more promising approach is to take a look at programs that have passed their best-before dates and scrutinize the growing number of departments and agencies.” Read the piece
Federalism2 pieces
Ottawa leadsProvinces lead
“The federal government should try harder to stay in its lane and deal with its core responsibilities, such as national defence. It should also ask provinces to look after their constitutional responsibilities, thus avoiding costly duplications.” Read the piece
Trade1 piece
Diversify away from one partnerDeeper continental integration
“Canada can no longer rely on its neighbour as a reliable economic partner. It has no choice but to pursue new markets.” 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
- A leaner public service is a better public serviceOpinion · The Globe and Mail · Oct 14, 2026
- Opinion: Mark Carney delivered hard truths at Davos. Canadians deserve to hear the sameOpinion · The Globe and Mail · Feb 1, 2026
- Opinion: If Canada wants to recapture the national ambition of the 1960s, it must seriously cut the bloatOpinion · The Globe and Mail · Nov 16, 2025
- Opinion: Public service reform is only possible if the Prime Minister champions the projectOpinion · The Globe and Mail · Jun 1, 2025
- Opinion: In its current form, Canada’s public service can’t attract the best and the brightestOpinion · The Globe and Mail · Sep 19, 2024
- Opinion: The Maritimes are no longer an economic basket case. But the good times bring their own problemsOpinion · The Globe and Mail · Aug 5, 2024
- Opinion: Ottawa, we have a problem: the federal public serviceOpinion · The Globe and Mail · Dec 26, 2023
- Opinion: Canadian provinces’ claims of victimhood are wearing thinOpinion · The Globe and Mail · May 23, 2023
- Opinion: Canada’s rural-urban divide is getting deeper, and that hurts all CanadiansOpinion · The Globe and Mail · Dec 9, 2021
- Opinion: Ottawa’s decades-old approach to regional development is creaking under its own weightOpinion · The Globe and Mail · Dec 28, 2020
- Opinion: Resolving Nova Scotia’s fishery conflict will require inviting both sides to the negotiating tableOpinion · The Globe and Mail · Oct 18, 2020
- Opinion: Déjà Tru: In his second term, Justin Trudeau could learn from his fatherOpinion · The Globe and Mail · Oct 24, 2019
- Opinion: Canada’s political institutions are failing. The next parliament must save themOpinion · The Globe and Mail · Sep 19, 2019
- Our top public servant should not be wearing so many hatsOpinion · The Globe and Mail · Mar 3, 2019
- Eastern and Western Canadians are angry – and Ottawa needs to wake upOpinion · The Globe and Mail · Dec 27, 2018
- New Brunswick is Canada’s most difficult jurisdiction to governOpinion · The Globe and Mail · Nov 3, 2018
- Has Trudeau given up on Atlantic Canada?Opinion · The Globe and Mail · Mar 31, 2018
- Politics killed the Energy East pipelineOpinion · The Globe and Mail · Oct 15, 2017
- Why keep cabinet secrets? Our democracy depends on itOpinion · The Globe and Mail · Apr 26, 2017
- Why keep cabinet secrets? Our democracy depends on itOpinion · The Globe and Mail · Apr 26, 2017
- Why keep cabinet secrets? Our democracy depends on itOpinion · The Globe and Mail · Apr 26, 2017
- What government is good at, and how it can improveOpinion · The Globe and Mail · Apr 26, 2016
- A change in government alone won’t fix the malaiseOpinion · The Globe and Mail · Nov 29, 2015
- One country, several distinct economiesOpinion · The Globe and Mail · Nov 1, 2015
- Canada’s democratic institutions are on trialOpinion · The Globe and Mail · Aug 13, 2015
- What is government good for? It’s time to answer this questionOpinion · The Globe and Mail · Jul 1, 2015
- The perils of the career politicianOpinion · The Globe and Mail · Oct 5, 2014
- Frugality once defined the civil service. It needs to be rediscoveredOpinion · The Globe and Mail · Apr 2, 2013
- Frugality once defined the civil service. It needs to be rediscoveredOpinion · The Globe and Mail · Apr 1, 2013
- Running government like a business has been a dismal failureOpinion · The Globe and Mail · Jan 6, 2013
- Running government like a business has been a dismal failureOpinion · The Globe and Mail · Jan 6, 2013
- Procurement politics: The ship stops hereOpinion · The Globe and Mail · Sep 5, 2012
- Procurement politics: The ship stops hereOpinion · The Globe and Mail · Sep 5, 2012
- Procurement politics: The ship stops hereOpinion · The Globe and Mail · Sep 5, 2012
- Who has the power?Opinion · The Globe and Mail · Aug 22, 2012
- Who has the power?Opinion · The Globe and Mail · Aug 22, 2012
- Who will speak up for Canada?Opinion · The Globe and Mail · Jun 28, 2012
- Who will speak up for Canada?Opinion · The Globe and Mail · Jun 28, 2012
- Who will speak up for Canada?Opinion · The Globe and Mail · Jun 28, 2012
- Who will speak up for Canada?Opinion · The Globe and Mail · Jun 28, 2012
- Who will speak up for Canada?Opinion · The Globe and Mail · Jun 28, 2012
- Who will speak up for Canada?Opinion · The Globe and Mail · Jun 28, 2012
- Who will speak up for Canada?Opinion · The Globe and Mail · Jun 28, 2012
- Who will speak up for Canada?Opinion · The Globe and Mail · Jun 28, 2012
- Who will speak up for Canada?Opinion · The Globe and Mail · Jun 28, 2012
- Who will speak up for Canada?Opinion · The Globe and Mail · Jun 28, 2012
- Who will speak up for Canada?Opinion · The Globe and Mail · Jun 28, 2012
- Who will speak up for Canada?Opinion · The Globe and Mail · Jun 28, 2012
- Who will speak up for Canada?Opinion · The Globe and Mail · Jun 28, 2012
- Who will speak up for Canada?Opinion · The Globe and Mail · Jun 28, 2012
- Who will speak up for Canada?Opinion · The Globe and Mail · Jun 28, 2012
- Who will speak up for Canada?Opinion · The Globe and Mail · Jun 28, 2012
- Who will speak up for Canada?Opinion · The Globe and Mail · Jun 28, 2012
- Who will speak up for Canada?Opinion · The Globe and Mail · Jun 28, 2012
- Who will speak up for Canada?Opinion · The Globe and Mail · Jun 28, 2012
- Who will speak up for Canada?Opinion · The Globe and Mail · Jun 28, 2012
- Who will speak up for Canada?Opinion · The Globe and Mail · Jun 28, 2012
- Who will speak up for Canada?Opinion · The Globe and Mail · Jun 28, 2012
- Who will speak up for Canada?Opinion · The Globe and Mail · Jun 28, 2012
- Who will speak up for Canada?Opinion · The Globe and Mail · Jun 28, 2012