On Monday January 31st the federal government will convene a summit to discuss supply chain frustrations with a wide variety of participants. Despite the odds against rapid success, it’s a welcome effort.
The stubborn supply chain mess affects virtually every consumer and community. And although the problems are certainly international, there are things that can be done right here in Canada, to improve the situation.
Ottawa has been tiptoeing along a very narrow line: trying to be seen as active on the problem, while avoiding any expectation that the government could craft a “solution” that solves all the problems. Presumably political advisers were telling the Cabinet “you touch it, you’ll own it.”
But south of the border the U.S. President took an aggressive tack, travelling to a California port and personally urging railroads, truckers and ports to take extraordinary measures. By Christmas the White House was touting evidence the situation was improving.