@lawrencezed

Canada public policy at @ITIFdc likes and/or retweets represent my views only

 Toronto, Canada
Joined May 2012
  • Tweets218
  • Following725
  • Followers299
18Media
Lawrence Zhang retweeted
The Hill Times@TheHillTimesMay 16
Opinion: Canada should not build the next hacking target with Bill C-22 #cdnpoli hilltimes.com/2026/05/13/can…

Canada should not build the next hacking target with Bill C-22 - The Hill Times

Bill C-22 would mean certain electronic service providers to retain the ability to hand over data when legally ordered by the government. This creates a backdoor that doesn’t remain neatly reserved...

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Lawrence Zhang retweeted
Daniel Castro@castrotechApr 6
Good to see OpenAI lay out ideas for an AI industrial policy: openai.com/index/industrial-… This is the conversation U.S. policymakers should be having. As OpenAI notes, this is a “starting point.” A few reactions:

Industrial policy for the intelligence age

Explore our ambitious, people-first industrial policy ideas for the AI era—focused on expanding opportunity, sharing prosperity, and building resilient institutions as advanced intelligence evolves.

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🚨 Government of Canada’s bill to require service providers to give law enforcement access to encrypted communications would irreversibly undermine #encryption for Canadian users. Statement from @lawrencezed on Bill C-22: vist.ly/4uqrh

Canada’s Encryption Proposal Would Undermine Digital Security

Government of Canada’s proposal to require service providers to provide law enforcement access to encrypted communications would irreversibly undermine encryption for Canadian users, putting their...

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Why it matters: 🔷 Manufacturing location determines where capital, suppliers, skills, and innovation compound 🔷 Once industrial ecosystems hollow out, they rarely rebound Treating EVs and canola as equivalent trade-offs is a mistake, says @lawrencezed itif.org/publications/2026/0…

Cars, Canola, and the Country Canada Chooses to Be

Treating cars like canola is not strategy. Using industrial platforms as bargaining chips for commodity access risks locking Canada into a permanently resource-heavy economic structure, one in which...

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.@CopelanPeter introduces today's guest speakers: - Ryan Khurana, Senior Fellow at @JoinFAI, - and @Lawrencezed, Head of Policy at @ITIFdc. xitter.cf/i/broadcasts/1MYGNwmXa…
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Macdonald-Laurier Institute

AI Policy in Canada: A Unique Path Between the EU and US

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Canada doesn’t have an innovation system. Just 134 disconnected programs. Now’s the moment to fix that—with our new NATO R&D commitment as the catalyst. We need a national operator to move tech from lab to deployment. Not more pilots. A real system. itif.org/publications/2025/0…

Canada Doesn’t Have an Innovation System: It Has 134 Programs

Canada needs a new federal institution that makes its innovation system more than the sum of its parts: a Canadian Innovation and Industrial Transformation Agency. This institution wouldn’t replace...

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Canada was right to drop the digital services tax. It would’ve hit Canadian firms hardest, triggered U.S. retaliation, and deepened trade tensions. Now it’s time to focus on real competitiveness: adoption, IP enforcement, and scale. #cdntech #cdnpoli #DST
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Canada faces a pivotal choice: ✅ Build its world-class research and talent to stay at the forefront of the global AI economy ❌ Squander its early lead by overregulating For @MLInstitute, @lawrencezed & @castrotech argue Canada’s priority should be accelerating AI adoption.🧵
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In a world of rising economic competition and trade uncertainty, Canada’s underinvestment in productive capital is eroding its ability to compete and protect its national interests. Full report by @lawrencezed & @Meg_ostertag 👇 itif.org/publications/2025/0…

Underinvestment in Capital Equipment Hinders Canadian Productivity Growth

Canadian firms are underinvesting in productivity-enhancing capital such as machinery, software, and advanced technologies. Without targeted reforms to boost investment and improve data collection,...

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In a new blog, @lawrencezed makes the case for a grand bargain: faster permitting and access to federal lands in exchange for modest levies that fund Canadian R&D and commercialization. Read more ⬇️ itif.org/publications/2025/0…

Fuel for Thought: A New Mechanism to Fund Canadian Innovation

Canada stands at a pivotal moment to leverage its natural resource boom into long-term industrial strength by tying faster permitting and land access to reinvestment in innovation. A modest levy on...

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Avoiding hypothetical risks isn’t always safe. Overregulation will cost Canada its economic edge and tech leadership. Standing still means falling behind. Time to shift from theory to practical AI deployment. Article by @lawrencezed & @castrotech ⬇️ macdonaldlaurier.ca/canada-s…

Canada should harness its AI advantage, not squander it: Lawrence Zhang and Daniel Castro |...

In an era when AI will enhance everything from crop yields to cancer detection, the central priority should be to accelerate AI adoption to boost Canada's economic prosperity and quality of life for...

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We're ready to work with the new gov to ensure Canada not only withstands external pressures but emerges as a leading industrial power. Full statement from @lawrencezed ⬇️ itif.org/publications/2025/0…

ITIF’s Centre for Canadian Innovation and Competitiveness Congratulates Prime Minister Mark Carney

Following Prime Minister Mark Carney and the Liberal Party’s victory in Canada’s pivotal election, ITIF released the following statement from Lawrence Zhang, head of policy at ITIF’s Centre for...

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With PM Carney and Trump finally talking, negotiation is back on the table. Re-engaging now lets us shape the talks, test U.S. intentions, and strengthen our long-term economic position. itif.org/publications/2025/0…

Why Canada Must Keep Talking to Trump’s America

Canada’s path forward requires becoming a more productive trading nation that is less reliant on external forces and more capable of turning ambition into economic power. Walking away from the most...

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For decades, Canadian scientists moved south for opportunity. Now, U.S. science is under political attack, and talent is looking north. Canada must seize this moment to turn brain drain into brain gain. Here's how we can do it: itif.org/publications/2025/0…

Canada Should Hire Scientists Trump Fires

Trump and Musk are disrupting America’s scientific community, giving Canada a rare opportunity to attract top talent and position itself as a global innovation powerhouse.

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Trump’s tariffs should serve as a wake-up call for Canadians. It's time to seize the moment and enact bold reforms that foster a more innovative, productive, and globally competitive economy. More from @lawrencezed 👇 itif.org/publications/2025/0…

How Can Canada Fight Smart Against the Trump Tariff Threat?

While Trump’s tariffs pose an unprecedented threat to Canada’s economy, they should serve as a wake-up call. Canadian policymakers must seize this moment to enact bold reforms that drive innovation,...

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To boost innovation, Canada must think like a “big, small country” rather than a “small, big country.” hilltimes.com/story/2025/02/…

Canadian economic nationalism in the Trump era: what could possibly go wrong? - The Hill Times

To boost innovation, Canada must think like a 'big, small country' rather than a 'small, big country.'

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Foreign multinational firms are significant training grounds for Canadian entrepreneurial talent, providing the skills, resources, & exposure needed to launch successful tech start-ups in Canada. 🚀 💡 @lawrencezed explains ⤵️ itif.org/publications/2025/0…

Building Canadian Start-Ups Through Global Experience

Instead of viewing foreign tech companies as competitors to domestic innovation, Canada must embrace their complementary role in fostering a vibrant, interconnected tech ecosystem.

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With the 5% revenue contribution requirement, the average Canadian family will pay an extra $40 per year into media funds. 📈 If creating Canadian content is a societal goal, it should be funded by the government, not consumers, explains @lawrencezed. 👇 itif.org/publications/2025/0…

The Online Streaming Act Will Cost Canadians

Canadian consumers should not have to bear the costs of the Online Streaming Act. If the creation and promotion of Canadian content is a societal goal, then it should be funded by the government.

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Lawrence Zhang retweeted
Daniel Castro@castrotech7 Nov 2024
Canada orders TikTok to close its offices after national security review. The app will still be available in Canada. What an odd decision. A few thoughts... cbc.ca/news/politics/tiktok-…
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💲 Rising prices in Canada can be attributed to plain old inflation, not "price gouging." 📊 A comparison of net profit margins shows that big Canadian firms have NOT seen major changes in profitability over recent years. @lawrencezed explains: itif.org/publications/2024/1…

Canadian Businesses Are Not Profiteering

Big Canadian telcos, grocery stores, and banks have not seen major changes in profitability over the past four years or compared to their international peers. Rising prices should not be attributed...

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