As a Nobel Laureate once said, “The times they are a-changin’.”

The global trading system has been thrown into disarray with Donald Trump’s election and his clear disdain for international trade commitments – or, put another way, his stridently protectionist policies designed, he says, to make America great again.

As of now, it looks like there will be no new health accord between the federal and provincial/territorial governments in the immediate future. It would be a pity if this means no reallocation of aggregate healthcare spending toward home care and mental health programs, two areas where additional spending could greatly benefit patients. Barring this, however, the failure to agree on a new accord is better than a repeat of the 2004 agreement and could ultimately lead to a better alignment of responsibilities in Canadian healthcare.

The government of Ontario is currently looking at ways to address precarious work through a sweeping review of labour legislation and enforcement in the province – other provinces are planning to follow suit. Employment risks are also featured in federal Finance Minister Bill Morneau’s statements about “job churn” and the persistence of short-term employment. But how bad is the problem and what should be done about it?