Quebec's not lining up to be a major influence within next federal government

Intellectual energy of the next Cabinet will likely come from Ontario if Grits win and from Western Canada if the Tories do.

Conservatives' running against a green ticket is not danger-free

But those risks, at least in the minds of party strategists, are offset by Stéphane Dion's uneven effectiveness at delivering his message.

It can be argued that the Stephen Harper government actually lost the confidence of Parliament some time ago

In post-nationalistic Quebec, sovereignty and open federalism don't resonate like they used to

By Conservative polling numbers, Harper should not have a hope in hell of winning over Quebec in a fall election. He needs at least 25 per cent.

Parallels between Clarity Act operation, Green Shift endeavour too numerous

Medicare debate's in a political cone of silence

No party has the guts to make the case for a different medicare mix, but none of the expensive plans designed to ensure its future has delivered truly sustainable results.

Cabinet appointments another sign of strains on longer-than-expected minority mandate

The fact that disgraced Maxime Bernier is more likely to be re-elected than the stars of last week's mini-shuffle sums up Prime Minister Stephen Harper's enduring staffing predicament.

Dion and his party cross the Rubicon, there's no turning back from carbon tax scheme

Image of government steadily deteriorates

When Parliament winds down for the summer, few of its members will be sorry to leave its toxic political environment for a few months.

Stakes go up for Tories as McGuinty and Charest join forces

Bernier's resignation largely Harper's own making

Canada's election referee's in awkward position, a stake in outcome of next campaign

Having forced his way into the filing cabinets of the governing party, elections commissioner William Corbett has now staked his credibility on building an airtight case.

Retired generals do not always fade quietly into the night...

Over his three-year watch as top soldier, Chief of Defence Staff Rick Hillier emerged as the driving force behind the remodelling of Canada's foreign policy.

Quebec trend looks good for a Harper majority

It is too early to speak of a possible Harper sweep in francophone Quebec, but if this trend is sustained, it will translate into a substantial increase in seats.

Harper's bare-knuckled handling of Ontario renders federalism more dysfunctional

One side sees government activism as a vice while the other views it as a virtue. It will not lead to the breakup of the country, but the conflict has the potential to seriously distort the practice of federalism, says columnist Chantal Hébert.

Liberals should not force a spring election...

Liberals could turn their election swords into ploughshares and prepare a 2009 bid for power, but it requires discipline.

Krieber most influential woman in Canadian federal politics

Under the Conservative regime, women have been relegated to the second tier of the Cabinet, says columnist Hébert.

Byelection results = another test for Dion's leadership

Had the Chuck Cadman affair not momentarily switched the channels from the federal budget to Conservative ethics last week, Liberal Leader Stéphane Dion would likely be fending off public calls for his resignation by now. But all that changed.

Flaherty's third budget is basically vote-neutral

If the big tax cuts of previous Tory budgets did not push Stephen Harper's party into majority territory, the marginal fiscal measures of this budget are unlikely to do so either.

Manley´s report eviscerates Dion´s position, calls it a non-viable option

Since then, leading Liberals have twisted themselves into pretzels to demonstrate that the report vindicates them.