Parliament AIIndependent · non-official
All columnists

The Globe and Mail

Doug Saunders

Publishing · On our record since 2003

Where this writer stands

Immigration7 pieces

Higher permanent intakeLower intake
“That brings us to the other approach: to regard the undocumented as an asset. Under this thinking, the most effective solution to the problem of illegal immigrants is simply to make them legal immigrants.” Read the piece

Defence5 pieces

Restrain spending and deploymentsHigher spending and more capability
“European powers are now spending, and pooling, serious money to create a truly independent system of collective defence and non-U.S. procurement, one that Canada sensibly has joined.” Read the piece

Foreign affairs5 pieces

Alliance restraintAssertive alliances and sanctions
“This means, for someone like Mr. Carney seeking to do business with Abu Dhabi, that this is not yet another foreign negotiation for which there is activist pressure to "bring up human rights." The Prime Minister is engaging with a group of leaders who are directly involved in one of the most serious humanitarian atrocities of modern history, and they are capable of stopping it.” Read the piece

Trade4 pieces

Diversify away from one partnerDeeper continental integration
“In recent days, the EU has negotiated free-trade and investment agreements with India, the Mercosur countries of the Americas and the former Trans-Pacific Partnership countries of Asia.” Read the piece

Climate3 pieces

Faster fossil phase-downSlower phase-down, production first
“Building a climate-resilient and non-emitting world, and restoring the world's institutions of governance, economy and security in the absence of the United States, will be a massive undertaking that will occupy decades and cost more than any project in world history.” Read the piece

Federalism1 piece

Ottawa leadsProvinces lead
“And its 27 countries have finally given themselves the ability to pool revenues and jointly borrow.” Read the piece

Public safety1 piece

Prevention and restraintEnforcement and sentencing
“He launched a tough-on-crime program that coincideded with crime falling to its lowest historic levels in most of Britain, especially its cities” Read the piece

Fiscal policy1 piece

Higher taxes and public spendingLower taxes and tighter spending
“Specifically: Big, bold public investments in infrastructure, export growth and green-energy transition, and substantial use of immigration to drive growth and consumption and to staff those projects.” Read the piece

Agriculture1 piece

Defend supply managementLiberalize supply management
“Agriculture – which would be hugely beneficial for Canadian consumers but is considered untouchable by federal and many provincial governments” 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